Dark Souls 3

Release date: 12.04.16

Developer FROMSOFTWARE and returning director Hidetaka Miyazaki presents the highly anticipated sequel in a genre-defining and critically-acclaimed series, Dark Souls III. Newcomers and fans alike will experience hallmark rewarding gameplay and immersive graphics in a unique old school action RPG.

Key Features:

• Atmospheric Visuals - Dynamic lighting and particle effects immerse players into a dark fantasy world of ruin.

• Interconnected World - Expertly crafted world encourages players to explore vast and breath-taking landscapes.

• Sword Action - Diversifies combat action allowing players to craft their own unique play style.

• Unique Online System - Evolution of trademark online multiplayer functionality that seamlessly integrates online interactions into single player story.

Hidetaka Miyazaki is the man behind Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. He stepped away from Dark Souls 2 to focus his attention on other projects, including Bloodborne. Now he returns to the Dark Souls series for what Namco Bandai and From Software consider the final entry in the franchise.

The Dark Souls games are among the most difficult to grace consoles in recent memory. Dark Souls 3 will continue this theme on current generation platforms as the first game in the series developed exclusively for the newest hardware. The power of the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and the latest PC graphics cards allows Miyazaki to take his vision to entirely new levels.

Add a pinch of Bloodborne

Coming off of Bloodborne, it's not hard to imagine that what Miyazaki did with the PlayStation 4 exclusive will have some impact on Dark Souls 3. Fans of Dark Souls who may not have enjoyed Bloodborne as much should not fear. Dark Souls 3 is still very much a game that fits into the Dark Souls series. Almost everything you've come to expect from the Dark Souls games is here, but Bloodborne influenced the design in ways that enhance the experience.

This time around, the combat is much faster paced. It's not quite up to Bloodborne combat speeds, but it's a far cry from the slower-paced action of previous Dark Souls games. Enemies now attack in groups more often than not, similar to enemy patterns in Bloodborne. You'll need to evade more and attack with quick strikes until you have an opening to land more powerful blows.

It's not uncommon for enemies to surprise players in a Dark Souls game, but Dark Souls 3 takes this concept and runs with it. In Bloodborne it was common for enemies to hide around corners, and that strategy carries over to Dark Souls 3. Sneak around every corner because you never know when an enemy will attempt to ambush you.

Weapons of mass destruction

Dark Souls 3 offers a wide variety of weapons for players to stumble across throughout the game. This is nothing new to the Dark Souls series, but this time around the weapons are considerably more unique. The weapon you use will dictate your fighting style, and some weapons are more useful against specific enemies than others.

Greatswords launch enemies into the air, while scimitars are used for dual-wielding so you can take on large groups of foes. Positioning and timing are key when using these techniques, and while you won't attack as swiftly as you might have inBloodborne, it's definitely faster than any previous game in the Dark Souls series. You can even use a quick short bow attack in the midst of combat.

Your fighting stance also has more of an impact on combat. In previous games it would allow you to have a more powerful swing or a slightly different trajectory. In Dark Souls 3 stances give most weapons new abilities. In some cases you can break an enemy's guard or possibly knock a creature into the air so you can follow with additional attacks. You'll need to use the right weapon for each enemy encounter if you want to get the most from them. You can still win with a less advantageous weapon choice, but it's not recommended.

Everything is bigger

Everything you see in Dark Souls 3 can be explored in some way. No longer will you see structures off in the distance you'll never be able to reach. Everything in the background scenery of Dark Souls 3 is another adventure waiting to happen. There's no word on how large the game is compared to previous titles, but given the massive size of what's been showcased so far, it looks to be huge.

Multiplayer will also be on par with Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin. Up to six players can participate in online multiplayer, invading or helping their fellow adventurers. This time around the online multiplayer will use dedicated servers, which should make the process smoother than in the past.

Dark Souls 3 is scheduled to release on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC in early 2016. March has been stated as the tentative release target, but no specific date was revealed. For now, it looks as though Dark Souls 3 will offer everything players have been hoping for, while expanding the audience to include people who enjoyed Bloodborne as well. As the final entry in the series, it will likely be a must have title.

(source :www.game.co.uk)