Dark Souls III
2016 · FromSoftware
Has it aged?Why ↓
Dark Souls III is a dark-fantasy action RPG where you play the Ashen One, fighting through Lothric’s ruined castles, poisonous woods and cathedrals. You spend your hours exploring looping routes and learning when to block, dodge and strike; the real pleasure is making a boss that seemed impossible feel readable.
Dark Souls continues to push the boundaries with the latest, ambitious chapter in the critically-acclaimed and genre-defining series. Prepare yourself and Embrace The Darkness!
The publisher’s description, from its Steam store page.
What it looks like
the trailer, then the store's own shots
The verdict
Play it for boss fights that make learning an enemy’s timing feel like an achievement, not homework. The Dancer of the Boreal Valley demands composure; the Twin Princes demand control of your stamina. A decade after its 2016 release, the combat and ruined architecture still hold up. Lothric’s mostly linear route sacrifices the pleasure of mapping one enormous connected world, but the Cathedral of the Deep supplies enough intricate exploration to make that trade worthwhile.
Play it if
You enjoy repeating a fight until you can recognise an opening rather than scramble for a heal. You also like searching cathedrals for routes that loop back on themselves, even when the journey between areas is mostly linear.
Skip it if
You stop enjoying a game when a boss requires repeated failed attempts. Or you need a world with many alternative routes through the main journey: Lothric is predominantly a linear sequence of areas.
Common questions
- Can I rely on a shield throughout Lothric?
- Blocking is viable, but it consumes stamina, which you also need to attack and dodge. Learn to mix blocks with rolls: the Twin Princes are a particularly stern test of keeping enough stamina to retaliate.
- Should I include Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City?
- Include both if you want more demanding fights and places to explore. The 2016 Ashes of Ariandel expansion is brief and sharply difficult; the 2017 release year is not established by these sources, but The Ringed City supplies a striking location and a substantial farewell to the trilogy.
- Can a friend stay with me after we defeat a boss?
- In the base game, summoned companions leave after a boss victory or their own death. The Seamless Co-Op mod released in 2025 lets up to six players travel together and continue after bosses, with adjustable enemy scaling, but its February 2025 release was an alpha rather than a bug-free option.
What everyone else said
we link, we don't reprintHas it aged?
How does it hold up today? Based on recent reviews, how opinions have changed since launch, player activity and updates.
% positive each month, last 4 years.
Reviews via Steam ↗Peak: 74k in Apr 2016.
Player counts via SteamCharts ↗As well liked as at launch.
No update in the last year.