Dark Souls 3 - gamescom 2015

Announced during the Xbox press conference during last years gamescom, Dark Souls III was the star of the show, offering just a small glimpse of the ultimate gamer’s game. As something of an acquired taste the Souls series is one that, despite turning you into a highly stressed and determined shadow of your former self taking you to breaking point and beyond, somehow manages to keep you coming back for more (what is it they say about crack?). But Dark Souls III doesn’t just bring the dying simulator to the current generation of consoles, it also sees the return of series mastermind Hidetaka Miyazaki, coming back to take the helm of the latest addition to the series, and at last year’s gamescom we got a glimpse of what to expect from the eternally brutal game.

There was a warning from the devs before the hands off demo of Dark Souls III. The cautious and overly pessimistic phrase to bring shivers of both excitement and nerves to any Souls fan; “We might die”. And the style and presentation instantly echoed the warning. A huge, gothic castle was the setting, instantly creating an uneasy atmosphere made more tense by the distant roar of an unseen beast echoing around the surrounding turrets.

Not having played a Souls game previously but having dipped a toe into PlayStation’s exclusive, Bloodborne, it was instantly recognisable and had the same eerie, gothic vibe, synonymous with From Software’s creations. Best described by the dev team themselves as “post apocalyptic, withered beauty”, the skies are scorched amber and littered with ominous looking clouds; the surroundings, once bustling with life bear the scars of a traumatic event and nothing but overly powered enemies, a downed dragon, and your unnamed knight roam the labyrinth of paths complete with the the threat of certain death.

The key message from our glimpse of Dark Souls III is that they want to stick true to the series, maintaining the difficulty and ethos, but introducing deepening sword action, character builds and approach to strategy. When asked if the success of Bloodborne had any impact on the development of Dark Souls III, they didn’t directly say there had been any influence but admitted that they always look for different directions to go in with the series. Character building and differing sword play as well as the dual-wielding ability and faster movement certainly gave Bloodborne something of a USP, so it’s fair to say there has been some overlap between the two games

Something that diehard fans may not welcome is the infinite use of torches. The dark is often what brings nightmares to life in this series, and carefully managing torches was just one part of the strategically layered gameplay offered in the series. This time around the torch is your constant companion and can be used whenever it is needed. Light is also generated by stumbling across gravestones during your exploration of the world, as well as illuminating the surrounding area, these gravestones will give an insight into the story of Dark Souls III and piece together the complex puzzle of ‘why everything is so damn scary’.

It wouldn’t be Dark Souls without the threat of an oversized, overpowered and hideously (in the best possible way) designed boss. We only got to see one in action during the gameplay demonstration, but it was just as epic, dramatic, terrifying and strangely named as you would expect. The Dancer of the Frigid Valley was the encounter the playthrough was building up to, and was worth the hard work, threat of death and sweaty palms. As you enter a derelict chapel, the gameplay seamlessly changes into a cinematic as through an aged stained glass window appears the majestic boss, covered in a similar looking armour to your character, but with more of a ghostly appearance and a bent back, moving like a deranged dog. The Dancer of The Frigid Valley offers everything you have come to expect with these epic boss battles; a myriad of attacks, both close quarters and from range, a frightening sound design and pure elation when the beast is downed.

Of course, what was on offer at gamescom was only a tiny portion of what Dark Souls III has to offer, but it’s easy to say that this is the biggest, most beautiful and dramatic of the Souls games to date. A few tweaks may see the hardcore fanatics turn up their noses and complain it has been ‘dumbed down’ but each edition brings more fans to the series, and there’s no reason this will be any different. Epic boss battles, hard as hell enemies and the constant loop of dying and trying again, Dark Souls III will release on 12th April. Just keep in mind what the devs warned us before playing… “you will die”.