Dubai: Rarely has a role-playing game (RPG) captured the imagination like Dark Souls, and the third and final instalment is a fitting conclusion to a series that has won acclaim from both fans and critics.
The most notable technical differences between Dark Souls III and its immediate predecessor are in the significantly improved graphics and the core combat mechanics, which are smoother and more fluid, but no less difficult to master.
The game retains the idiosyncratic style and game design of its predecessors. Your undead hero is still punished for dying in combat, though less severely than in Dark Souls II — death brings a hit point reduction rather than turning you into hollow ghoul.
The task of your hero — the Ashen One — is to avert an apocalypse by challenging past heroes, the Lords of Cinder. It’s not a terribly deep plot, but it’s sufficient to be a framework for the array of puzzles and battles you’ll encounter.
The huge arsenal of weapons seems to have grown; you can equip anything from daggers to a variety of pole arms, and each one you find seems to have a special ability associated with it. Weapons allow you to make a fast hit, a strong hit or a special strike, which combined with defensive moves and a much more flexible rolling dodge mechanism provide a wealth of options when fighting baddies.
In addition to collecting souls from defeated enemies, you’ll also find the usual array of health and mana pickups.
Dark Souls III has fewer locations than its predecessors — some of them will be familiar from prior instalments — but each takes place on a larger map, allowing greater opportunity for exploring. You’ll sometimes find shortcuts through areas as well as baddies and pickups.
While the Dark Souls series is in some ways a Japanese attempt to a Western-style RPG, it shows its Japanese influence in the boss battles. Each is essentially a puzzle to be solved; regular techniques are unlikely to be of much use until the boss’s weakness is discovered and exploited.
Several of the nice multiplayer touches seen in previous instalments return: you’ll find bloodstains where other players have met their ends, which can tip you off to a major challenge, and little notes warning you of what to expect.
All in all, Dark Souls III is a fitting end to a great series. It’s a must-play.
RATING: 9.5/10
PS4 review copy provided by regional distributors Gameplay Entertainment.
