Dark Souls III + Ashes of Ariandel DLC Review
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Dark Souls II proved that From Software has developers that are really passionate about its online mode, in spite of its buggy netcode and its inherent limits as an offshoot of an essentially single player game, and the project director of that game apparently transitioned over to the sequel specifically to help with that side of development. I'm aware that at release straight swords (and the Dark Sword in particular) dominated the PvP scene, but what I saw when I recently dabbled in PvP myself was a pretty balanced offering of builds and playstyle. I lost far more than I won, but I enjoyed myself, and I'm confident that the return to soul level-based matchmaking and the fact that developers are constantly toying with balance in patches will keep the scene alive for a long time, grumblings on Reddit notwithstanding.
Lore and NPCs
If the original Dark Souls presented the end of an era, and Dark Souls II presented a cycle frustrated by its need to negotiate its reverence to the past with its inability to reproduce it, then Dark Souls III presents the end of that cycle. The First Flame is fading, old Lords of Cinder are being resurrected to relight it, and when they refuse to do their job, it's up to Unkindled Ash, those who didn't link the flame in the past, to force those Lords to complete their task. It's a quiet apocalypse, where geography and time seem to have lost all meaning. It's not, however, a far cry from the game's predecessors. Dark Souls III still leans on the same castles and catacombs as the original and its immediate sequel, with their history delivered yet again through vague item descriptions, cryptic dialogue, and carefully placed environmental clutter. While the game introduces a number of new elements and reprises the concept of cycles introduced in Dark Souls II, it seems mostly concerned about being an alternative sequel to the original. Yes, Dark Souls II is referenced in item descriptions and some characters even return for brief cameos, but for the most part Dark Souls III calls back to the original in a way that feels cheaply nostalgic. It's only been five years, and yet it feels like thirty.
Similarly, a large number of NPCs are designed specifically to evoke previous games. The Handmaid Shrine is one of the retired Firekeepers from Dark Souls II, the Firekeeper is essentially the Maiden in Black from Demon's Souls, Blacksmith Andre is literally Andre of Astora from the original Dark Souls, Patches returns yet again. Other characters attempt to use their callback as a springboard to do something new, like Siegward, who looks like a Siegmeyer clone at first glance. In truth, the character does have his own arc, but it's too stunted to really be worth exploring for any reason other than completionism.
Indeed, character arcs are a significant problem in Dark Souls III. NPCs have very complex, arguably convoluted questlines, but they rarely have worthy emotional payoffs in the same way they have had in the past. For every Irina of Carim, whose quest ends on a tragic and powerful note, or Hawkwood, who starts as a Crestfallen Knight and develops awkwardly into his own character, there is a Siegward, a Sirris, a Cornifex, or an Orbeck, characters whose hints of personality never come together to mean something. It's a pity because, while occasionally rather badly signposted, quests for these characters are genuinely complex in a way they haven't been in previous games, especially Dark Souls II. There were plenty of opportunities to offer character development, but From Software squandered them all.
Art and Soundtrack
Dark Souls III confirms yet again From Software's knack for finding beauty in darkness, and their ability to vividly portray a world and its creatures. Compared to Dark Souls II, and even the original game, it's a title that leans slightly more towards horror, with more disgusting and emaciated creatures than ever before. The color palette is also more restrained, with plenty of environments opting for an almost monochromatic look with splashes of colors only occasionally used as highlights. For example, the High Wall of Lothric is painted in hues of pale yellow with the exception of the occasional sickly greens of its leaves, blues of its shadows, and red bricks of its roofs. It's a choice that can feel constraining at times, because the game rarely uses a wider gamut of colors, even when it could potentially help to create contrast and help players navigate environments. That said, outside of that specific problem, the visual results and general atmosphere are impeccable.
Another factor that contributes to the game's dark and oppressive atmosphere is its use of sound effects. The game is filled with enemies that approach while making guttural sounds or letting out high-pitched screams, and it's usually possible to figure what kind of enemy they are simply based on their sound effects. In the long run, the game's insistence on gross, nausea-inducing sound effects is also a limit -- it personally started wearing on my nerves in Cathedral of the Deep -- but it's inarguable that it's a large part of its atmosphere. The final factor that helps Dark Souls III being such an engrossing experience, is its sparing use of music. Yet again, music tracks are only used to highlight the hub and boss battles, and this time composers went all out, with magniloquent but melanchonic tracks. Again, if there is a flaw to be found, is the insistence on touching on the same emotional note over and over, but quality-wise we're dealing with some of the best tracks in the series.
Performance and PC Port
I've played Dark Souls III on PC, so it seems sensible to dedicate a brief paragraph to the game's technical makeup and its PC port. While the series' first foothold on PC was far from rock solid (Dark Souls' PC port is almost legendarily bad), the series is now much more playable on the platform, though no one would mistake the title for one that is native on PC. From Software handled the port in-house and offered a large range of graphical options, though it's not a completely spotless selection. There is no choice of antialiasing method, for example, only an on/off switch, and some graphical options are underdescribed.
