Dark Souls III

Dark Souls III
Cover art showing an armoured figure with a sword amid ash and embers
DeveloperFromSoftware
PublisherBandai Namco Entertainment
Directors
Designers
  • Shigeto Hirai
  • Yuya Kimijima
  • Hiroshi Yoshida
  • Junya Ishizaki
ProgrammerTakeshi Suzuki
WriterHidetaka Miyazaki
Composers
SeriesDark Souls
Platforms
ReleasePlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • JP: March 24, 2016
  • WW: April 12, 2016
Windows
  • WW: April 12, 2016
GenreAction role-playing
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

Dark Souls III[a] is a 2016 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows, it is the third and final entry in the Dark Souls trilogy.[1] The game follows the Ashen One, an unkindled warrior, on a quest involving the Lords of Cinder and the fading First Flame. It is played from a third-person perspective, and players use weapons, armour, magic, shields, and consumables to fight enemies. Series creator Hidetaka Miyazaki returned as a director after having a supervisory role on Dark Souls II.

Dark Souls III received favourable reviews and was commercially successful, with critics describing it as a fitting conclusion to the series. It shipped over three million copies by May 2016 and had surpassed 10 million in sales by May 2020. It won several awards, including Ultimate Game of the Year at the 2016 Golden Joystick Awards and Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year at the 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. Two downloadable content expansions, Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City, were released in 2016 and 2017, respectively. A compilation version, Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition, containing the base game and both expansions, was released in April 2017.

Gameplay

The player character confronts the Ancient Wyvern, a large dragon-like boss, in a ruined arena
The player character facing the Ancient Wyvern, a boss character

Dark Souls III is an action role-playing game played from a third-person perspective. The player controls a customisable character who explores interconnected areas, fights enemies and bosses, and rests at bonfires, which function as checkpoints.[2] Defeating enemies earns souls, which are used as both currency and experience points. If the player dies, the player's carried souls are dropped at the place of death; they can be recovered by returning to that location, but are lost permanently if the player dies again before retrieving them.[2]

Combat is based on managing health, stamina, and focus points (FP). The player can fight with melee weapons, bows, shields, throwable items, and magic; shields can block or deflect attacks, while dodge-rolling allows attacks to be evaded.[3] Weapons have standard and strong attacks, and some attacks can be charged.[3] Dark Souls III introduces weapon and shield "Skills", special abilities that vary by equipment and consume FP.[3][2] Stamina limits actions such as attacking, blocking, and dodging, leaving the player vulnerable when depleted.[4]

Magic, miracles, pyromancies, and Skills consume FP rather than a fixed number of uses. FP can be restored with Ashen Estus Flasks, while regular Estus Flasks restore health; the player can choose how many flask uses are assigned to each type.[5][2]

Compared with Dark Souls II, the game has faster combat and movement while retaining defensive options such as shields.[6][4] The game has fewer overall areas than Dark Souls II, but they are larger in scale; many areas also include shortcuts that connect routes back to bonfires.[7][2] Its expanded character builder and weapon options were designed to support more varied play styles.[7] Online multiplayer returns from previous games in the series, allowing players to summon others for cooperative play or encounter hostile players through invasions.[8]

Plot

Dark Souls III is set in the kingdom of Lothric, where the First Flame, which sustains the Age of Fire, is fading. To prevent the coming Age of Dark, a champion must link the fire by sacrificing themselves to rekindle it. Prince Lothric, who was chosen for this task, refuses to do so. In response, a bell tolls and awakens the Lords of Cinder, previous champions who linked the fire in earlier ages. Most of them abandon their thrones at Firelink Shrine, leaving only Ludleth of Courland behind.

The player character, known as the Ashen One, is an Unkindled: an undead warrior who previously failed to link the fire. The Ashen One is resurrected and tasked with returning the Lords of Cinder to their thrones. They defeat the Abyss Watchers, a legion of warriors sworn to fight the Abyss; Yhorm the Giant, a ruler who once linked the fire for his people; Aldrich, a cleric who became a Lord of Cinder after devouring others; and Prince Lothric, who is protected by his elder brother Lorian.

