Dark Souls III Reviews
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.
You start off as a weak, undead wanderer and eventually grow into a being that can kill god-like monsters, and it's not because the game's narrative needs you to be that powerful, but because you've worked so very hard to get to that point. It's an incredible feeling, and makes Dark Souls III an incredible game.
For fans and newcomers alike, Dark Souls III is a magnum opus of From Software design. You'll celebrate as bosses fall to your sword, gaze in wonder at the landscape's snowy hamlets and towering cathedrals, scold yourself for losing souls to a bottomless pit or eldritch beast, then grab the controller to relive the nightmare again and again.
Dark Souls 3 doesn't take many risks, but when you have fans that played Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2 and Bloodborne, you need something to keep the series fresh and new. Dark Souls 3 doesn't offer anything like that, which means you should already know if you'd enjoy the new game. It's more of the same, with slight adjustments to differentiate it from the other games in the series.
Dark Souls III feels more like an extension of Dark Souls II mixed with a few fresh lessons learned from Bloodborne to create a richer and more powerful overall experience.
Dark Souls 3 is the great game everyone expected it to be. There's no denying that. Two late game bosses are absolutely off-the-wall fantastic. But in hindsight having played it, I can't help feeling that there's not much room for the series to go if From Software insists on such a breakneck pace with sequels. Much like Bloodborne just felt like Souls in a different place, Dark Souls 3 feels like "more of the same" a little too often. Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing, and I worry that another quick turnaround on a Souls game will make the series feel stale. Here's hoping whatever comes next shows us that the From Software still has more tricks up its sleeve.
Miyazaki finds the best way to close the Dark Souls trilogy. In terms of gameplay, Dark Souls 3 has the same taste of the previous chapters, and is not original and fresh as Bloodborne has been. A great number of improvements, still, refine the formula and create another impressive action RPG. Dark Souls 3 is infused with a cruel beauty; its world -assembled with pieces from Lordran and Yharnam and Boletaria - represents a place where any fan would love to wander.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Dark Souls 3 fires on all fronts providing equal measures of mystery and exhilaration. If this is truly the last Souls game then FromSoftware has ended this series off with a heck of a bang.
While the game is an absolute masterclass in action RPG design, there is an inescapable sense that old ground is being re-tread. A reliance on geographical call-backs, stock-enemies and series in-jokes muddy the tone and mystique that made its direct predecessors such a joyfully bleak experience.While the superbly visceral gameplay, intense boss fights and improved online features mark FromSoftware's latest out as one of 2016's best, Dark Souls 3's flickering fire is ultimately engulfed by its own bright history.
Give it a chance, stick with it and make each death a learning experience. It might just become your new favorite series.
While it's still impossible on a personal level for me to admit that any of Dark Souls' siblings could better it, when taken as a whole, complete experience, Dark Souls III may be the best chapter of the Souls series that From Software has crafted. A fitting way to end, if that will indeed be the fate of the franchise.
Dark Souls III is the most evolved and accessible entry in the series.
From Software invigorates the Souls series with faster combat, deeper customization, expanded lore, and gorgeous visuals. Performance issues aside, Dark Souls III is a fantastic addition to the series.
Dark Souls 3 should serve as an example of a game that not only serves existing fans extremely well, but isn't so obtuse in its approach that it can't be picked up by a newbie and enjoyed, just as much as I did.
Dark Souls III nails much of what made the first two in the series so special, but its world and enemies are unusually drab.
Dark Souls III is an exceptional descent into a superbly menacing world
As the final game in the series, Dark Souls III delivers a fantastic, no holds barred, 30-hour experience that will satisfy longtime fans. Dark Souls III polishes its gameplay mechanics to a shine, and delivers the lore in droves to those who hunger for it – the perfect mix for an action RPG. Praise the Sun.
Dark Souls III isn't revolutionary, but it's taken me on a ride I won't be forgetting anytime soon.
Previous titles from From Software studio were able to reject themselves from the very beginning, and Dark Souls III tries to convince new fans that the devil is not as scary as he is painted.
Review in Polish | Read full review