Dark Souls 3 Wiki Guide: Weapons, Bosses, Armor, Magic, Builds, Maps, Walkthroughs and more for Dark Souls III — the third installment in From Software's Dark Souls Series!
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Dark Souls 3 Wiki: Everything you need to know about Dark Souls 3
The Dark Souls 3 Wiki covers everything about Dark Souls 3, the third installment in the Dark Souls franchise developed by FromSoftware and published by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. Find all you need to know from Basic Combat Mechanics and Controls, Weapons, Armor, Skills, Magic, Lore, to Crafting & Cooking Guides, tips for Bosses, Location Maps, Game Completion Guides & Walkthroughs and much more for Dark Souls 3.
When did Dark Souls 3 Release?
Dark Souls 3 was released for consoles in Japan on March 24, 2016. It was then released on all platforms worldwide a month later on the 12th of April, 2016.
Is there DLC for Dark Souls 3?
Dark Souls 3 has 2 expansion DLCs — Ashes of Ariandel released on October 16, 2016, and The Ringed City released on the 28th of March, 2017. Both DLCs add hours of new content with new Locations, NPCs, storylines, and Enemies & Bosses.
What platforms are Dark Souls 3 available on?
Dark Souls 3 was initially only available for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One during it's release. Dark Souls 3 became available for the PC about a month after it's release. There are currently no plans to release Dark Souls 3 for current-gen consoles (PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X|S), however, the game can be okayed on these consoles due to backwards compatibility with it's predecessors.
Dark Souls 3 System Requirements
Minimum Requirements
- CPU: Intel Core i3-2100 / AMD® FX-6300
- RAM: 4 GB
- OS: Windows 7 SP1 64bit, Windows 8.1 64bit Windows 10 64bit
- Video Card: NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 750 Ti / ATI Radeon HD 7950
- Directx: Directx 11
- Storage: 25 GB
- Sound Card: DirectX 11 sound device
Recommended Requirements
- CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 / AMD® FX-8350
- RAM: 8 GB
- OS: Windows 7 SP1 64bit, Windows 8.1 64bit Windows 10 64bit
- Video Card: NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 970 / ATI Radeon R9 series
- Directx: Directx 11
- Storage: 25GB
- Sound Card: DirectX 11 sound device
International Wikis
Check out our Dark Souls 3 Wiki in other languages:
Japanese Wiki | 
Polish Wiki | French Wiki 
German Wiki | 
ItalianWiki
| Dark Souls 3 Wiki | |
|---|---|
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| Publisher | BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. |
| Developer | FromSoftware Inc. |
| Players | Single-player |
| Genre | Action RPG |
| Platforms | PlayStation®4, XBox One, PC |
| Rating | RP – Rating Pending |
| Localization Voice Over | English |
| Subtitles | English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Portuguese-Brazil, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean |
Latest Dark Souls 3 News
Review - The Ringed City - No spoilers
Review - Ashes of Ariandel - No spoilers
All Dark Souls 3 Maps finished!
Sortable Tables on Magic & Armor categoriesRead our Dark Souls 3 Review
Trophy & Achivement Guide
Forum Discussions
An Introduction to Dark Souls 3
Dark Souls 3 Story Overview
Yes, indeed. It is called Lothric. Where the transitory lands of the Lords of Cinder converge. In venturing north, the pilgrims discover the truth of the old words. “The fire fades, and the lords go without thrones.” When the link of fire is threatened, the bell tolls, unearthing the old Lords of Cinder from their graves. Aldrich, Saint of the Deep.Farron’s Undead Legion, The Abyss Watchers. And the reclusive lord of the Profaned Capital, Yhorm the Giant. Only, in truth... The Lords will abandon their thrones, and the Unkindled will rise. Nameless, accursed undead, unfit even to be cinder. And so it is. That ash seeketh embers.
Dark Souls 3 takes place in a transitory place, revolving around the first flame and the cycle of fire and dark. You play as a protagonist whose goal is to find and return the five Lords of Cinder to their thrones at Firelink Shrine in order to link the flame again. The protagonist is known as an Unkindled, a kind of Undead, beings of ash unworthy to ascend to become a Lord of Cinder. The five Lords of Cinder are Ludleth the Exiled, Aldrich, Saint of the Deep, Farron's Undead Legion, the Abyss Watchers, the reclusive lord of the Profaned Capital, Yhorm the Giant, and Holy King Lothric, Last Hope of His Line. Lords of Cinder are past beings who were successful in linking the flame, being burned remnants of their past selves.
Dark Souls 3 Combat & Gameplay
Combat Moves
- Dashing
Push the left stick all the way in a direction and hold the ☓/B button while in motion to dash.
Dashing consumes your stamina. Push down on the left stick (L3 button/LS) while dashing to jump in the direction you're going.
You can set this for either the L3/LS button or ☓/B button in the main menu.
- Rolling
Push the left stick in any direction and press the ☓/B button to execute a roll in the direction you pushed. Rolls have i-frames, which temporarily make the player invulnerable at the beginning of the animation. Most players would advise rolling against attacks to help newcomers get the timing right.
A roll can also be performed while the player is getting up after being knocked down, providing the same i-frames as a regular roll but moving a much shorter distance and using a different animation. This roll can only be perfomed during the start of the getting up animation, which is when the player can be stuck again. This is a better alternative to letting the animation finish.
- Backstep
Press the ☓/B button while you aren't pushing the left stick in any direction to quickly step backward. Backsteps do not have i-frames.
- Using Ladders
Go up to a ladder and press the ○/A button to climb or descend it.
