Dark Souls III Reviews
Dark Souls 3 doesn't win over fans who didn't already enjoy the painfully difficult franchise, but it puts some challenging new twists on the tried and true combat system.
Dark Souls III is beautiful, balanced and fun, although it's not so different from the handful of games that preceded it.
We have the zenith of the Souls formula, and that is mostly a good thing. Dark Souls 3 is the most elegant distillation of the "demanding but not impossible" style first put forth in Demon's Souls. And the return of the mana bar brings the greatest degree of play-style experimentation the series has had. Add to that From's finally stable-at-launch multiplayer servers, and Dark Souls 3 is the most complete feeling Souls experience in the franchise.
Dark Souls 3 relies too much on former glories to reach the heights of Bloodborne or the original Dark Souls, but that doesn't stop it being another superb adventure.
Dark Souls 3 is exactly what fans want, more of the same. There are new elements to be sure, but overall the game is the same great action RPG formula as the previous games. Unfortunately this also means some pieces that should have been updated weren't. On top of this are some performance issues and a lackluster targeting system. Still, longtime fans will overlook these with ease. Newcomers will find a more accepting entry for the franchise, though the massive challenge is still there, and don't expect to understand all of the intricate mechanics that the game never really explains to you.
Though a handful of major bugs hold back the PC release a bit, Dark Souls III is a satisfying finale to the monumental series.
Dark Souls 3 is a harrowing trek through a dark and gorgeous world, and despite a few missteps, is well worth the challenge.
If you haven’t played Dark Souls up until now because of the difficulty, then Dark Souls 3 still isn’t going to change that. It’s the tried and tested gameplay, with a few polished up features. It is by far the best game in the series, but it is only going to appeal to a certain demographic of gamer. Those who enjoy the test of increasingly difficult combat systems, a slow and methodical approach to progression and who don’t get frustrated easily will certainly have already played Dark Souls 3 by now, but if it’s sitting in your library and you have always wondered “Am I good enough?” Then the answer is almost certainly “No, you are not you absolute scrub” but you should still boot up Dark Souls 3 for an epic experience you cannot get anywhere else.
Dark Souls 3 feels fresh and easily establishes itself as the franchise's best and most comprehensive game, as well as placing itself in the list as one of the strongest games of the year. Know what you're getting into because Dark Souls 3 isn't good for your health! Prepare to die!
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Dark Souls 3 wirkt viel mehr wie ein Liebesbrief an Fans von Dark Souls und Bloodborne als ein wirklich neuer Teil. Zwar bieten die Cutscene’s nicht den Story-Umfang eines Bloodborne’s und auch ein Großteil der Gegner kommt nicht an den üblichen Schwierigkeitsgrad heran, den man sonst von Dark Souls gewohnt ist, aber ansonsten beweist sich Dark Souls 3 als ein solider Souls Titel der sowohl Fans der Serie, als auch Neueinsteiger sehr gut unterhalten wird.
Review in German | Read full review
Dark Souls 3 is a great game, but it's a game that takes a few steps back to be accommodating for players that are still not acclimated to the series.
Dark Souls has shown players how to fight ultra bother and learn a lot, but the third episode won't overcome past parts of the series because the original charm is gone and it remains a tough grind.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Dark Souls 3 represents a culmination of the best ideas in the series, resulting in a familiar but highly entertaining experience despite a handful of frustrating moments.
Dark Souls III represents yet another valiant swing in the brutally addictive formula that is From Software's unforgiving Souls series. Glitches and a been-there, done-that vibe for series veterans take off some of the sheen from the game. The solid gameplay, however, combined with new battle arts and more dynamic boss fights make Dark Souls III another worthy entry in the franchise.
Dark Souls III is another punishingly hard game in an era of hand-holding that masochists will appreciate. While enemy AI is laughably dumb, those same enemies can take you down in no time flat. This is a game that forces you to learn its intricacies and quirks, and use them all to your advantage. Sporting a wonderful environment full of color, suffering, death, and a small amount of hope, fans can expect to sink several dozen, if not hundreds, of hours into the game, if they haven't already. From Software knows how to make challenging games that reward those who invest the time needed to properly engage enemies, and Dark Souls III continues in that tradition.
I can't say I ever really had fun playing Dark Souls III once I was immersed. It was something to be endured more than something to be enjoyed. But I do believe there is a future in the game where that pleasure would come. I just didn't get there in time for this review. I am unwilling to be overly forgiving of its flaws, but do recognize the community that surrounds the game make up greatly for the pitfalls of the game itself. In most games there is a simple pleasure of success that accompanies them. The payoff for Dark Souls isn't guaranteed, but goes somewhat deeper than that. It feels a little more like genuine accomplishment, found in small does along the way and promised in large measure when you finally find yourself skilled at this wonderfully unique little corner of the gaming world.
From Software's latest bit of gamer masochism doesn't reach the high water mark of Bloodbourne, yet remains a thoroughly engaging experience
If Dark Souls III truly is the last game for now, it makes perfect sense, since it's just as much of a love letter to fans as it is a culmination of the series. I may not have like this iteration as much as the rest, but it's still streets ahead of most current action games and deserves a warm spot on your shelf by the bonfire.
Dark Souls III continues the tradition of providing tough action RPG gameplay within a complex world quite well.
Demon's Souls had the spirit, Dark Souls had the lore, Dark Souls II the difficulty, Bloodborne the combat ... Dark Souls III is a bit of a mix of everything but a little less strong and shocking than its predecessors. It's a high-quality game and an ending worthy of a trilogy and even a pentalogy. But it doesn't make you feel bad that From Software stopped, which is a bit sad. I feel that From Software must have other sights. The era of great linear adventures has passed, and the open worlds cry out for good mechanics and combat. Time to do something else. Dark Souls III is the end of an era but it is also the opportunity for the virtues that From Software has cultivated in the dungeon crawler from King's Field to transcend into more ambitious genres. As for Dark Souls III, it is a necessary ending. Ash to ashes, dust to dust.
Review in Spanish | Read full review