Dark Souls 3 is a game that many of us are practically dying to play. The latest entry is going to be the last in the series, and as such, you’d hope the series is going to finish strong. My review is forthcoming, but in the meantime, allow me to tell you (read: mercilessly tease you) about just five of the numerous things I’m incredibly impressed with. Check out our top five things we love so far.
1. The Combat Balance
There are a few new tweaks within the game to help make the game’s combat feel like a natural progression. Fans of the Demon Souls will recall that we used to be bound to an MP meter. In Dark Souls 3; however, this meter is known as FP instead, and governs both use of magic, as well as the new Weapon Arts, various unique skills that enhance weapons movesets. There are items to offset the usage/provide other benefits, but these new abilities really open up playstyles for people, and I found myself gravitating to a set that would synergize with my fondness for huge strength focused weapons that would still allow me to make use of my Large Club’s weapon art when necessary.
2. The Dual Estus System
The estus flask is a staple of these games. It’s a finite resource that provides a bit of solace in the grim worlds of this series, and Dark Souls 3 sees a new type of flask come into the fray. HP can be restored by the orange flask, but users can also make use of another blue flask to restore FP. This system is enhanced in that players are able to allot how many of each, setting out a clear level of risk, but also augmenting playstyles even further. For the beginner, they can choose to maximize how many HP restoring items they have, but magic users or those who are fond of weapon arts may opt to make use of more blue flasks, to help make up for the amount of FP they are going to be burning through to make use of the impressive looking magic in these games.
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“These landscapes are all dense, and can feel quite cozy at times, but the way the levels are designed really shows that this is some of the best level design in the entire series.”
3. The Atmosphere
This game is one hell of a visual upgrade over the previous games. It features sprawling environments that vary from lush to hellish, but it’s clear From put extra polish towards designing environments that are visually dense. These landscapes are all dense, and can feel quite cozy at times, but the way the levels are designed really shows that this is some of the best level design in the entire series. You’ll have a blast prowling the lands of Lothric, just to see what’s coming your way after you conquer the current gauntlet in front of you.
Click on through to PAGE 2 for the final 2 things we love about Dark Souls 3.