To descend more quickly, hold down the O/B button and push the left stick downward.
While on a ladder, press the R1/RB button to attack upward and the R2/RT button to attack downward.
Attack and Defense
- Target Lock-on
Push down on the right stick (R3/RS button) to target (lock on to) a nearby foe.
If multiple enemies are nearby, move the right stick around while locked on to change your target.
Once you lock on to a foe, you'll continually face the foe as you move around.
If there are no enemies nearby, pressing the R3/RS button will reset the camera.
Locking on requires a minimum distance from the target.
- Right-hand Weapon Actions
Press the R1/RB or R2/RT buttons to use the weapon in your right hand to attack.
Press the R1/RB button for a regular attack, which has a smaller stamina cost and does less damage, and the R2/RT button for a strong attack, that takes more stamina but deals more damage. They also can possibly deal different types of damage, the Estoc being an example.
Hold down the R2/RT button to launch a charged attack, which does extra damage. Holding does not need to be done all the way, and can be dropped earlier to change the strong attack's timing.
If the weapon's strong attack has a 2-hit combo, you can also choose to charge only the first, the second or both attacks.
- Left-hand Weapon Actions
Press the L1 button to use the weapon in your left hand to attack.
If you have a shield equipped, hold down the L1 button to take a guard stance. A guard stance allows the player to tank through hits and reduce their damage by a percentage depending on the shield, at the cost of stamina. How much stamina a shield takes to block an attack is dependent on its stability, and heavier weapons tend to take more stamina to block.
- Dual-hand Weapon Actions
Press the △/Y button, and you'll use the weapon in your right hand to take a dual-wield stance.
Press the △/Y button again in dual-hand mode to return to single-hand mode.
Holding the △/Y button lets the player dual-hand the weapon in his left hand.
Dual-handing allows for the use of new movesets, weapon skills, an L1/LB special attack/block, and multiplies the player's strength by 1.5, allowing him to wield more weapons and get better scaling from them.
Bonfires in Dark Souls 3
Bonfires in Dark Souls 3 are key checkpoints and hubs of activity for the player. They serve as rest points where you can recover health and FP (Focus Points), refill your Estus Flask charges, and cure status ailments. Bonfires also act as fast travel points, allowing you to warp between discovered bonfires.
Resting at a bonfire resets most defeated enemies in the area, bringing them back to life. However, some special enemies, like bosses or unique foes, do not respawn. Bonfires are scattered throughout the world, often placed strategically near challenging sections or after boss fights.
Exploring the World in Dark Souls 3
Dark Souls is a game deeply rooted in exploration, rewarding players who take the time to investigate every corner of its intricate, interconnected world. By thoroughly exploring each area, you’ll uncover hidden shortcuts, minibosses, and secret items that can greatly enhance your journey. Shortcuts are especially valuable, providing easier access to bonfires or safer routes through challenging zones.
Optional, tougher enemies often guard powerful rewards, such as rare weapons, armor sets, upgrade materials, or unique items. These enemies may be more challenging than the standard foes, but defeating them is often worth the risk. Instead of rushing past, take a moment to assess your surroundings and engage these enemies carefully. They may drop valuable loot or be protecting hidden treasures that can give you an edge in combat.
Exploration also helps reveal environmental storytelling and subtle hints about the game’s lore. Whether it’s a hidden path behind a breakable wall or an item tucked away in a hard-to-reach location, taking the time to delve into every nook and cranny ensures a richer experience and might just turn the tide in your favor when faced with the game's many trials.
Covenants in Dark Souls 3
Covenants in Dark Souls 3 are multiplayer-focused factions, similar to those in previous games but with added flexibility. Much like in Bloodborne, players can freely switch between covenants without penalties, allowing them to join, leave, and level up multiple factions at their convenience. This makes it possible to collect all covenant items and rewards over the course of the game.
However, players should remain mindful of how their chosen allegiance might impact certain side quests. Some NPC interactions or questlines may be influenced by covenant membership, so careful consideration is advised when progressing through the story or exploring specific areas.
Special Actions
- Roll/Backstep Attacks
Immediately after rolling or backstepping, press the regular attack button for a quicker attack.
- Skills
Pressing L2/LT will execute the Skill of a weapon/shield/catalyst two-handed or equipped in the player's left hand. Skills are individual to weapons, though many weapons share Skills, and require focus to be performed. Attempting to perform a Skill without Focus will result in a failure, or in a weakened/partial version of the skill.
- Parrying
Most of the smaller shields, some of the medium sized shields and some weapons share the skill Parry. When seeing an attack coming, the player can choose to parry the attack and, if he gets the timing right, the enemy becomes vulnerable for a Riposte. Many attacks cannot be parried, however.
The parrying animation has startup frames, parry frames, and ending frames. To properly parry, the attack must hit the player during the animation's parry frames.
- Dead Angling
Dead angling is the act of hitting another player with the side of an attack's arc rather than the middle, making the attack un-parriable. Doing this typically requires not locking on, and moving to the side while attacking. Weapons with small attack arcs, such as Thrusting Weapons, cannot dead angle. The other player can still get a partial parry. Like the poise, it's here but work partially.
- Pushback Attack (Kick)
Press the R1/RB button as you push the left stick forward to execute a kick that deals stamina damage on opponents using shields. The stamina damage is affected by the shield's stability and may or may not guard break, allowing a Critical strike.
According to quite a few Forum users, the amount of stamina damage a kick deals is dependent on the weapon equipped.