After the Ashen One returns the Lords' cinders to their thrones, they travel to the Kiln of the First Flame. There, they defeat the Soul of Cinder, a manifestation of those who previously linked the fire. Depending on the player's actions, the Ashen One may rekindle the First Flame, allow it to fade, or claim its power for themselves.

Ashes of Ariandel

In Ashes of Ariandel, the Ashen One meets Gael, a slave knight who asks them to enter the Painted World of Ariandel. The painted world is decaying, and some of its inhabitants believe it must be burned away so that a new world can be created. Sister Friede, who has taken control of the world, opposes this and persuades Father Ariandel to prevent the flame from spreading.

The Ashen One defeats Friede and Father Ariandel, causing the Painted World to begin burning. A young painter thanks the Ashen One for showing her flame and says that Gael has gone to find a pigment she can use to paint a new world.

The Ringed City

In The Ringed City, the Ashen One travels to the Dreg Heap, a collapsed landscape where ruined kingdoms from different eras have converged at the end of the world. Following Gael's trail, the Ashen One reaches the Ringed City, an ancient city associated with the Pygmies, the ancestors of humanity.

After awakening Princess Filianore, the Ashen One is transported to an ashen wasteland, where they find Gael seeking the blood of the Dark Soul for the painter in Ariandel. The Ashen One defeats Gael and gives the Blood of the Dark Soul to the painter, who uses it to begin creating a new painted world.

Development and release

A photograph of Hidetaka Miyazaki at an awards ceremony
Series creator Hidetaka Miyazaki returned as lead director for Dark Souls III.

Development of Dark Souls III began in mid-2013, before the release of Dark Souls II, which was directed by Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura rather than series creator Hidetaka Miyazaki.[9] Miyazaki said he was not involved at the start of the project and joined during prototyping, when he began leading development.[10] The game was developed in parallel with Bloodborne, although the two projects used mostly separate staff; Miyazaki and a small number of visual designers worked on both.[11] Isamu Okano and Tanimura served as supporting directors.[12] Miyazaki later described the game as both a "turning point" and a "big closure" for the series, saying FromSoftware wanted to make new projects rather than continue developing Souls games indefinitely.[10][13]

Miyazaki said his work on Bloodborne influenced Dark Souls III, particularly its approach to resource management, but also made him want to return to the broader character builds and dark-fantasy elements of Dark Souls.[10] He described his approach as "total direction", saying he sought to oversee level design, music, sound effects, and other elements of production.[10] The game retained the series' indirect storytelling: Miyazaki said he did not want to impose a single official interpretation, encouraging players to understand the plot and world through dialogue with non-player characters, environmental details, and item flavour text.[14] Its visual design emphasised sadness, loneliness, decay, and the beauty of a dying world.[15] The original score was scored by Yuka Kitamura, with additional music by Motoi Sakuraba and individual boss themes by Tsukasa Saitoh and Nobuyoshi Suzuki.[16]

Gameplay footage was shown at Gamescom 2015.[17] Bandai Namco held a PlayStation 4 network stress test in October 2015 to test the game's online functionality before release.[18] Dark Souls III was released in Japan for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on March 24, 2016, and worldwide for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows on April 12, 2016.[19] FromSoftware announced that two downloadable content packs were planned for the game. The first, Ashes of Ariandel, was released in October 2016; the second and final pack, The Ringed City, was released in March 2017.[20][21] A compilation containing the base game and both expansions, Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition, was released on April 21, 2017.[22]

Reception

Dark Souls III received generally favourable reviews from critics, according to Metacritic, while OpenCritic reported that 94% of critics recommended the game.[40][26] Critics praised its atmosphere, visual design, combat, and boss encounters, with many regarding it as a fitting conclusion to the Dark Souls series.[34][41][38][42] Reviewers also noted its faster pace in comparison with earlier Dark Souls games, often linking this change to FromSoftware's work on Bloodborne.[27][30][31][34] Other critics described parts of the game as familiar or less exploratory than previous titles, while still praising its combat and overall design.[31][42]

More critical reviews focused on technical issues, a perceived lack of surprise, and a more linear world structure than some earlier entries. [36]

