Having beaten Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, and Dark Souls II, it is fair to say I have a lot of history with the franchise. The series as a whole is a mixed-bag in my opinion, because, on one-hand, I have a lot of fun playing them, I enjoy the game-play mechanics and I enjoy the vast and decorative world that it offers. The issues I have with it are mostly pet-peeves and little nuisances that make it difficult.
For instance, the boss-battles that have multiple characters involved tend to be less of a fun challenge and more one that induces rage and irritation. (I'm looking at you Ornstein and Smough) The times where I have to walk a mile from the bonfire, going through parades of enemies, only to be one-hit killed once I traverse the fog and cross paths with the boss. That, and other occasional things I think are difficult in a way that makes me question exactly what a video-game is meant to be. Sure, we all like enough challenge to keep on our toes, but sometimes in the Dark Souls games, I find myself wondering if I am really having fun while in these situations. The video-game is filled with unnecessary agitations, all in the name of making it more “difficult,” but, in-retrospect, a lot of it is unneeded and does little to add to the actual experience.
It doesn't help matters much that there are no particularly noteworthy or extraordinary bosses in Dark Souls 3. Many of them are difficult, but most of them are difficult in the same way or in ways we've already seen in games' predecessors.
With that being said, the Souls' franchise remains as one of my all-time favorites, along with Prince of Persia, there are few that have inspired me the way the series has.
It took me less than 22-hours to finish Dark Souls III, a pace I'm told was rather speedy, and in-comparison to my whopping 110-hours on Dark Souls, it's a rather colossal change of pace. With that, Dark Souls III is also my least favorite of the series, including being behind Demon's Souls. Still, that shouldn't be considered as an insult. Keep in mind, I beat the whole game in less than a week, including all of the side-bosses, and you'll understand how engrossing of an experience the franchise continues to be. It's always an undertaking, and it's an addictive one I've been unable to find in most other video-game experiences. It's on an upper echelon, among the many greats of the video-game genre, and even if I didn't enjoy Dark Souls 3 as much as I enjoyed earlier entries, it is still very much worth the price of admission, and a fun ride by itself.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
For instance, the boss-battles that have multiple characters involved tend to be less of a fun challenge and more one that induces rage and irritation. (I'm looking at you Ornstein and Smough) The times where I have to walk a mile from the bonfire, going through parades of enemies, only to be one-hit killed once I traverse the fog and cross paths with the boss. That, and other occasional things I think are difficult in a way that makes me question exactly what a video-game is meant to be. Sure, we all like enough challenge to keep on our toes, but sometimes in the Dark Souls games, I find myself wondering if I am really having fun while in these situations. The video-game is filled with unnecessary agitations, all in the name of making it more “difficult,” but, in-retrospect, a lot of it is unneeded and does little to add to the actual experience.
It doesn't help matters much that there are no particularly noteworthy or extraordinary bosses in Dark Souls 3. Many of them are difficult, but most of them are difficult in the same way or in ways we've already seen in games' predecessors.
With that being said, the Souls' franchise remains as one of my all-time favorites, along with Prince of Persia, there are few that have inspired me the way the series has.
It took me less than 22-hours to finish Dark Souls III, a pace I'm told was rather speedy, and in-comparison to my whopping 110-hours on Dark Souls, it's a rather colossal change of pace. With that, Dark Souls III is also my least favorite of the series, including being behind Demon's Souls. Still, that shouldn't be considered as an insult. Keep in mind, I beat the whole game in less than a week, including all of the side-bosses, and you'll understand how engrossing of an experience the franchise continues to be. It's always an undertaking, and it's an addictive one I've been unable to find in most other video-game experiences. It's on an upper echelon, among the many greats of the video-game genre, and even if I didn't enjoy Dark Souls 3 as much as I enjoyed earlier entries, it is still very much worth the price of admission, and a fun ride by itself.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0