Dark Souls is one of those things in life: you either love it's brutal combat, and minimalistic approach to storytelling, or hate its brick-wall difficulty and opaqueness. Dark Souls 3 has been claimed to be the last in the Dark Souls series, and if that is the case, how does it fare up?
As I mention in my DOOM review, sequels can have a difficult time of things balancing the need to play it close to the original material whilst avoiding becoming formulaic. Dark Souls 3 takes what we love about the series and builds on it in some quite clever ways. For example, combat is as unrelentingly brutal as ever (though I would never say unfair, it can get frustrating when little mistakes really get punished), though weapons now have Weapon Arts, special skills that unlock whole new play styles - having a greatsword where the weapon art has you spiral around in a deathly whirlwind of steel will never grow old, and thighs like the dagger's quickstep make for a great deal of variation and utility. This exemplifies From Software's clear intent with Dark Souls 3; to take what we know and love, and to build upon it.
On the subject of combat, however, despite the Weapon Arts being one of the most fun things added in Dark Souls 3, the combat really does fall down during some of the boss fights. Whilst some of these battles stand up there amongst the best in the series, all too many of the fights were simplistic and easily cheesed. I found several bosses were taken down on their first or second attempts with no prior knowledge of the fight. As a Dark Souls veteran, any fight that can be blindly rushed down without learning the movesets, is not up to the series' (admittedly exceptionally high) standards.
Whilst the bosses are sometimes lacking in difficulty, the game is certainly not lacking in visual quality. The PlayStation 4 exclusive, Bloodborne, was one of the most stunning games on the platform. From Software have somehow managed to blow even that out of the water with stunning, sweeping vistas that show where you have been and where you're headed to, proving the world to be one massive interlinked labyrinth. There's a real sense of awe when you crest a hill and discover where you are in relation to previous areas; it makes the world seem linked and somehow even more real.
The world of Dark Souls 3, Lothric and the surrounding lands, is well worth the detail in the graphics. From forested swamps, to massive cathedrals and smouldering underground lakes, the environ,nets are as varied as the enemies that inhabit them, and often just as deadly. Secrets abound and even the most careful explorer is bound to miss a great deal the first time through an area. The story is told through sparse dialogue with various NPCs and in the flavour text on weapons and items. Don't worry though, despite some of the boss fights, the basic enemies are brutal and players will find themselves running back from the bonfires time and time again, giving plenty of chance to spot something a player may have missed.
Dark Souls 3, like the rest of its series, is seemingly created with replay in mind. Depending on your actions within the game, it is entirely possible to miss out NPCs and whole quest lines. Different endings await players based on their decisions throughout the adventure, alongside the increased difficulty of the New Game + runs.
PVP and co-operation is slightly less opaque than before, making sharing the experience or sharing the misery all the much easier. Playing with friends on your friends list though is still notoriously difficult and I find myself hoping that From Software will patch in some better partying so that I can drag more friends into the Dark Souls universe.
So, if Dark Souls 3 is to be the last in the series, does it make for a good send off? Absolutely. Whilst some of the bosses are disappointing, the game is still brutally difficult and the weapon arts make for some great ways to mix it up. The graphics are stunning and very rarely does the framerate ever even stutter.