Dark Souls III

About Dark Souls III

Dark Souls III dropped on March 24, 2016 from developer FromSoftware and publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment. It serves as the fourth main entry in the series and closes out the original Dark Souls trilogy. Players take control of the Ashen One within the crumbling kingdom of Lothric to rekindle the First Flame before total darkness takes over. This action role-playing title launched on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The core concept is straightforward yet brutal. You fight through decaying lands filled with cursed undead while uncovering a dense narrative hidden in item descriptions and environmental details. It stands as the final chapter of this specific saga before the franchise shifted direction.

Gameplay

Combat relies on precise timing rather than button mashing or heavy health pools. You manage stamina to execute attacks, blocks, and dodges against enemies that hit hard. Weapon Arts introduce new special moves that allow for stylish combos without slowing down the pace. Exploration involves connecting interconnected hubs where shortcuts unlock as you progress through tight corridors and vertical platforms. Sessions often involve dying repeatedly until you memorize enemy patterns and learn the exact spacing required to survive. You can summon other players for co-op or invade worlds to disrupt their run. Multiplayer integration is seamless, letting you leave messages or bloodstains to guide strangers through dangerous areas without direct interaction.

What Players Think

Critics gave this title massive scores with an 89 on Metacritic and a 90 from OpenCritic where 93.75% of reviewers recommended it. IGN awarded it a 95 while Eurogamer called it a spectacular conclusion. Community data shows a distinct atmospheric mood with three votes for story-driven elements. Average playtime reflects the difficulty as only 41.1% of players unlock achievements across the 43 available trophies. The rarest achievement is "The Dark Soul" at just 4.90%. Twitch currently ranks it at number 91 in trending games. Player reviews often highlight the return of the king status and the versatility of the new combat systems.

PlayPile's Take

This game fits players who want a high difficulty challenge with deep lore to uncover. The price sits around $33.95 on GameBillet with historical lows near $26. It is not for those seeking an easy time or linear progression. You will spend hours dying and learning enemy tells before reaching the end. The achievement data proves most people struggle through the 43 milestones. If you want a definitive end to a beloved trilogy that respects your intelligence, this is it. Grab it when on sale and prepare for a long, hard fight.

Storyline

Set in the Kingdom of Lothric, a bell has rung to signal that the First Flame, responsible for maintaining the Age of Fire, is dying out. As has happened many times before, the coming of the Age of Dark produces the undead: cursed beings that rise after death. The Age of Fire can be prolonged by linking the fire, a ritual in which great lords and heroes sacrifice their souls to rekindle the First Flame. However, Prince Lothric, the chosen linker for this age, abandoned his duty and decided to watch the flame die from afar. The bell is the last hope for the Age of Fire, resurrecting previous Lords of Cinder (heroes who linked the flame in past ages) to attempt to link the fire again; however, all but one Lord shirk their duty. Meanwhile, Sulyvahn, a sorcerer from the Painted World of Ariandel, wrongfully proclaims himself Pontiff and seizes power over Irithyll of the Boreal Valley and the returning Anor Londo cathedral from Dark Souls as a tyrant. The Ashen One, an Undead who failed to become a Lord of Cinder and thus called an Unkindled, rises and must link the fire by returning Prince Lothric and the defiant Lords of Cinder to their thrones in Firelink Shrine. The Lords include the Abyss Watchers, a legion of warriors sworn by the Old Wolf's Blood which linked their souls into one to protect the land from the Abyss and ultimately locked in an endless battle between each other; Yhorm the Giant, who sacrificed his life for a nation conquered by his ancestor; and Aldrich, who became a Lord of Cinder despite his ravenous appetite for both men and gods. Lothric was raised to link the First Flame but neglected his duties and chose to watch the fire fade instead. Once the Ashen One succeeds in returning Lothric and the Lords of Cinder to their thrones, they travel to the ruins of the Kiln of the First Flame. There, they encounter the Soul of Cinder, an amalgamation of all the former Lords of Cinder. Upon defeat, the player can attempt to link the fire or access three other optional endings unlocked by the player's in-game decisions. These include summoning the Fire Keeper to extinguish the flame and begin an age of Dark or killing her in a sudden change of heart. A fourth ending consists of the Ashen One taking the flame for their own, becoming the Lord of Hollows.