- Jump Attack
Press the R2/RT button as you push the left stick forward to execute a jump attack.
- Plunging Attack
Press the R1/R2/RB/RT buttons while falling to attack your enemy from above.
•The plunging attack is the most reliable move in the game
- Ripostes
Ripostes are special attacks performed on enemies that have been guard broken or parried with the R1/RB button. They deal special damage and are influenced by a weapon's critical multiplier. Many enemies cannot be Riposte'd.
- Backstabs
Backstabs are special attacks performed from behind enemies with the R1/RB button. They deal special damage and are influenced by a weapon's critical multiplier. Many enemies cannot be backstabbed. Backstabs take a moment to begin after the R1/RB button is pressed - you become unstaggerable during the very end of this animation, allowing you to make trades via backstabs if positioned and timed correctly.
- Using Sorceries/Miracles/Pyromancies
In order to use magic (sorceries/miracles/pyromancies), you must have the corresponding catalyst (Sorcerer's Staff/Talisman or Chime/Pyromancy Flame) equipped.
Use the directional buttons (up) to select a magic, and use the regular attack of the hand in which the catalyst is equipped to cast it.
Using magic consumes your focus. Magic cannot be done without focus.
Hold down the button while casting various spells, such as "Heal" or "Sacred Oath" miracles to remain in casting mode, delaying the magic until you're ready.
- Sweet Spots
Sweet spots are the concept that some weapons deal more damage when attacks hit with a certain part of the hitbox. Emphasis on Halberds. Sweet Spots may have influence over stagger.
Hyper Armor, Poise and Stagger
Stagger is when a weapon's hit allows for a follow up. Whether or not a weapon can stagger or for how many hits it can stagger is dependent on the weapon. As of now, poise hasn't been confirmed to have an effect on stagger. As a special note, equip load seems to affect whether or not the player can be staggered at the ending of a roll animation.
Bigger weapons in Dark Souls 3 have Hyper Armour towards the ending of their attack animations. Hyper Armor makes the player immune to stagger temporarily, making their attacks uninterruptible. The amount of Hyper Armor an attack has is influenced by the player's poise, so equipping heavier armor when using bigger weapons is recommended, while it won't make much of a difference for players using lighter and faster weapons.
NPC Encounters in Dark Souls 3
As in previous games, you’ll need to locate and speak with NPCs to unlock their services at the Firelink Shrine hub. Be sure to explore thoroughly and revisit areas, as NPCs often move to new locations or return to familiar ones.
The Shrine Handmaid is your default merchant and will assist you even if another NPC meets an untimely end. By bringing her ashes—found throughout the world or at the location of a deceased NPC—you can expand her inventory, ensuring access to essential items to help you on your journey.
Weapon Variety in Dark Souls 3
Dark Souls 3 boasts the most diverse weapon variety in the series to date, thanks to the introduction of Weapon Skills. These unique abilities significantly impact gameplay, offering players a wide range of strategies and playstyles. It is advisable to avoid committing to a specific build too early, as countless weapons and spells can be discovered throughout the game, many of which may inspire experimentation.
Like in Dark Souls 2, weapons are upgraded using regular Titanite and can be infused with special gems. However, Dark Souls 3 introduces 15 different types of infusions, each tailored to specific builds. These infusions are unlocked through key items known as "Coals," which players must locate in the world. Some weapons, such as those requiring Twinkling Titanite or Titanite Scales for upgrades, follow a different progression system and cap at +5. Regardless of the weapon type, a Titanite Slab is required to reach its maximum upgrade level, making resource management and selection crucial.
It's also important to note that certain weapon types cannot be infused, including Bows, Greatbows, Crossbows, Chimes, Talismans, Staves, Pyromancy Flames, and weapons upgraded with Twinkling Titanite or Titanite Scales. However, most other weapons can be infused to provide scaling bonuses or add physical or elemental damage, offering players extensive customization options for their builds.
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Anonymoushuge downgrade from bloodborne honestly but then from followed up mid souls 3 with sekiro, an absolute banger, then followed up with elden ring which is a huge step down in terms of combat design. From's cycle is banger, mid, banger, mid ad-infinitum.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
What a miserable comment section. I'm guessing people just come here to hate on the game, but all the "criticism" I've heard here is very vague and subjective.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
It's really depressing that all modern Fromsoftware game decided to use this one as a blueprint, I miss the mystical whimsy of DS1 and Demon's Souls.
- Anonymous
Incredibly boring game. Not even worth starting unless you’re replaying the trilogy.
- Anonymous
I think this game is technically and visibly flawless, as are the mechanics. However, I find it boring, unimaginative and too safe, ie they don't take any real risks. The only creative mechanic might be the jailor lowering your HP bar, but I really can't think of anything out of the box about this game. DS1 is the same way. Elden RIng is much more imaginative, although it sometimes suffers from being just a boss run, like the last 4 bosses in a row with nothing in between them. DS2 is the only game that is truly creative, imaginative, interesting mechanics, and takes risks, although its visuals and mechanics leave something to be desired.
- Anonymous
Why as AA in this game so horribly useless? That coupled for the vomit palette coded environments is... My poor, poor eyes.