Reception to Ashes of Ariandel, the game's first downloadable content expansion, was more muted than that of the base game. Critics praised its new enemies, bosses, and dedicated player versus player arena, but criticised its short length.[43][44] OpenCritic rated the expansion "Fair", with 37% of critics recommending it.[45]

Sales

In Japan, the PlayStation 4 version of Dark Souls III sold 210,141 copies during its first week of release.[46] In April 2016, Bandai Namco Entertainment America announced that it was the company's fastest-selling title in the region and its most successful day-one launch.[47] It was also the best-selling game in the United States in April 2016.[48]

By May 2016, the game had shipped three million copies worldwide: 500,000 in Japan and Asia, 1.5 million in North America, and one million in Europe.[49] By May 2020, Dark Souls III had surpassed 10 million units in sales worldwide; this figure included the base game, Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition, downloadable versions, and Steam downloads.[19]

Awards

YearAward eventCategoryResultRef.
2016 Golden Joystick Awards 2016 Ultimate Game of the Year Won [50][51]
Best Gaming Moment Nominated
Best Multiplayer Game Nominated
Best Visual Design Nominated
Japan Game Awards 2016 Award for Excellence Won [52]
The Game Awards 2016 Best Role Playing Game Nominated [53]
Canadian Videogame Awards 2016 Fans' Choice: Best International Game Nominated [54]
2017 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year Won [55]
21st Satellite Awards Outstanding Action/Adventure Game Won [56]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ダークソウルIII, Hepburn: Dāku Sōru Surī
  2. ↑ Based on 167 reviews

