Dark Souls III

The games from the Dark Souls series are something unique and special. Difficult, full of mysteries and requiring a lot of patience, they created a completely new sub-genre of traditional RPGs, which captivated a large group of players and gathered around them an almost fanatically devoted community. Unfortunately, with the premiere of the third part, From Software studio plans to close this chapter of its history, and thus suspend the production of further works of this type. Is the "three" a successful end to such an outstanding series? Did it live up to the previous scenes? Definitely yes! This is not only the best part of Dark Souls , but also the friendliest part to new players.

The adventure begins as standard with the design of the hero we lead. The character creator hasn't changed much since the first Dark Souls . The face models are still not the most beautiful, and the choice of class only matters at the beginning of the game. However, what makes the biggest impression are the models of weapons and armor. Just looking at a fully equipped mercenary, warrior or knight, you want to feel the chosen role as in a good paper RPG. The whole thing is complemented by great descriptions of classes and even predefined faces. Our hero can be an ugly and deformed swamp inhabitant or a mysterious divine descendant whom everyone looks at with admiration. Like small details, and make Dark Souls III delight at the start.

When our hero is finally ready, we are transferred to the first location, i.e. the frosty and gloomy valley known as the Ash Cemetery. It is a rather small and simple level, intended for learning the basic mechanics of the game. At the very end, we encounter a boss, but it is not a big challenge, even for beginners. Here you can see the creators' bow towards novices. The previous titles of From Software studio were able to reject them from the very beginning, and Dark Souls III tries to convince new fans that the devil is not as scary as he is painted.

The starting location also turns out to be a great place to test your weapons and choose the best class for you, and this choice is really difficult. The animations and sound of the attacks are a real masterpiece. No matter if we fight with an ax, dagger or scimitar, the blows we deal are incredibly fleshy and pleasant. Thanks to this, a clash with even the weakest undead is truly satisfying. The combat system itself has not changed much. However, this is not a disadvantage, because in this respect the Dark Souls series is light years ahead of any competition. You can still perform coups, retorts, break attacks or jump blows. Each of them is good for a different opponent and is useful in a different situation. Bloodborne fans may not be able to quickly dodge or regenerate health through a quick counterattack, but shields make up for this loss well. The only drawback of the combat system is the special attacks in the back, which can sometimes be quite annoying. Even with the perfect position behind the opponent, instead of being executed, our hero often performs an ordinary blow that deals much less damage. We then feel as if we have to fight the game itself, not the beasts we encounter.

The so-called "Weapon arts" and the return of the mana bar associated with them (in a game called "focus"). In this part of the series, each weapon has one or two special abilities, for which the parry button is responsible. So in order to use them, we cannot hold a shield in our left hand. Among the new skills we find the dodges known from Bloodborne , a combat stance that allows you to land special blows or a shout that increases the damage dealt for several seconds and slightly changes our attacks. These abilities are usually very strong and helpful in combat, but you pay for using them with the previously mentioned focus points. The same points also allow you to cast spells and perform miracles. So the bothersome limitation of the spells used, present in the previous installments of the cycle, disappears. The special skills of the weapon turn out to be an interesting and effective diversion, but it is definitely hard to call them a revolution. Anyone who liked the combat system from previous games will certainly be pleased, but if someone did not like it, it will probably remain so. Magic fans, however, should not be disappointed when playing Dark Souls III . The spells are effective, effective and varied, and thanks to the mana bar and the right items, you can use them really often. Miracles are a bit worse, unfortunately. They seem significantly weaker, which makes playing a character on faith sometimes irritating.

When describing the chapel, it is also worth mentioning the changes affecting the course of the game. First of all, it is a location not directly connected with the rest of the available world. The only way to leave it is to teleport through the fire. Incidentally, the latter now function almost exclusively as fast travel and save points. We can also refill health and mana vials, repair equipment or use a chest to keep items, but that's about it. Their other functions were taken over by independent figures staying in the chapel. The lack of connection with the world and the limited functionality of the bonfires mean that we are forced to visit the seat of the blind guard much more often. After a few hours with the game, I think this is a positive change. Frequent visits increase attachment to this important place for the game world and facilitate systematic contact with its inhabitants. The problem could be the long loading time of the game when moving between locations, but luckily in the PC version it is much shorter than in Bloodborn .

Despite its name, the settlement is not limited to simple cottages. While visiting it, we will find ourselves in dark canals, on the top of a huge bell tower or in a tainted garden. This location is the essence of what we love the Souls series for, and luckily, it is no exception to Dark Souls III . We can find quite a lot of similar areas in the game. They are mysterious and complex (both horizontally and vertically) and full of secrets. For our perceptiveness, we are often rewarded with special items, new gestures, access to new alliances or the opportunity to meet interesting NPCs. The level designs are definitely one of Dark Souls III's strongest points. Unfortunately, the locations are also related to one of the few disadvantages of the game, namely their too much resemblance to the lands known from previous installments of the series. Someone who has played them all will feel déja vu every now and then. The borrowings are not limited to the earlier parts of Dark Souls . There are also many references to Demon's Souls and Bloodborne . Despite this, even the very similar in appearance spots were in most cases made so that they can charm and delight.

Network features have not undergone revolutionary changes, but some interesting facts have been added. In the game, we can still find helpful notes left by other players, or bloodstains, thanks to which we will find out how they ended their lives. However, the maximum number of summoned companions has increased. Now we can summon up to four other heroes, and we are haunted by a maximum of two red phantoms . However, increasing the player limit does not seem like a good move to me. Fights with bosses in such a large group are simply too easy, and PvP combat too chaotic. A positive change is the ability to switch covenants quickly and with impunity. To do this, just - as in Bloodborn - put the appropriate item in a special place in your inventory. Conservative fans will probably be outraged, but this solution allows for more diverse online gameplay without unnecessarily punishing players for changing their goals.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the difficulty level of Dark Souls III . First of all, this title is more friendly to new players than the previous versions of the series. The first levels seem rather simple, just like the bosses encountered there, and the game slowly learns the basic tactics and behavior of opponents. Thanks to this solution, probably a much smaller number of newcomers will bounce back from this production at the start. But veterans shouldn't complain. After an easy start, the game returns to its roots and can still make tears and nervously squeeze the pad. Surprisingly, often ordinary opponents or mini-bosses can be more demanding than the biggest enemies. The boss fights themselves, on the other hand, are not extremely difficult (in most cases), but very effective, inventive and still bring a lot of satisfaction, and that's what they are all about.