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In the first five hours of
Dark Souls III,
you have access to at least 30 weapons,
20 equipment sets, dozens of spells, and at
least 10 NPC questlines that help you attain
these valuable items. While the early-game is
more linear than
Dark Souls
and
Dark Souls
II
, the world is folded in on itself like never
before, hiding unique treasures around every
corner. The more you give, the more you get
– and the same goes for the lore. You could
go through the game without even thinking
about the story, but look more critically, and
you'll discover disturbing truths about the
characters, bosses, and the world you took
for granted.
My biggest criticism stems from the linear
world. While levels are densely packed and
folded in on themselves, I still yearn for the
•
Dark Souls III
is about how you fight through
the world, and how you explore it.
•
Every enemy you face has its weakness. In
order to exploit those weaknesses, your
character needs to become more powerful.
•
As you journey through the world of
Dark
Souls III
, leave no stone unturned. If you
find a locked door, remember it for later. If
you come across a branching path, explore
both ways. Your character can become a
great deal more powerful because of hidden
items, and hidden characters.
•
One of your most valuable tools is your
Estus Flask – responsible for healing you
and restoring your focus. As a result, one of
the most valuable prizes is an Estus Shard,
which can be brought to the Blacksmith
in return for an extra charge of Estus.
Additionally, if you find Undead Bone Dust,
remember to burn it at the bonfire in Firelink
Shrine.
•
Just like items, characters have a lot to offer
as well. The blacksmith resides in Firelink
Shrine and will upgrade your weapons in
return for Titanite Shards. However, not
all NPC's originate in your Shrine. Many
important characters have to be found out in
the world, before they then teleport back to
the shrine for easy access.
•
One character worth tracking down is Yoel.
Yoel is found at the end of the bridge as
soon as you descend towards the Undead
Settlement. Once you send him back to
your Shrine, he will offer you the ability to
level up your character without requiring
an investment of souls. From this point
onwards your character will begin to hollow
every time you die. You can continue to
level up at Yoel the more you die - making
the sting of death less painful.
•
There are many other characters to be found,
and all of them have something to offer.
Talk to them every time you return to your
Shrine, and you will reap many rewards.
deeply convoluted map designs
of
Dark Souls 1
. Gone are the days where I
could be journeying through an early-game
area, only to stumble upon a tough but
rewarding late-game area. Souls is at its
strongest when it puts faith in the player's
intelligence, and its faith in a player's
navigational ability is somewhat lacking.
Additionally, the care put into dense
environmental design is wasted when a
player can simply warp past it all, instead of
being forced to run through it again.
In closing,
Dark Souls III
is a well-
crafted farewell. If you're a series veteran,
the game will play upon your nostalgia
with plentiful references to memorable
characters and encounters. If you're a
newcomer, you will be challenged, you
will die, you will overcome, and you will
succeed. After you complete it, other
games just won't feel the same. You can
then dive into all the other Souls games
just to see what made
Dark Souls III
so
great.
Tips
51
FEATURE
GAMES
GAMES
•
Dark Souls III
is out April 12.