Dark Souls III - First Reviews

[HiddenX]

The first reviews for Dark Souls III are coming in:

Polygon:

Dark Souls 3 lives up to the formula in some respects but falls short a little too often.

Score: 7/10

IGN:

If Dark Souls 3 truly is the last in the series as we know it, then it’s a worthy send-off. Weapon arts allow stylish and versatile new moves without tarnishing the purity of the combat system. Lothric’s awe-inspiring locations provide visually stunning arenas for rigorous exploration and fierce face-offs with hosts of deadly enemies and even deadlier bosses. While not all the risky changes land as neatly as others, Dark Souls 3 is a powerful journey and the sequel the series truly deserves.

Score: 9.5/10

AusGamers:

Good:

• The pitch perfect build-up of difficulty as the game progresses
• Every accomplishment is your own
• The final boss is brilliant but I can't tell you why
• When the level design is on point, it's brilliant
• I invaded someone as they ran up to the final boss because I'm a huge dickhead

Bad:

• Not a good PC port
• Swamps can go to hell

Score: 9.5/10

Rock, Paper, Shotgun:

If this were to be the final Souls game, I’d be happy to say goodbye. It’s not quite the crowning achievement of the series but it’s a fantastically inventive and fluid interpretation of the formula. And perhaps that would make it a great first Souls game for somebody new to the series as well.

My complaints are minor, given the quality of the game as a whole, and some of them are directed toward elements that make this entry more approachable than its predecessors. Just remember, if you are going to play, not even the biggest and most brutal beasts are as tough as you imagine when you first see them, and the next bonfire is rarely more than a few minutes away.

Destructoid:

If Dark Souls III truly is the last game for now, it makes perfect sense, since it's just as much of a love letter to fans as it is a culmination of the series. I may not have liked this iteration as much as the rest, but it's still streets ahead of most current action games and deserves a warm spot on your shelf by the bonfire.

Score 8.5/10

PC Gamer:

Dark Souls 3

Sprawling level design, thrilling combat, and masterful indirect storytelling make Dark Souls 3 the best Dark Souls yet.
Score: 94/100

More information.

 

[HiddenX]

Thank you for the info, henriquejr!

 

[joxer]

Examiner 10/10:
http://www.examiner.com/review/review-dark-souls-3-pc-beautiful-brutal-and-exceptionally-executed

Dark Souls 3 should serve as an example of a game that not only serves existing fans extremely well, but isn’t so obtuse in its approach that it can’t be picked up by a newbie and enjoyed, just as much as I did.

Eurogamer Poland 10/10:
http://www.eurogamer.pl/articles/2016-04-04-dark-souls-3-recenzja
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-04-dark-souls-3-review

This is a truly epic journey, from your first faltering steps across gloomy cliffs to striding like a lord-slayer through Lothric Castle. Like all epics it has endless diversions, quarrels, unexpected companions, and great big fights.

Gameplanet Australia 7/10:
http://www.gameplanet.com.au/pc/reviews/g57021b108bf2e/Dark-Souls-III-review/

+ Solid gameplay. A few great bosses. Cool art and visual design. Great soundtrack. Okay PC port.

- Uninspired world. Poor enemy variety. A few lame bosses. Inconsistent difficulty. Weak graphics in some areas. Irithyll Dungeon in general.

All are PC reviews.
Dunno what are those aussies thinking, it's 10/10 game 'nuff said so please ignore that trolling review.

 

[basharran]

Examiner 10/10:
http://www.examiner.com/review/review-dark-souls-3-pc-beautiful-brutal-and-exceptionally-executed


Eurogamer Poland 10/10:
http://www.eurogamer.pl/articles/2016-04-04-dark-souls-3-recenzja
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-04-dark-souls-3-review


Gameplanet Australia 7/10:
http://www.gameplanet.com.au/pc/reviews/g57021b108bf2e/Dark-Souls-III-review/


All are PC reviews.
Dunno what are those aussies thinking, it's 10/10 game 'nuff said so please ignore that trolling review.

Well I'm rather inclined they are the only ones not payed for a 10/10?

 

[Ovenall]

Really disappointed that so much of the game is "dreary crumbling twiglight castle" areas.

 

[Emerwyn]

Still over a week to the official release of the game for the people who actually paid for it and you can already watch NG+ gameplays from dozens of random twitchers/youtubers.

I don't know if their marketing department thinks that's good for the game, I know it has the opposite effect on me, and as a user with the power to decide what to do with my money I've chosen it won't go to their pockets.

 

[muhabor]

I think this is stupid of Bandai Namco to release it in Japan so long before EU/US

 

[Emerwyn]

Japan version coming out earlier is kinda acceptable, but those people are playing the EU/US version, and they even have all the little languages of each version included (Italian, Spanish, etc).

 

[joxer]

It's probably to remind people on idiocy of NA releases at tuesday, AU/NZ at thursday, EU friday and Japan saturday.

In digital era a date and time on the same platform should be the same everywhere.
Otherwise, someone will object.

People however are forgetting the positive effect. While you can't play the game immediately, at least you're not betatesting it but will (hopefully) play the patched version.