Dark Souls III - Hands On @ Gamespot

Mike Mahardy (Gamespot) has checked out Dark Souls III:

Dark Souls III is Faster, Smoother, and More Fluid Than its Predecessors

Still as cruel and foreboding as ever.

My footsteps echo down down the hallway of these castle ruins, and all is quiet while I step into the shadows. But then it's there, snarling and vicious, leaping at me with fangs bared. I roll aside just in time, spinning around for a counterattack. And then they come from behind--four gruesome, twisted figures with long limbs and drooping skin. My stamina recharges quickly, but my frantic dodges are limited in this cramped space, and the creatures finish me in seconds.

This is Dark Souls III. It's faster and more streamlined than its predecessors, but still brutal enough to kill me without warning. It requires more patience and defense than Bloodborne does, but borrows from it as well; From Software is taking cues from its newest franchise in more ways than one.

"Dark Souls and Bloodborne are two separate franchises, but both have [Hidetaka] Miyazaki-san’s personal touch," producer Brandon Williams says. "One thing that people are already noticing is the faster speed at which combat and action in Dark Souls III moves. It’s a bit faster than previous Dark Souls games but not as fast as Bloodborne. I’d say it’s just right."

[...]

"With Dark Souls III, we are trying to bring the best aspects of Dark Souls I and II together to create an amazing, truly new Dark Souls experience," Williams says. "The team is exploring ways to bring more players into the franchise, such as increasing the game speed and expanding weapon capabilities, but the characteristic difficulty of the franchise will remain intact."

From what I played, Dark Souls III does feel more accessible than earlier franchise installments. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's intuitive and smooth, with tight controls and more abilities than ever before. And based on the difficulty of the demo, I'll need every option I can get.