DARK SOULS™ III

Item: DARK SOULS™ III
Rating: 83
Author: VaporLens

Last updated: 2025-12-21

Summary

Iconic and rewarding boss fights
High replayability and build variety
Challenging but fair difficulty
Epic and immersive soundtrack
Inconsistent and unfair hitboxes
Poor enemy and trap design

Emotions

Frustration25%Satisfaction12%Excitement7%Disappointment7%Nostalgia6%

Sample precision
Helpful reviews: 48%
Unhelpful reviews: 52%
Protest reviews: 0%

83%
Helpful reviews with positive sentiment
17%
Helpful reviews with negative sentiment

Positive points: 1102
Negative points: 674
Gameplay points: 974
Perf. points: 81
Rec. points: 219
Misc points: 14

Point	Description	Importance
Iconic and rewarding boss fights Description Boss fights are frequently praised as the highlight of the game, with players emphasizing their challenging yet fair design, memorable mechanics, and emotional impact. Many consider them the best in the series, with unique phases, lore integration, and satisfying victories. Importance 99%	Boss fights are frequently praised as the highlight of the game, with players emphasizing their challenging yet fair design, memorable mechanics, and emotional impact. Many consider them the best in the series, with unique phases, lore integration, and satisfying victories.	99%
High replayability and build variety Description The game offers extensive replayability through diverse weapons, armor sets, spells, and multiple endings. Players enjoy experimenting with different builds and playstyles, with NG+ mode and secrets adding to the longevity of the experience. Importance 95%	The game offers extensive replayability through diverse weapons, armor sets, spells, and multiple endings. Players enjoy experimenting with different builds and playstyles, with NG+ mode and secrets adding to the longevity of the experience.	95%
Challenging but fair difficulty Description The game’s difficulty is balanced, offering a satisfying challenge that rewards patience, strategy, and skill. Players appreciate the well-paced progression and the sense of accomplishment from overcoming tough but fair obstacles. Importance 94%	The game’s difficulty is balanced, offering a satisfying challenge that rewards patience, strategy, and skill. Players appreciate the well-paced progression and the sense of accomplishment from overcoming tough but fair obstacles.	94%
Epic and immersive soundtrack Description The game’s music is frequently praised for its emotional impact, especially during boss fights and key moments. The soundtrack enhances the atmosphere, with memorable themes that become iconic and deeply tied to the game’s lore. Importance 85%	The game’s music is frequently praised for its emotional impact, especially during boss fights and key moments. The soundtrack enhances the atmosphere, with memorable themes that become iconic and deeply tied to the game’s lore.	85%
Fluid and satisfying combat system Description The combat is described as fast, fluid, and responsive, blending the best mechanics from previous games. Players appreciate its precision, variety of weapons/builds, and the rewarding sense of mastery it provides, making it a standout feature of the game. Importance 43%	The combat is described as fast, fluid, and responsive, blending the best mechanics from previous games. Players appreciate its precision, variety of weapons/builds, and the rewarding sense of mastery it provides, making it a standout feature of the game.	43%
Deep and immersive lore Description The game’s storytelling is subtle yet rich, with lore hidden in item descriptions, environmental details, and NPC interactions. Players find it engaging and emotionally resonant, encouraging exploration and personal interpretation of the world’s tragic beauty. Importance 37%	The game’s storytelling is subtle yet rich, with lore hidden in item descriptions, environmental details, and NPC interactions. Players find it engaging and emotionally resonant, encouraging exploration and personal interpretation of the world’s tragic beauty.	37%
Stunning world and level design Description The game’s environments are praised for their intricate, interconnected design, atmospheric beauty, and immersive details. Locations like Lothric and Irithyll are highlighted for their gothic aesthetics, hidden paths, and emotional resonance, making exploration rewarding. Importance 29%	The game’s environments are praised for their intricate, interconnected design, atmospheric beauty, and immersive details. Locations like Lothric and Irithyll are highlighted for their gothic aesthetics, hidden paths, and emotional resonance, making exploration rewarding.	29%
High-quality DLC expansions Description The DLCs (Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City) are highly regarded for their challenging bosses, intricate level design, and lore-rich storytelling. They are considered essential additions that elevate the base game’s experience. Importance 23%	The DLCs (Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City) are highly regarded for their challenging bosses, intricate level design, and lore-rich storytelling. They are considered essential additions that elevate the base game’s experience.	23%
Encourages learning and perseverance Description The game fosters a sense of personal growth by rewarding patience, strategic planning, and persistence. Players describe it as a metaphor for real-life challenges, with failure serving as a tool for improvement and self-discovery. Importance 22%	The game fosters a sense of personal growth by rewarding patience, strategic planning, and persistence. Players describe it as a metaphor for real-life challenges, with failure serving as a tool for improvement and self-discovery.	22%
Strong connection to Dark Souls 1 Description The game is celebrated for its deep ties to the first Dark Souls, featuring references to NPCs, bosses, and areas (e.g., Anor Londo). Fans appreciate the nostalgic callbacks and the way the story builds upon the lore of the original game. Importance 22%	The game is celebrated for its deep ties to the first Dark Souls, featuring references to NPCs, bosses, and areas (e.g., Anor Londo). Fans appreciate the nostalgic callbacks and the way the story builds upon the lore of the original game.	22%
Rewarding exploration and secrets Description Exploration is a core part of the experience, with interconnected areas, hidden paths, and meaningful rewards (e.g., souls, armor, lore). Players enjoy the sense of discovery and the thoughtful placement of secrets and interactions. Importance 21%	Exploration is a core part of the experience, with interconnected areas, hidden paths, and meaningful rewards (e.g., souls, armor, lore). Players enjoy the sense of discovery and the thoughtful placement of secrets and interactions.	21%
Ideal entry point for Souls series Description The game is often recommended as the best starting point for newcomers due to its refined mechanics, accessible difficulty curve, and classic Souls-like experience. It retains the series’ core while offering improvements in pacing and design. Importance 18%	The game is often recommended as the best starting point for newcomers due to its refined mechanics, accessible difficulty curve, and classic Souls-like experience. It retains the series’ core while offering improvements in pacing and design.	18%

DARK SOULS™ III

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