Dark Souls III

About Dark Souls III

Dark Souls III dropped on March 24, 2016 as the final chapter in FromSoftware's Dark Souls trilogy. You play as the Ashen One in the decaying kingdom of Lothric to rekindle the First Flame and stop the world from fading into eternal night. This action RPG launched on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC with a focus on punishing difficulty and intricate level design. The story follows undead warriors resurrected to hunt down Lords of Cinder who abandoned their duty to link the fire. It serves as a direct conclusion to the saga that defined a generation of difficult games. Players control a character who must navigate hostile environments filled with traps, hidden paths, and bosses that demand perfect timing.

Gameplay

Combat feels weighty and deliberate since every swing of your weapon has real consequences. You spend most of your time learning enemy patterns rather than rushing through encounters. The game introduces Weapon Arts which add new special moves to your arsenal without making the system overly complex. A typical session involves exploring interconnected areas like Irithyll of the Boreal Valley or Firelink Shrine while managing limited stamina and equipment durability. You can summon other players for co-op help or invade their worlds to cause trouble as a dark spirit. The controls feel tight, allowing you to dodge roll through attacks at the last second or parry strikes for a critical hit opportunity. Progression relies on gathering souls to upgrade stats and purchase new gear from shady merchants in between battles.

What Players Think

Critics and players alike agree this title stands tall among its peers. Metacritic holds an 89 average while OpenCritic gives it a 90 with 93.75% of reviewers recommending it. Eurogamer awarded a perfect score calling it a spectacular conclusion, and IGN gave it a 95 for its stylish new moves. The PlayPile community describes the vibe as atmospheric and story-driven despite the heavy gameplay focus. Only 41.1 percent of users have unlocked all 43 achievements on average. The rarest accomplishment is "The Dark Soul" which only 4.90 percent of players have managed to get. This low completion rate highlights how tough the game remains for even veteran Souls fans who finish the main story.

PlayPile's Take

Dark Souls III demands patience and sharp reflexes from anyone who buys it. The $33.95 price point at GameBillet is reasonable given the historical low of $26.39, though you might wait for a sale if your budget is tight. This game suits players who enjoy punishing challenges and deep lore rather than casual exploration. You will likely spend dozens of hours trying to beat bosses like the Soul of Cinder or the Abyss Watchers. The achievement system offers long-term goals for those who want to prove their mastery over the mechanics. If you are not ready to fail repeatedly, skip this one. Otherwise, it remains a definitive entry in its genre that respects your time while testing your limits.

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.