References

  1. ↑ Hussain, Tamoor (November 20, 2015). "Dark Souls 3 Interview: "It Wouldn't Be Right to Continue Creating Souls"". GameSpot. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Barker, Andrew (April 12, 2016). "Dark Souls III Review". RPGFan. Archived from the original on January 3, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Rad, Chloi (June 16, 2015). "E3 2015: Dark Souls 3 Is Everything I Want In A Dark Souls Sequel". IGN. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Mahardy, Mike (August 5, 2015). "Dark Souls III Is Faster, Smoother, and More Fluid Than its Predecessors". GameSpot. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  5. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (September 16, 2015). "How magic works in Dark Souls 3". Polygon. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  6. ↑ Byford, Sam (June 19, 2015). "Dark Souls III is faster, weirder, and far more beautiful". The Verge. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  7. 1 2 Romano, Sal (June 17, 2015). "Dark Souls III has fewer maps, but larger scale". Gematsu. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  8. ↑ Patuleia, Mike (June 16, 2015). "E3 2015: World's First Dark Souls III Details Revealed". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  9. ↑ Hillier, Brenna (June 18, 2015). "Dark Souls 3 has been in the works for two years". VG247. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Hussain, Tamoor (August 10, 2015). "Dark Souls 3 Interview: "This is a Turning Point for the Series"". GameSpot. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  11. ↑ Sykes, Tom (June 17, 2015). "Dark Souls 3 isn't the last in the series, but is a "turning point"". PC Gamer. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  12. ↑ Scammell, David (June 17, 2015). "Dark Souls 3 is being developed by a different team to Bloodborne". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  13. ↑ Hussain, Tamoor (November 20, 2015). "Dark Souls 3 Interview: "It Wouldn't Be Right to Continue Creating Souls"". GameSpot. Archived from the original on April 29, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  14. ↑ Donaldson, Alex (March 2, 2016). "Dark Souls 3: Miyazaki explains the difference between "difficult" and "unreasonable"". VG247. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  15. ↑ Wawro, Alex (March 2, 2016). "Director Miyazaki speaks to what drives development of Dark Souls 3". Game Developer. Archived from the original on December 6, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  16. ↑ Greening, Chris (April 2016). "Dark Souls III composers and soundtrack detailed". Video Game Music Online. Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  17. ↑ Russell, Scott (August 4, 2015). "Dark Souls III Gameplay Revealed in New Trailer". Paste Magazine. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  18. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (September 16, 2015). "Dark Souls 3 Network Stress Test Begins in October". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  19. 1 2 "DARK SOULS III Surpasses 10 Million Units in Sales Worldwide" (PDF) (Press release). Bandai Namco Entertainment and FromSoftware. May 19, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 3, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  20. ↑ "First DLC for DARK SOULS III "ASHES OF ARIANDEL" Release Date Announced" (Press release). FromSoftware. August 24, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Second DLC for DARK SOULS III "THE RINGED CITY" Release Date Announced" (Press release). FromSoftware. January 23, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  22. ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (April 21, 2017). "Dark Souls 3: The Fire Fades Edition is out today, and includes all Season Pass content". VG247. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Dark Souls III for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Paramount Streaming. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Dark Souls III for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Paramount Streaming. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Dark Souls III for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Paramount Streaming. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  26. 1 2 "Dark Souls III". OpenCritic. Archived from the original on May 10, 2026. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  27. 1 2 Carter, Chris (April 4, 2016). "Review: Dark Souls III". Destructoid. Archived from the original on April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Dark Souls III". Edge. No. 292. Future plc. May 2016. pp. 104–106.
  29. ↑ Romano, Sal (April 5, 2016). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1427". Gematsu. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  30. 1 2 Tack, Daniel (April 4, 2016). "Dark Souls III: Familiar But Fascinating Fantasy". Game Informer. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  31. 1 2 3 Tan, Nick (April 6, 2016). "Dark Souls III Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  32. ↑ Mahardy, Mike (April 4, 2016). "Dark Souls 3 Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  33. ↑ Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (April 4, 2016). "Dark Souls 3 review". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  34. 1 2 3 Rad, Chloi (April 4, 2016). "Dark Souls 3 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  35. ↑ Davenport, James (April 4, 2016). "Dark Souls III Review". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  36. 1 2 Kollar, Philip (April 4, 2016). "Dark Souls 3 Review". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  37. ↑ Ahmed, Sayem (April 4, 2016). "Dark Souls 3 is familiar, fierce and fascinating - review". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022.
  38. 1 2 Parkin, Simon (April 12, 2016). "Dark Souls 3 review – the grandiose end to an unmatched trilogy". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Dark Souls 3 Review". VideoGamer.com. April 3, 2016. Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  40. ↑ "Dark Souls III Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 26, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  41. ↑ Stanton, Rich (April 4, 2016). "Dark Souls 3 review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  42. 1 2 Strom, Steven (April 5, 2016). "Dark Souls 3 review: Marching toward masochism". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  43. ↑ Graeber, Brendan (October 25, 2016). "Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel Review". IGN. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  44. ↑ Kollar, Philip (October 25, 2016). "Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel review". Polygon. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  45. ↑ "Dark Souls III - Ashes of Ariandel". OpenCritic. Archived from the original on May 10, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  46. ↑ Romano, Sal (March 30, 2016). "Media Create Sales: 3/21/16 – 3/27/16". Gematsu. Archived from the original on August 15, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  47. ↑ Potter, Matt (April 18, 2016). "Dark Souls 3 Is Bandai Namco's Fastest Selling Game Ever". IGN. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  48. ↑ Grubb, Jeff (May 12, 2016). "April 2016 NPD: Dark Souls III, Ratchet & Clank lead as gaming industry drops 15%". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  49. ↑ Romano, Sal (May 11, 2016). "Dark Souls III tops three million shipments, Dark Souls series tops 13 million". Gematsu. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  50. ↑ "Golden Joystick: Dark Souls 3 named Game of the Year". Sky News. November 21, 2016. Archived from the original on August 27, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  51. ↑ Loveridge, Sam (September 15, 2016). "Golden Joystick Awards 2016 voting now open to the public". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  52. ↑ "Award for excellence DARK SOULS III". Japan Game Awards. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  53. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (November 16, 2016). "All the 2016 Game Awards Nominees". GameSpot. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  54. ↑ "Past CVA Winners/Finalists". Canadian Videogame Awards. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  55. ↑ "20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Results". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  56. ↑ "The International Press Academy Announces Winners for the 21st Annual Satellite Awards" (PDF). International Press Academy. December 18, 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
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