My introduction to the series. All I knew about the series prior to playing was its iconic boss fights and notorious difficulty. I refunded this game twice before giving it a fair shot a 3rd time. I really struggled the first half of the game, spending up to a couple hours on certain bosses. I paused my playthrough for Elden Ring. When I returned weeks later, I exponentially became a better souls player and breezed through the second half of the game. I haven’t delved into the lore of the series so I can’t speak on the world building and story well, but there are plenty of beautiful set pieces in this desolate world. Gameplay wise, it’s frequently frustrating dying to some Dark Souls bullshit, but also immensely gratifying accomplishment wise. This game works well as a boss gauntlet. Exploration wise, not a fan. I always say in jest to my friends that the Souls series are the worst games I’ve ever played, but the series really is something special for cementing itself in the industry and conducting a genesis of a gaming subgenre. In conclusion, Dark Souls 3 is a ok.