- Anonymous
so much better than dark souls 1, but dark souls 1 is extremely easy so maybe that's why the casuals love it so much and there is a lot of them
- Anonymous
Happy 10th Bday to DS3
It is a game that I sunk many hours into, both PvE and PvP. The souls community reached new heights when it came out and it was really a great time, despite its flaws
- Anonymous
it will grow on you. Maybe not the first playthrough, or the second. But there will be a moment when you realise that this game makes it easy to create your build and wants you to experiment. Stats and weapons. Armors. Everything. Just to make your build the best build you can have as soon as possible. It even lets you break the rules by giving the priestess some satanic tooms, killing her guardian angle for his magical hammer or if you die a bit too much unlocks the Dark Hand easy mode. You have choices over choices. That is the real strength of this game. The level of freedom. And since it doesnt need 200h+ to play through it you will learn fast. Online multiplayer is also the best in all Souls games. ER included.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Worst of the trilogy by far. Dark Souls 1 and 2 are leagues better in every way except boss fights.
Ok but why is it so terrified of challenging the player in any meaningful way?
- Anonymous
I get why some people like this game more than ds1 and 2, even if I feel like it's for the wrong reason, with the direction they went with this game being not what Dark Souls was about in the first place imo, as more than anything else this game should have been called Bloodsouls 1.5, but liking it the best out of all the Fromsoftware games? I really don't get the appeal, it's just so bland.
- Anonymous
well... Dark souls III... Game that changed my life and I'm not sure in good way...
Like complete casul back in 2021 I bought it 75% off (why now sales sucks ass?) my first souls (sometimes I regret it, I should start with DeS or DS1)
back on, around late 2021 I've had skill issues such high I rage quited lol
in middle of 2022 when servers were dead, I came back I finished it, with dlc's, 100% it, played other souls, even done some challenge runs...
yeah, I discovered completionist masohist in myself lol
when dlc for elden ring was released (6.21.2024 ) shortly I bought after release, played sometimes (still I have to finish it lol)
And there is the weirdest/funniest part... Thanks to elden ring I've became a furry, shorty after also realised guys are also hot...
And that all happened because back in 2021 I've bought DS3 on discount, fml
- Anonymous
Dark Souls 1 and 2 are better, Dark Souls 3 is just a boss rush and everything is grey
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Now that i think about it, why do i play every single one of fromsoft game for like thousands of hours, i dont like them at all
Demons souls has not much content in it
Dark souls 1 with lock on four directional rolls is super annoying
Dark souls 2 has way too many bosses that are just as complicated as opening a beer can
Bloodborne is probably the jankiest and head scratchingly scaled game they ever made (By scaled i mean why do i have 40 vitality and get one tapped by a boss and his janky hitboxes are not making me feel like it rewards getting good playstyle it just rewards learn this mess and your reward is just as much blood echos as from two enemies before)
Dark souls 3 map is just a joke along side its worst early game ever made and worst item placement ever i dont know what kind of galaxy brain dev came up with an idea to put +7.5% physical damage buff on the last dungeon in the base game
Sekiro has the dumbest mini bosses of em all with enemies being able to just join in the fight
Elden ring exploration is the biggest placebo effect of them all if you went to a dungeon you basicly saw them all because they are all just as unrewarding and copy pasted
And every single game here is just ugly when it comes to textures, it sure is pretty with lights and effects but its pretty ugly with textures and other stuff related to it. So why do i have thousand hours in every single one i dont know
- Anonymous
I hate this game with passion actually i hate ds2 and ds1 too, actually bloodborne, sekiro and demons souls too, no actually elden ring, and nightreign the most. Now why did i spend like 1000 hours in every single one is a question for a diffrent conversation dont play this or any other fromsoft game.
- Anonymous
You love/hate DS3 because of valid reasons.
I love/hate DS3 because I simp hard for Miyazaki feet and have poor dodge skill.
We are not the same.
- Anonymous
So is there an explanation for all the random fog walls in this game or did they just place that sht randomly for 0 reason
- Anonymous
On every night 8:30pm-12 if anyone needs summons or wants to pvp
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
How can u like Ds3 and hate elden ring or vice versa it's literally the same game but again
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
I woke up feeling sad.
Sad that I realized It's been over a year since I've played this game. I think it's time I changed that. I miss the PVP and I haven't done a hollow or faith playthrough yet...
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
This game is turning 15 years old tomorrow!! Happy birthday ds3!!
- Anonymous
This game wants to roleplay as Bloodborne so bad it's frankly embarrassing, it's even more so considering I still see people pumping this game up and hating on the other in the big 2026.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
I'll concede to people that Dark Souls 3 is empty and bland, but when they say it's derivative, they reveal the fact that the first fromsoft games are just as bland and just as empty. call me when you can kill Dracula with a chain-whip...
- Anonymous
They gotta make a study to show why the third iteration of a trilogy almost always is underwhelming in some ways, probably overexposure?
- Anonymous
I have started ragebaiting on the Dark Souls 3 wiki. Hi everyone, I'm excited to open this new chapter in my life
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Boy I've been reading berserk, and my God I've got to compliment Miura for having the fortitude of not filing a copyright claim, it's kinda wild that people are just ok with From literally lifting key visuals from that manga, 1:1 in some cases.
- Anonymous
need to covenant farm for platinum trophy, mound makers sunlight and darkmoon if anyone wants to help will do the same psn glogyn
- Anonymous
Never in my life I've seen a game as overly glazed as this one, DS3 is the most ok game that could have possibly been made under the restrictions that From was under at the time it came out, and it's somehow considered the best in the series for some reason, it's just bland and safe af, for how many issues DS2 had, at least I could respect the direction they were going for, even if it really didn't work out at the end.
- Anonymous
Everyone hates DS3 on their first playthrough. I despised it at first.
But if you play it just one more time it'll grow on you and you'll begin to love it.
- Anonymous
Ds2 is better. Ds3 is too linear and samey in visual design.
