I had the pleasure of finally completing the amazing Dark Souls 3 last year, and I’m still thinking about it. I’m a Soulslike lover, but because I took a break from playing new games while in college, I had skipped over Bloodborne, DS3, and Sekiro, and only relented and got a PS4 in 2022 when Elden Ring launched. Just like that, Miyazaki had dragged me back in.
This series has been part of my gaming DNA since I remember catching glimpses of this tough-as-nails new RPG Demon’s Souls in IGN videos that looked like nothing else at the time. When I finally sank into Demon’s Souls, and later Dark Souls 1 & 2, I got completely engrossed. Just like the cycle of Undeath and Rebirth that props up the worlds of these games, I start the games right over with a new build, or barrel into new game plus. I’ve even tried speedrunning Dark Souls and beat the whole game in just over 3 hours. The point is, I have a sickness.
My Ashen One’s First Journey
When I finally booted up Dark Souls 3, I was certainly melancholy about completing a trilogy that has meant the world to me for almost 15 years. Obviously, I’ll probably play through this game and the other two a thousand more times, and FromSoftware won’t stop making games anytime soon, so it’s not a true farewell. Nevertheless, it still felt like I was ending a chapter of my gaming life when I defeated Slave Knight Gael and the Soul of Cinder, knowing there was nothing more for me to discover in the world of Dark Souls—besides the trove of stuff I probably missed in my always-clumsy first play through.
In many ways, DS3 embodied the idealized version of Dark Souls, with some of the most exciting and challenging standard enemies and incredible boss fights (before Sekiro said “hold my beer” and outdid it a few years later). It’s also absolutely gorgeous, with FromSoftware’s unparalleled directorial command in cut scenes always holding my attention.
Lost, Looking for Lords
There were certainly some bumps in my DS3 journey. Exploration during my first play through didn’t feel as smooth as my (likely nostalgia-tinted) early runs in the first games. I got hopelessly lost in the world a couple of times, including the quest to find the Small Doll, which pierces the barrier surrounding Irithyll of the Boreal Valley.
While I loved exploring within the bounds of many areas, including the most demented poison swamps ever concocted, I didn’t feel as many Eureka! moments where disparate parts of the world miraculously fold together, an essential part of why DS1 feels so good to play still.
I also completely lost the thread of most NPC questlines in my first run, and stubbornly didn’t want to rely on a Wiki to see everything, but this felt in line with my usual initial runs in these games. The late-game isolation from most other characters, save the Fire Keeper, my good old Smithy pal Andre, and the Bosses I had to grind down, added a contemplative feel to my experience. At the end of the day, these games are about one of many Chosen Undead’s journeys, felling titanic Lords while still feeling minuscule in the grand cosmic scale of these worlds.
The Soul of Cinder
The final face-off with the Soul of Cinder was a beautiful crystallization of my journey through the trilogy. The boss doesn’t have just one move set you need to master, like the formidable Gwyn in the original Dark Souls. As an amalgamation of past Lords that linked the fire, the Soul of Cinder can switch stances, emulating a heavy-hitting bruiser, a sorcerer shooting blue soul magic at you, a polearm-wielding cleric, and a nimble dexterity fighter.
I felt like I was being tested by all my past selves that have poured hours into these games to see if I can become a Lord for the final time. Okay, I’ll brag a little. I got Soul of Cinder down on my first try. I can’t say the same for Gael, but I’ll remember these final bosses for a while after rolling credits.
I’ve already started a new Dark Souls 1 play through in this year of our Lord 2026. When mushing through the bogs of Blighttown near Quelaag’s Domain, I encountered a strange, alien-like crab that wouldn’t be extraordinary in itself, except that I knew this zone like the back of my hand, and I’ve never seen this creature before in almost 15 years of playing and replaying this game.
Turns out, these guys are called Vagrants, which appear when a player in another world dies with 5 or more Humanity consumed and fails to reach their bloodstain to recover them. Over a decade later, these games can still surprise and delight me. See you later, Souls.
Image Credits
Featured Image: Dark Souls 3 Promo Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco Entertainment
Demon’s Souls Swamp of Sorrow screenshot: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco Entertainment via WoodhengeGaming YouTube Playthrough (used with creator’s permission)
Dark Souls 3 Dragon Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco Entertainment
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