Summary

  • Dark Souls 3's level design, boss fights, and gameplay mechanics still impress after eight years.
  • A new edition of Dark Souls 3 could enhance visuals and gameplay, attracting both new and veteran players.
  • FromSoftware fans eagerly await potential projects like Dark Souls 4 or Bloodborne 2, highlighting the demand for a Dark Souls 3 upgrade.

Given all of FromSoftware's recent success with titles such as Elden Ring, Armored Core 6, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, it's fairly easy to overlook Dark Souls 3. With regular praise also heaped on other titles, namely Bloodborne and the original Dark Souls, newcomers to Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team's collection of games may choose to deprioritize the final game in the Dark Souls trilogy entirely. However, this would be a huge mistake, and the game's level design, boss fights, and solid gameplay mechanics hold up well today. A new, complete edition of Dark Souls 3 for current-gen consoles, maybe even with some new content, could give the game the spotlight it deserves.

While Elden Ring is seen as FromSoftware's magnum opus, elements of Dark Souls 3 are held in the same high regard by fans of the genre. The level and boss designs, in particular, deserve standout praise. Epic battles against foes such as the Nameless King and Slave Knight Gael have arguably still not been topped even after eight years and several other games from the developer.

Dark-Souls-3-The-18-Best-Boss-Weapons
Dark Souls 3: The 18 Best Boss Weapons

Beating a Dark Souls 3 boss provides the opportunity to gain a weapon, but some are better than others. Here are the game's best boss weapons.

A New Edition of Dark Souls 3 Could Have Several Benefits

Despite sharing many of its siblings' gameplay stylizations and mechanics, Dark Souls 2 is generally regarded as the weakest of the three. Released in 2014, it's the only one of the series that Hidetaka Miyazaki did not personally direct, instead acting in a supervisory capacity, leaving direction to Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura. After the original Dark Souls received so much praise for its level of challenge, the sequel attempted to double down on the difficulty, adding lots more enemies for the player to contend with. This was not well-received by some fans though, with the game's difficulty feeling far less organic as a result.

Over a year later, a remastered, enhanced version of the game was released, complete with all DLC. Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin had a far more positive reception on the whole. Better visuals, revised enemy and item placement, and even a new boss fight were included in the package. While Dark Souls 3 and its two critically acclaimed DLCs, Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City, have never really had any negative reception, a remastered version made for current-gen consoles would be a worthy investment, especially if there are also changes to enemies, items and perhaps even bosses. FromSoftware has a growing fan base, and with Elden Ring's DLC already out, many are hungry for more Souls content.

Dark Souls 3's level design, boss fights, and solid gameplay mechanics hold up well today.

New Dark Souls 3 Content Could Be a Great Answer to Elden Ring

In 2017, Dark Souls 3: The Fire Fades was released, packaging the base game with its two DLCs. While this was great for those wanting a complete edition, it did not make any other enhancements to the game or visuals. A new version could rectify this, but it's likely that better visuals alone wouldn't really make it that much of an appealing prospect for the many players who have already put dozens of hours into the game. If, however, FromSoftware was to remix some of the content, modifying enemy placement, item rarity, and even boss fights, this would be an enticing prospect even for Dark Souls veterans.

Since we're on the subject, it might be worth discussing a potential Bloodborne Remaster for the PS5 as well.

Right now, it's unclear as to what FromSoftware's next project will be. There's a strong possibility it may be working on several new projects, but whether these include Dark Souls 4, Bloodborne 2, or something else entirely is anyone's guess. If one of these new projects turned out to be a revamped, complete edition of Dark Souls 3, it would be a welcome surprise, allowing fans to remember exactly how special the climax of the Dark Souls trilogy was.

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Dark Souls 3 Tag Page Cover Art
8 /10

Dark Souls 3
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Action RPG
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Systems
PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
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Released
March 24, 2016
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood Violence
Developer(s)
From Software
Engine
havok, proprietary engine
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
Franchise
Dark Souls
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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Winner of Gamescom 2015 'Best RPG” and over 35 E3 2015 Awards and Nominations, DARK SOULS™ III continues to push the boundaries with the latest, ambitious chapter in the critically-acclaimed and genre-defining series.

As fires fade and the world falls into ruin, journey into a universe filled with more colossal enemies and environments. Players will be immersed into a world of epic atmosphere and darkness through faster gameplay and amplified combat intensity. Fans and newcomers alike will get lost in the game hallmark rewarding gameplay and immersive graphics.

Now only embers remain… Prepare yourself once more and Embrace The Darkness!

Platform(s)
PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre(s)
Action RPG