Dark Souls III

Dark Souls III is an action RPG by FromSoftware. In the crumbling world of Lothric, you set out as the Unkindled to search for the Lords of Cinder. Battles against powerful bosses, interconnected areas and cryptically told stories shape the adventure.

Released in April 2016 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Bandai Namco gives the international date as Apr 12. Steam and the German PlayStation Store list Apr 11, 2016. The story was later expanded with two major expansions.

Dark Souls III has native versions for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. The PC version is designed for Windows. PS5 and Xbox Series X|S can play the respective older console versions via backward compatibility, but do not have a native version of their own.

Every fight rewards close observation of enemies. Stamina limits attacks, dodge rolls and blocking with shields. Weapons differ in reach, speed, scaling with character stats and special arts. New paths and shortcuts are unlocked through careful exploration.

Dark Souls III has two major expansions. Ashes of Ariandel leads into a frozen painted world with new bosses, enemies, weapons and equipment. The Ringed City concludes the journey with more areas at the end of the world. The Season Pass includes both.

For the PC version, Steam lists at least a Core i3-2100 or FX-6300, 4 GB RAM, a GTX 750 Ti or Radeon HD 7950, and 25 GB storage. Recommended are a Core i7-3770 or FX-8350, 8 GB RAM and a GTX 970 or Radeon R9. The game uses DirectX 11.

Lothric is a fantasy world in decay. The rulers who once bound the fire have stayed away from their thrones. The Unkindled travels through castles, catacombs and abandoned settlements to bring the Lords of Ash back.

The starting class determines the base stats and initial equipment. After that you can develop your character freely through attribute points, weapons and spells. A heavily armored fighter plays differently from a fast character with light weapons or a mage.

Special weapon arts expand the normal attacks. They allow, for example, powerful blows, special stances or tactical maneuvers. The choice of weapon therefore determines not only the damage, but also your options against fast enemies.

Bosses demand their own strategies and good timing. Various attack sequences, dodge windows and phases force you to learn, while bonfires structure the way back between attempts. Many fights reward recognizing recurring patterns.

Dark Souls III combines single-player and online features. Other players can be summoned as helpers or invade your world as enemies. Messages and bloodstains give indirect hints. The campaign can also be played alone and does not need online partners to progress.

Bonfires serve as safe resting and travel points. There you can recover and revisit many areas. Enemies return after a rest, while unlocked shortcuts make it easier to get around the world.

The Ashes of Ariandel expansion leads into a snowy painted world. Alongside new enemies and final bosses, there are more weapons, armor and spells. Its content adds to the main game and requires owning it.

The Ringed City takes the journey to the edge of the world. New areas, enemies, bosses and items complete the story. The expansion also extends the PvP offering from Ashes of Ariandel with additional arenas.

The Standard version includes the main game. The Deluxe Edition bundles it with the Season Pass and therefore both expansions. The physical The Fire Fades Edition offers the main game and the two major add-ons together.

Dark Souls III supports German on-screen text and subtitles. Voice audio is available in English. The PC version also supports controllers and Steam achievements.

Community-made mods exist for the PC. They can change looks, challenges and game rules. Unofficial changes are not part of the base game and may affect the use of online features.