- Anonymous
This game gotta have the worst early game out of all Fromsoft titles, boy is it a slog.
- Anonymous
It has a beautifull power curve and puts interesting stuff left and right which is actuall usefull. Killing the Dancer is an early challenge which will actually reward you with endgame stuff. Same goes for the DLCs. Frost weapons are super usefull. Everything has its worth and trying stuff out is always a rewarding experience. People will tell you ER is grander and BB is cooler. DS3 is still the best. Worth playing it for thousands of hours and then you still want more. And thats what I want out of a Souls game.
- Anonymous
man its my first playthrough I wanna fight the cool endgame bosses but I don't wanna slog thru this boring ass earlygame.imma just download savefiles to fight them idgaf
- Anonymous
It took me a while to internalize this, but I really don't like DS3 character design, why is every humanoid enemy an anorexic NBA meth head player with Marfan syndrome? Is it because they used the skeleton model of Yarnamites and just upcycled to DS3?
- Anonymous
Boy did this game aged badly, I don't know why, but sometimes it feels like I was playing a PS3 game, and the omnipresent yellow piss filter certainly ain't helping.
- Anonymous
Absolutely! Here’s a revised version of your Dark Souls 3 review, written in a personal, first-person style, as if you played the game and are sharing your own experiences and opinions:
I’ve spent a lot of time with Dark Souls 3, and I wanted to share my honest thoughts here for anyone considering diving into the game—or maybe struggling through Lothric right now. Overall, I’d say it’s a pretty good game, and for me, it was both a brutal challenge and a memorable adventure. There are definitely some great things about it, but also a few frustrations worth mentioning.
First off, the combat in Dark Souls 3 is easily one of my favorite things about the game. Compared to earlier Souls games, the fighting feels more fluid and responsive, and I found myself getting hooked by how much the timing and positioning matter. Every swing, block, or roll needs to be intentional if you want to survive. I really loved how the combat rewards practice and skill, rather than just grinding for better stats or equipment. Boss fights, in particular, were some of the highlights for me—so many of them were big, intimidating, and required me to really learn their patterns. That said, there were a few times when some fights felt unfair, mostly because of cramped boss arenas or bosses that dish out insane damage, almost like the game wanted to test my patience more than my skills.
The world design and atmosphere deserve a ton of praise, too. Lothric might be a dying kingdom, but exploring it was such a treat. I always found myself getting lost in the twisting paths, stumbling on shortcuts, and feeling that rush of relief when I discovered a new bonfire. I prefer how DS3 handles exploration over Dark Souls 2, since the areas are more interconnected and it feels like the world makes sense geographically. The sense of discovery is still there, and the gothic aesthetic and haunting backdrops really pulled me in.
Of course, the difficulty is infamous, and I can see why. I loved the sense of accomplishment from finally beating a tough area or boss, but I won’t lie—sometimes, it felt almost punishing. There’s a lot the game doesn’t tell you (stats, mechanics, what embers do, how infusions work, etc.), so I found myself looking up wikis and tips a lot. On one hand, it made the experience feel mysterious, but I also get how this could scare off new or more casual players who just want to get into the action.
When it comes to the story, I have mixed feelings. I know a lot of people love picking apart the lore and item descriptions to piece together what’s going on, but for me, the overall narrative never hit quite as hard as the original Dark Souls. Some characters barely make sense, their dialogue is cryptic, and after finishing the game, I didn’t really feel that sense of closure. The endings, in particular, left me wanting more. Still, I can appreciate how everything is woven into the world, and exploring the lore is definitely rewarding if you’re the type to dig deep.
Some of the mechanics and features were kind of a letdown, especially compared to previous games. I missed being able to power-stance weapons and upgrade armor the way we could in Dark Souls 2, and it feels like they simplified a few systems too much. I also think the covenants—while still there—are mostly cosmetic or just don’t have much impact, which is a shame because they added a lot to the multiplayer side in the past. Plus, things like elemental weapon infusions just aren’t very effective, so the weapon choices can feel a bit restricted.
Speaking of multiplayer, calling in co-op partners or dueling other players is still fun (and often necessary for the tougher bosses). But I noticed the summoning system is less balanced this time around, and I missed covenants that encourage PvE play or give unique rewards for helping out others.
As for New Game+, I expected the game to really step up the difficulty or change things up, but honestly, the scaling is pretty minimal. Enemies get a tiny bit tougher, but it didn’t feel like a big enough change to make replaying as fresh or exciting as I hoped. DS3 could have benefited from adding more NG+ features or ways to customize the challenge.
All that said, I have to give Dark Souls 3 credit where it’s due. It’s a game that takes what’s worked in the past and tightens it up—for better or worse. The controls are responsive, the visuals are gorgeous, and the challenging gameplay kept me coming back even when I was frustrated. The sense of progress, discovering new areas, and finally mastering a tough boss all feel incredibly rewarding. It’s challenging, sure, but it’s also fair most of the time—the kind of game that really tests your patience and skills, but also makes every victory feel earned.
Still, it’s not perfect. The story doesn’t always land, some cut features and balancing issues hold it back a bit, and the New Game+ could be more robust. Despite these problems, I honestly think Dark Souls 3 is one of the best entries in the series and a fantastic action RPG in its own right.
If you love tough-but-fair games, don’t mind piecing together a story for yourself, and appreciate well-designed worlds and challenging gameplay, Dark Souls 3 is totally worth your time. Even with its flaws, it’s a game I’d happily recommend to anyone looking for a rewarding, if sometimes nerve-wracking, experience.
- Anonymous
Easily my favorite souls game, had the most fun experience of my life with this one
- Anonymous
best souls game easily 100x better than ds1 + 2 still doesnt beat elden ring though anyone that disagrees can cope harder
- Anonymous
You know what, I am borrowing from Ds2 fandom and actually defending this game from the hate it is getting by answering common criticisms.
It is linear- yeah it is pretty linear, so what? While Ds1, Ds2, Demon’s aren’t linear borrowing from the design process of Metroid, that doesn’t mean it is better. Linear games have the benefit of having a smooth progression, Ds1 and Demon’s had the problem of becoming piss easy after beating your first lord soul or arch demon. Ds2 negates this problem a bit by having the branching paths at first then funneling in at the end. Dark souls 3 overall feels correctly scaled for each area unless you go out of your way to grind.
Too grey- okay I will admit that the color palette can be a bit bland at times. However a lot of people do ignore that gorgeous landscapes. The boreal valley being a prime location, you get out of a dark musty catacomb and get introduced to a beautiful night sky with dark blues and a shining moon over this frozen city. Another area that comes to mind is the beginning of the ring city, being carried by that winged demon and seeing the city for the first time is amazing. Overall, I do think it needs a bit more color in some areas but people complain to much about it.
Fan service- this is one of the most popular criticisms, and honestly the dumbest. The whole theme of this game is the cycle, the main driving force is the firing fading, which is the same as the last two games (tho Ds2 focuses more on the curse aspect of it). You see characters and areas from the previous games since they are still in the cycle of Gwyn’s cursed age of fire that been forcefully extended so many times now that the ash left by the fire is ruining this land. Do I think some of the characters are added for no reason aside from fan service? Yeah, but stuff like anor londo isn’t fan service.
Too many bonfires- okay, so aside from the one after dragonslayer armour, name an example of two bonfires being too close to each other? This feels like the Ds3 equivalent of iron keep, yes we all know that is bad but can you give us other examples aside from that one (I guess the one in woods can be considered a little bunched up, but that is all I can think of). Like the catacombs literally have two bonfires, one being the boss bonfire.
Sorceries suck- okay yeah I can’t defend this one, sorceries in Ds3 are underwhelming. Not bad but most of the time they are just variations of the same spell. We do get some unique ones here and their like the deep soul line and white dragon crystal breath. Overall pyro and faith got the better spells.
Dodge roll R1 spam - just like how Ds1 was backstab fishing spam and Elden ring is L2 spam, and Bloodborne is parry/ transformation attack spam, or Ds2 was hoarding a bunch of life gems. All of these games can be trivialized incredibly easily, with only a few road bumps. I don’t think pointing out a way to trivialize the game just to say it is worse than the others while the others can just as easily be trivialized is fair.
There is many more criticisms some valid some not so valid but this is all of the big ones I can remember.
- Anonymous
Build diversity in this game is about as varied as its bosses, "classes" have their unique "gimmicks" (Mostly spells, items and buffs of some sort) but they all quickly turn into melee classes with a different flavor of damage, that thing irks me to no end.
- Anonymous
Bosses, Armor, Magic, Builds, Maps, Walkthroughs and more for Dark Souls III — the third installment in From Software's Dark Souls Series! While im tipe duble dash dow nriwn de felm drep the one
Lieade mode teh she dro g cofee taste
- Anonymous
I do not know how to best explain this, but this game feels like it was made by Fromsoftware because they needed to and not because they wanted to, it parallels a lot MGS4, both good games, but inherently deeply flawed
- Anonymous
Screw your agenda, I like this game even with its many flaws.
- Anonymous
it will grow on you. Maybe not the first playthrough, or the second. But there will be a moment when you realise that this game makes it easy to create your build and wants you to experiment. Stats and weapons. Armors. Everything. Just to make your build the best build you can have as soon as possible. It even lets you break the rules by giving the priestess some satanic tooms, killing her guardian angle for his magical hammer or if you die a bit too much unlocks the Dark Hand easy mode. You have choices over choices. That is the real strength of this game. The level of freedom. And since it doesnt need 200h+ to play through it you will learn fast.
- Anonymous
why is their so much rage bait? if you don't like the game, leave a negative review and move on to playing the games you like.
- Anonymous
I hate the enemy design in this game, I hate it even more that they are still using it to this day, like man let me breathe for a fugging second, jc.
- Anonymous
worst souls game, hell even souls -like to exist, such a genuine embarrassment to the entire genre, not sure how anybody enjoys this trash, i think flopping around in a puddle of my own piss on the weekly would be a more enjoyable experience than ever playing this game again, and yes, i did beat it.
i dont understand the sudden hate for DS3....
cant we just play the game we like without hating?
i mean, nobody is forcing you to play this game, just ignore if it enrages you so much
- Anonymous
it will grow on you. Maybe not the first playthrough, or the second. But there will be a moment when you realise that this game makes it easy to create your build and wants you to experiment. Stats and weapons. Armors. Everything. Just to make your build the best build you can have as soon as possible. It even lets you break the rules by giving the priestess some satanic tooms, killing her guardian angle for his magical hammer or if you die a bit too much unlocks the Dark Hand easy mode. You have choices over choices. That is the real strength of this game. The level of freedom. And since it doesnt need 200h+ to play through it you will learn fast.
