Dark Souls III
Third and final entry in the Dark Souls trilogy.
Dark Souls III is an action role-playing game from 2016, created by FromSoftware and released by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It came out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows, and serves as the last game in the Dark Souls series. Players take on the role of the Ashen One, an unkindled warrior, whose mission involves the Lords of Cinder and the dying First Flame. The game uses a third-person camera, and players fight enemies using weapons, armor, magic, shields, and consumable items. Hidetaka Miyazaki, the series’ original creator, returned as director after only supervising Dark Souls II.
Critics praised the game as a strong end to the series, and it sold well. By May 2016, it had shipped over three million copies, and by May 2020, sales had passed ten million. It won several awards, including Ultimate Game of the Year at the 2016 Golden Joystick Awards and Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year at the 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. Two downloadable expansions—Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City—came out in 2016 and 2017. A bundle called Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition, which includes the base game and both expansions, was released in April 2017.
**Gameplay**
Dark Souls III is a third-person action role-playing game. Players control a customizable character who travels through connected areas, fights enemies and bosses, and rests at bonfires that act as checkpoints. Killing enemies gives souls, which serve as both money and experience points. If the player dies, their souls drop at the spot of death; they can get them back by returning there, but if they die again before retrieving them, the souls are lost forever.
Combat revolves around managing health, stamina, and focus points (FP). Players can use melee weapons, bows, shields, throwable items, and magic. Shields can block or deflect attacks, while dodge-rolling lets players avoid hits. Weapons have standard and strong attacks, and some can be charged. New to Dark Souls III are weapon and shield “Skills,” special moves that vary by equipment and cost FP. Stamina limits actions like attacking, blocking, and dodging, leaving the player open when it runs out.
Magic, miracles, pyromancies, and Skills use FP instead of a set number of casts. FP can be restored with Ashen Estus Flasks, while regular Estus Flasks heal health; players decide how many flask charges go to each type. Compa
- Developer
- FromSoftware
- Publisher
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Release Year
- 2016
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows
- Genre
- Action role-playing
- Director
- Hidetaka Miyazaki
- Sales
- Over 10 million by May 2020
Lore & Background
Dark Souls III is set in the kingdom of Lothric, where the First Flame, which sustains the Age of Fire, is fading. To prevent the coming Age of Dark, a champion must link the fire by sacrificing themselves to rekindle it. Prince Lothric, who was chosen for this task, refuses to do so. In response, a bell tolls and awakens the Lords of Cinder, previous champions who linked the fire in earlier ages. The player character, known as the Ashen One, is an Unkindled: an undead warrior who previously failed to link the fire. The Ashen One is resurrected and tasked with returning the Lords of Cinder to their thrones.
Reader's Guide
Dark Souls III received favourable reviews and was commercially successful, with critics describing it as a fitting conclusion to the series. It shipped over three million copies by May 2016 and had surpassed 10 million in sales by May 2020. It won several awards, including Ultimate Game of the Year at the 2016 Golden Joystick Awards and Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year at the 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. Two downloadable content expansions, Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City, were released in 2016 and 2017, respectively. A compilation version, Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition, containing the base game and both expansions, was released in April 2017. The game's legacy includes its faster combat and movement compared with Dark Souls II, and its expanded character builder and weapon options designed to support more varied play styles.
Did You Know?
- Development of Dark Souls III began in mid-2013, before the release of Dark Souls II.
- Series creator Hidetaka Miyazaki returned as a director after having a supervisory role on Dark Souls II.
- The game was developed in parallel with Bloodborne, with mostly separate staff.
- Dark Souls III introduced weapon and shield 'Skills', special abilities that consume focus points.
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