Dark Souls III
You died. Again
released OUT NOW! Reviewed on PS4
Also on PC, Xbox One Publisher Bandai Namco
We’re in the dying throes of the Souls setting. The fires of humanity alluded to throughout the series are sputtering out. Your player character, the Unkindled, must hunt down four Lords of Cinder in a traditional tale of hidden narrative and brutal, unwavering difficulty.
There is a distinct clarity to Dark Souls III’s story and world that the previous games have lacked. Each one of Souls’ previous plot points is inevitably reaching towards this one end point, or so it seems, and it looks incredible.
But the true key is that tough- as- nails gameplay. You will go through the Dark Souls equivalent of the five stages of grief. Denial: “They can’t be serious, this is impossible!” Anger: “What evil psychopath designed this?” Bargaining: “Maybe if I wear fire- resistant armour his strikes will hurt less?” Depression: “I’m never going to beat this guy.” Acceptance: “I’ll go through the motions one more time…”
Then there’s the added, sixth stage. That moment when you knock a boss down to half health and suddenly it all seems eminently possible. It’s then, when it clicks, that you come to love Dark Souls III – and recognise it as a true masterwork of videogaming.
Dark Souls III is planned to be the last in the series, but Bloodborne proves the game’s style isn’t going anywhere…