Things I love and hate about… Dark Souls 3

Loved and Hated – Greatest Hits Package

This is a tricky one. Dark Souls 3 is clearly a love letter to each and every game that has been released, including both Demons Souls and Bloodborne. The gameplay is derived from the improvements offered in each title and is substantially better for it, all the elements I love about it listed previous are natural examples of this in practice. There are so many call backs not just in lore to the previous games but in their quirks and characters too. While it’s easy to love the fact that it feels like a greatest hits package that’s also one strong reason not to like it either.

There is rampant asset recycling to be found both visually and audibly stretching back to sounds heard in Demons Souls that haven’t changed. The new Firelink Shrine feels like the Nexus and Hunter’s Dream slammed together, the warping aspect is all Dark Souls 2 and the environment known as the Undead Settlement is a sunnier, brighter and reworked Hemwick Village. Maybe it’s due to the fact that we had Bloodborne just a year ago with DLC landing even less than that but the feeling is inescapable that perhaps the team is ready to move on from Souls. That’s not to knock the quality of the game as it is truly a fitting conclusion but three games deep is enough for any team to want change. The same goes for fans too. While an avid Souls fan myself I fell in love with Bloodborne so much more and would love to see From Software expand on that world and delve deeper into the Lovecraftian horror they so masterfully did in 2015.

What do you fellow fans think? Let me know below and tweet me if you would like to see what I love and hate about a specific title.