FromSoftware’sDark Soulstrilogy began in 2011 with little marketing and fanfare before its release and ended in 2016 as one of the most beloved and influential sets of games in the 21st century.Dark Souls 3showed how far the series had come, as the game was one of the year’s most talked-about and highly anticipated releases of 2016. It didn’t disappoint either,scoring 89 on Metacriticandwinning the Golden Joystick Award for Ultimate Game of the Year.
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The hype aroundDark Souls 3before its release led totons of rumors circulatingabout the game, some of which turned out to be true.
7Bloodborne Style Combat
FromSoftware’sBloodbornereleased exclusively on the PS4 in 2015 and drew many similarities to the company’sDark Soulsgames. Along with the gothic victorian-era setting, one ofBloodborne’s key differentials was its fast-paced offense-focused combat.
The shift in combat style impressed both fans and critics, and rumors began circulating thatDark Souls 3would implement a similar combat style. The game’s combat wasn’t identical toBloodborne, as defending with a shield was still a key part of combat for most melee builds, butDark Souls 3undoubtedly quickened the pace inDark Souls 3, evidenced by the first boss fight against Iudex Gundyr.
6Pus of Man
Another similarity toBloodbornethat fans suspected may come is the more monstrous enemies. TheDark Soulsseries hadn’t been a stranger to such enemies up until this point, though not many had the horror elements seen inBloodborne.
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Dark Souls 3ramped up the horror themes in many ways, one of which was with the Pus of Man. Iudex Gundyr again exemplifies this, as midway through the fight he will shift into one of these vile beings.
5Difficulty Shift
Along with its lore and lack of hand-holding,Dark Soulsis a series known for its punishing difficulty. The third and finalDark Soulsgame’s newfound AAA status worried the series' die-hard fans that the gameplay would be simplified to appease a larger audience.
Thankfully,Dark Souls 3was in no way simplified, but it was noticeably easier than its two predecessors. The game did have someoptional pathsthat posed excruciatingly difficult challenges, such as The Nameless King for example. But the game’s main path, although still tough, was evidently made easierfor new fans of the series.
4Rule of Four
One of the many similarities that carried over from the previous games is the way to access the final boss.Dark Soulshad the four lords,Dark Souls IIhad the four Old Ones, and, as fans correctly theorized,Dark Souls 3has the four Lords of Cinder— four bosses in the game who must be beaten to progress to the final boss.
AlthoughDark Souls 3, like the rest of the series, allows players to explore the world freely and progress through the game in a non-linear fashion, it is essential to kill the Abyss Watchers, Aldrich, Devourer of Gods, Yhorm the Giant, and Lothric, Younger Prince to reach the Soul of Cinder.
3Returning Areas
Something that is common with any highly anticipated piece of media isfans excessively analyzing the offering of trailers and sneak peeks.Dark Souls IIIwas no different, and some fansthought they’d spotted a couple of hints suggesting that the iconic Anor Londo from the first game would be returning.
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The first clue was a castle that appears in a trailer of the game that some fans suspected was Drangleic Castle fromDark Souls II, while others believed it was Anor Londo.Ironically, fans still can’t decide on what it is years after the game’s release.The second clue wasan image of a character from a leakedDark Souls IIIscreenshotwhich looked almost identical to an Anor Londo enemy from the originalDark Souls.
2A Reduction In Bosses
The decisive second entry in theDark Soulstrilogy,Dark Souls 2, greatly expanded uponthe number of bossesin the base game. It looked atDark Souls' 22 bosses, scoffed, and added a whopping 31 bosses in its base game. Bigger is not always better though, and many of the bosses were criticized by fans and critics for being little more than glorified regular enemies.
Dark Souls 3clearly noted this criticism, as it took the base game’s boss count down to a more manageable 19.
1A Reminiscent Ending
The spoiler-heavy final rumor that was confirmed is a similarity in ending between the first game. Although both games have multiple endings, there is one that is consistent in both — linking the fire.
In the originalDark Souls, players had the option to Link the Fire which saw them take the place of Lord Gywn, performing a self-sacrifice that revitalized the world around them for a limited time until the cycle was destined to repeat itself. The player can repeat the same action inDark Souls 3, although unlike the first game, it doesn’t seem to work.
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