- Anonymous
it will grow on you. Maybe not the first playthrough, or the second. But there will be a moment when you realise that this game makes it easy to create your build and wants you to experiment. Stats and weapons. Armors. Everything. Just to make your build the best build you can have as soon as possible. It even lets you break the rules by giving the priestess some satanic tooms, killing her guardian angle for his magical hammer or if you die a bit too much unlocks the Dark Hand easy mode. You have choices over choices. That is the real strength of this game. The level of freedom. And since it doesnt need 200h+ to play through it you will learn fast.
- Anonymous
After playing the Souls catalogue, I think I've come to the conclusion that I liked this game the least, it's way too fast to be called a sequel to 2 and the OG, but the movement tech is so incredibly slow that it falls behind Sekiro and BB, more like a masterpiece it's a jack of all trades and master of none, its lows aren't nearly as low as DS2's could be at times, but its highs are barely even close to Artorias, Genichiro or Ludwig.
- Anonymous
Im missing this game despite not even having played it wtf. The feeling that we'll never go back to previous games is making me nostalgic..lol
- Anonymous
it will grow on you. Maybe not the first playthrough, or the second. But there will be a moment when you realise that this game makes it easy to create your build and wants you to experiment. Stats and weapons. Armors. Everything. Just to make your build the best build you can have as soon as possible. It even lets you break the rules by giving the priestess some satanic tooms, killing her guardian angle for his magical hammer or if you die a bit too much unlocks the Dark Hand easy mode. You have choices over choices. That is the real strength of this game. The level of freedom. And since it doesnt need 200h+ to play through it you will learn fast.
- Anonymous
it will grow on you. Maybe not the first playthrough, or the second. But there will be a moment when you realise that this game makes it easy to create your build and wants you to experiment. Stats and weapons. Armors. Everything. Just to make your build the best build you can have as soon as possible. It even lets you break the rules by giving the priestess some satanic tooms, killing her guardian angle for his magical hammer or if you die a bit too much unlocks the Dark Hand easy mode. You have choices over choices. That is the real strength of this game. The level of freedom. And since it doesnt need 200h+ to play through it you will learn fast.
- Anonymous
it will grow on you. Maybe not the first playthrough, or the second. But there will be a moment when you realise that this game makes it easy to create your build and wants you to experiment. Stats and weapons. Armors. Everything. Just to make your build the best build you can have as soon as possible. It even lets you break the rules by giving the priestess some satanic tooms, killing her guardian angle for his magical hammer or if you die a bit too much unlocks the Dark Hand easy mode. You have choices over choices. That is the real strength of this game. The level of freedom. And since it doesnt need 200h+ to play through it you will learn fast.
- Anonymous
it will grow on you. Maybe not the first playthrough, or the second. But there will be a moment when you realise that this game makes it easy to create your build and wants you to experiment. Stats and weapons. Armors. Everything. Just to make your build the best build you can have as soon as possible. It even lets you break the rules by giving the priestess some satanic tooms, killing her guardian angle for his magical hammer or if you die a bit too much unlocks the Dark Hand easy mode. You have choices over choices. That is the real strength of this game. The level of freedom. And since it doesnt need 200h+ to play through it you will learn fast.
- Anonymous
This game was a huge mistake, you will soon be regretting having put dark souls 3 on a pedestal as much as you did, nothing good can come of remaking the same thing over and over and over again
- Anonymous
Genuine questions: is this game still worth to buy ? Ppl said that the online connection is better because of the lack of EAC. And do hackers still pose a major problem for the overall online experience even when using the discontinued blue sentinel mod ?
- Anonymous
worst in the trilogy imo, the only thing that it has going for it is the modernity of the bosses, which is true for everything after and including fromsofts Bloodborne 2015, worst doesn't mean bad its not a terrible game by any means but besides most of the bosses its very boring to go through the levels, it's pretty linear, and the weapon variety is my least favorite. Ds2 is my preference in almost every mechinal sense aswell as having amazing armor and my favorite artstyle, BB has a nice aesthetic, music, and the best weapons. Elden Ring has great replayability and build potential, Ds1 is pretty decent and a good experience in general. DeS i just dont really like, and Sekiro is good just not my thing. like what you like though, they're all great games.
- Anonymous
I like the color grey, so I don't mind :D
Easily the best souls game, and I started from elden ring and came here. This game is amazing.
- Anonymous
It breaks my heart seeing all of this hate appear suddenly. Like, before ER it was a common opinion that DS3 (believe it or not) was if not the best, then one of the best souls games FS ever made. Someone prefered Bloodborne more, someone DS1 but noone really hated on eachother's favorite game (excluding ds2 which always has been the black sheep.)
Yeah, it has it's problems like:
- Linearity, colorlessness (which was literally intentional and thematic) and lack of variety
but it also has:
+Best bosses, best characters, best OST (i mean the menu theme could only be rivaled by BB's menu theme), best flow/responsiveness, best DLCs, best difficulty curve, best f e e l s (final bosses, Siegward's questline, Oceiros, the endings), perfect length and 3rd best level design (After DS1 and BB)
Every game From makes has valid reasons to love them and you don't have to downplay other's achievements to make your game look better. Even DS2 completely blows DS3 out of the water in every weak spot that the 3rd game has. All of them have their strengths and are masterpieces on their own. Just putting this here to do MY masterpiece justice because I've seen more people hating on this game than any of the fans lately.
ps. actually scrolling a little bit more down showed me that not all hope was lost in this community. Keep it up, Ashen Ones!
- Anonymous
I'm going to apologize to BloodBorne fans, you're not nearly as annoying as fans of this game.
