We were given the opportunity by Bandai Namco to play an updated build ofDark Souls 3today (I believe it was updated on the 14th of March) and I wanted to share my experience with the community as well as share some information that may not be known about the game.
I decided to go with theKnightclass. TheLongswordis generally my go-to in Souls games because of its fast attack speed and decent damage (add in the wickedStanceSkilland it’s really hard to find anything wrong with it), so this was a no brainer. Attack speed in Dark Souls 3 is noticeably faster than any previous Souls game and is probably closer toBloodborne, at least with the Longsword. Bloodborne was the last Soulsborne game I played extensively, and it felt like I picked up where I had left off, which probably saved me a few deaths.
I made my way through severalenemiesand eventually came to a rather largeCrystal Lizardthat hit like a truck. He killed me once before I figured him out and was able to pull off a couple ripostes after I staggered him. He dropped aTitanite Scalefor my troubles and I wondered when I would actually be able to use it. Note that these lizards DON’T replace the tiny/fast crystal lizards that droppedTwinkling Titaniteand other goodies inDark Souls 1, as those are actually in the game later on and they drop goodies as well.
Shortly after, I encountered the firstBoss:Iudex Gundyr. He was a rather lackluster fight and it only took me one attempt to down him without the need to heal. Moving ahead, I came uponFirelink Shrine. Demon’s Souls fans will feel the nostalgia immediately upon entering. With its large circular shape, vertical levels both up and down, spiral staircases, and ablind Maidenand Crestfallen Knight, you will find yourself faintly muttering under your breath (or screaming as I did) “The Nexus”. For all intents and purposes Firelink Shrine is now The Nexus of Dark Souls 3. I ran around for nearly 30 minutes looking for a way out, but the only way is to port from thebonfirein the middle.NPCsyou find throughout the game will make their way here and you will purchaseSpellsandEquipmentandupgradeyourWeaponshere. There are also a few other interesting things to discover there…
TheUpgradesystem in Dark Souls 3 is extremely similar toDark Souls 2, with perhaps a dash of Demon’s Souls. Let me explain. Weapons can be infused with gems that change the properties of the weapon. You can add Fire or improve scaling, similar to the way you could add Lightning or Mundane to a weapon. You upgrade to +3 withTitanite Shardsand then, I can only assume, it remains the same as in the past: +6, +9 and +10. The Boss Soul Weapons are handled differently and I believe cap out at +5 and use the newTitanite Scalesto get to +4 and then most likely something else to get to +5. I did not see a way to upgradeArmor.
I ported directly to theHigh Wall of Lothricfrom Firelink. Those familiar with Network Test footage will know this area by heart, and really not a lot has changed, although I did find a Mimic. It took me a bit to make my way down to the boss due to my lack of Estus Flasks and noobishness, but I eventually got there. The Boss of this area is nowVordt of the Boreal Valley. He is a huge, hulking, heavily armored creature with agiant hammerand he is located directly across and down the now open steps from where theDancerwas previously located. This was another underwhelming fight as I had half health and zeroEstus Flaskswhen I got there and again downed him on the first try. His attacks were slow enough that you could roll through them and get several hits in with ease.
From this point forward the game became much more of a challenge and it gave me that nostalgic Souls feeling of newness. TheUndead Settlementwill remindBloodborneplayers ofHemwick Charnel Lane(they may have in fact used the same gravestones), and is packed with pitchfork and cleaver wielding enemies. The area is massive, expansive and damn difficult due to the sheer quantity of enemies and the rather low amount of Estus Flasks you will have. There are so many things to explore and see that you will most likely spend and hour or two just combing through it all. I was under a bit of a time crunch, so I didn’t find everything, but I did find Absolution.
Further along in the Undead Settlement I came to theCurse-Rotted GreatwoodBoss. This is the giant tree looking enemy with lots of undead running around trying to shove their spears and pitchforks into your Dark Sign. For some reason, I saw the area where he was and just kept going past it. Shortly after that I found something that made me extremely happy:
TheBlue Sentinelsare back! I am pretty damn excited about that. The best part, you no longer need to wear a ring to be summoned. Simply wearing the Covenant “badge” is enough. Praise the Blue!
For those of you who participated or watched any of the Network Test footage out there you will note that connectivity was by far the best it has ever been. I can only imagine how much fun thisCovenantwill be with that kind of smoothness. From has made more options available than in previous Souls game to ensure that you have the best multiplayer experience possible. Below is a screenshot of the multiplayer menu from the game so you can see all the customization that is possible:
Following my encounter with the Blue Sentinels I entered the Road of Sacrifices. The Road of Sacrifices is a large forest/mire that looks somewhat similar to the forest area in theArtorias of the Abyss DLCfrom Dark Souls 1 when you first enter, and then somewhere along the way it transitions into a large mire that will have you thinkingBlighttown, only without the horrible frame rate or large flying bugs. There are a few familiar enemies from Dark Souls 2 here along with some new creatures that turn into gargoylish type things which jump attack you. I was nearing the boss when I got beat down by this guy:
That wrapped up my hands on time with Dark Souls 3. All in all it was a wonderful experience and I really got sucked into the game. I think Dark Souls 3 does a better job than its predecessors at crafting a narrative that any individual can follow, yet maintains the depth and obscurity that really allows for lore hypothesis. I look forward to playing more and I can’t wait to see what’s next! Join us for the Japanese release of the game when Fexelea will be streaming Japanese gameplay and will be translating on the fly:
