Here we are, the third installment and final addition to the Dark Souls trilogy. In a lot of peoples eyes, the best of them all. For my tiny little pebble eyes? The worst.
Hyperbolic? Yes, I love all the Souls games. I’ve 100% all of them. I’ve dedicated hundreds of hours into these games, and I don’t regret a minute of it. The Souls franchise will always hold a special place in my heart, but out of the three games I’m confident in my feelings of 3 being the weakest.
Again, it’s just MY feelings, but there are good reasons for them.
The game is in general the same as the others. You battle against an unforgiving world, level up, find cool items and utilize the trademark Souls mechanics to your advantage – and then die. The core gameplay loop and philosophy of the Souls games are tried and true, they managed to create something so fun and interactive that making it “unfun” would be almost more of a challenge. It’s gotten so bad that the doctor told me that I need to stop playing Soulslikes. It’s an addiction, and I blame it all on Miyazaki.
Dark Souls 3 – similar to 1 and 2 – has its own little niche that makes it stand out compared to the other games. Specifically, 3 is much more linear and is based on the same engine as Bloodborne; arguably their best game. Certain weapons now has something called “Weapon Art”, an exclusive ability tied to that specific weapon.
The take that third installment is the best in the trilogy is not a controversial take, and there is merit to the claim. Every aspect of the game is well polished, and the lore culminates in a melancholic but satisfying end. The bosses are some of the best in the franchise as a whole, and even though the second game arguably has better PvP, the online aspects are still really great in 3.
So why do I think it’s the weakest? Why do I hold on to this crazy opinion?
Well, for starters I won’t shy away from admitting that I hold an extreme amount of nostalgia for both the first and second game. The memories are there, and it’s difficult to be unbiased as they flicker through my head; like an epileptic watching a broken TV. But aside from the obvious bias I hold, there are still some legitimate points to make. First, the world is way too linear. There’s an unbeaten charm of the metroidvania-esque level design in the first two games. The options to explore, and not follow the beaten path. I miss that, I really do. The world feels disconnected, and the colors are washed out. Is there a lore reason for this? Yes. But even though I respect and love the lore, I still prefer the more vibrant and connected worlds of its predecessors. THIS IS NOT A CRITIQUE. It would be dishonest to claim that it makes the game “worse” in any way, aside from it being a personal preference. But it’s still way too linear.. that’s a critique.
I also feel like the combat isn’t as heavy as the other games. Faster combat might not be a bad thing for a lot of people, obviously a lot of people seem to enjoy it, but I greatly prefer and miss the older, more clunky and hefty combat of the first two games. It felt more methodical in a way.
Even though my opinions on Dark Souls 3 might seem rough, I still absolutely adore the game and I can’t think of a better ending to the depressing trilogy.
The Dark Souls trilogy will stand as a monument to gaming culture. It’s inspired countless, and will keep doing so going forward.
Buying the games and they’re respective DLC’s will forever be one of the best investments for anyone who enjoys videogames. That’s a fact. 9/10!