- Anonymous
Common misconception; Dark Souls 3 is NOT "too grey". It's all a gamma problem. Most of yall who think Ds3 is too grey probably play with +5 or even max brightness, and that's WRONG. Call this cope if you want, but go and play the game with the lowest brightness possible, it fixes the lighting and makes it look genuinely amazing.
- Anonymous
shut up about which fromsoft game you think is the best ever while you think the rest are trash, learn the difference of fact and opinion, then respect other people opinions
- Anonymous
Elden Rings 2025 sucks , Dark Souls Fire Fades is Better
- This is a scientific undebatable philosophical true fact.
- Anonymous
Ah yes DS3 where you wears full Havel set and still gets staggered by a dagger.
- Anonymous
Hope that you enjoyed this game, because it seems that they wanted to copy and past it until they run their company into the ground.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Dark Souls 3 was so incredibly mediocre that it actually left me indifferent to a point that I needed to play Demon's Souls again to cleanse the taste of blandness it left me with, it's just so incredibly inoffensive I'm genuinely ******ing, thankfully the modding scene is actually pretty active for this game, for whatever reason.
- Anonymous
Dark Souls 3 was so incredibly mediocre that it actually left me indifferent to a point that I needed to play Demon's Souls again to cleanse the taste of blandness it left me with, it's just so incredibly inoffensive I'm genuinely ******ing, thankfully the modding scene is actually pretty active for this game, for whatever reason.
- Anonymous
The game looks alright, but I doubt it'll surpass DS2. I can't wait until it comes out though!
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Felt like Bloodborne and previous Souls game mechanics all mashed together
- Anonymous
seamless co-op just came out and elden losers are already everywhere with their 3v1 ganks
- Anonymous
DS3 was the biggest mistake that From could have fallen into, it ripped out a lot of the things that made your character truly stupid powerful for the sake of the multiplayer mode and keeping things supposedly "fair", you can just feel your character hitting a wall with progression at some point during the second half, and nothing in this world short of hyper mode is letting you escape it, honestly the only thing I can envision DS3 being in the minds of From software during pre-production was: "Climbing a mountain only to reach the peak and find another bigger mountain", even the DLCs were a complete letdown, they really did not give you that extra boost to your build that, imo, was sorely needed in this game, it should never reach a point in an RPG where literally the first weapon I get as a drop dominates so much over all the others that it's actually detrimental to try anything else.
- Anonymous
Like I try my hardest to like this game, but by God, is it ever boring, it's mostly a glorified corridor with hp sponge bosses, supremely annoying mobs, and no build diversity, because objectively straight swords are better than everything else in PvE and let's not even talk about the disastrous side of this PvP, wtf are people smoking to end up calling this the best of the trilogy I will never know.
- Anonymous
This game has the best and most enjoyable level 1 runs and no, it's not even close
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
For some reasons I always felt like DS3 is much more a prequel than sequel. A lot of places that appear ruined in DS1 are intact here and enemies seems like a suffering unperfect versions of those from the first game. The statues of demons are more like idols of the stronger demons yet to come once the Bed of Chaos built, and the few Silver Knights are the last of the still alive soldiers before Gwyndolin filling up the place with the illusions. A lot of references also makes more sense this way. Aldrich may be a strange addition to this but considering Gwyndolin's powers it may be even just an illusion that it devoured allowing him to control the monster. The only exception may be Nameless King but honestly he also feel like odd just like the place itself, a bit out of context anyway. The painting woman may very well be drawing Ariamis and the blood used for the color sync very well with Priscilla's lore. There is a lot of other parts where I clearily feel how much DS3 was built to be a prequel. But even so there is just so many continuity errors and reused unchanged elements amongst the three games that they can stand still as a reimagination of the very same story. Again, I feel this at its strongest when I play DS3.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Why is the white theme on the wiki messed up since today/yesterday?
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
guys, i think i figured it out.
elden ring, ringed city?
elden ringed city.
after john darksoul trudged through the king's field and entered the shadow tower, he stuck gwyneveredolin through his armored core, obtaining his eternal ring, which he gifted to his wife jane sekiro. soon his son hollow knight was bloodborne to him who used the dark soul to paint the real world, then he visited miyazaki irl and told him "shadows never die twice, but demon's souls are forever" and so miyazaki made elden ring nightreign and it was the game of all time.
- Anonymous
Murkies sixteen estus cancelers at Pontiff murkying each other applying dark blade to their knifes quickstep massively damaging each other ten passive Pontiff junkies strafing and backstepping slowly with a shield fifteen turtling duelists at Pontiff exploiting their tech teching each other until they can't tech anymore sticky white stuff applied to their blades
I finished this game today for the first time. I liked it. It wasn't crazy good, but I had a fun time.
The story feels messy and undercooked. Some bosses feel like they should be in Bloodborne (namely Gael and Friede). The world feels fragmented and disconnected. They really dropped the ball with hexes, DS II had done an amazing job at expanding on the Dark Soul and they just forgot about them. Most quests are impossible to complete without a guide (thanks Fextra). The ending I chose was letting the Fire fade (where we summon the Firekeeper) and it was a big let down. The final boss was ok, but it wasn't impactful.
The soundtracks were nice. The areas were beautiful. Some enemy designs made my jaw drop. The drip is immaculate. The Twin Princes became my favorite boss fight in the trilogy. Weapon arts are a nice addition, really fun to use. I'm glad they brought back the FP bar from Demon's Souls, it's way better than having a limited number of uses. I loved Orbeck, he actually develops nicely and it was sweet seeing him grow fond of us.
Overall, it's a good game, though it does have its ups and downs..
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