Dark Souls 3 Review Roundup

The third--and supposedly final--entry in From Software's acclaimed Dark Souls series launches on April 12. Ahead of its release, reviews have started to appear online and, as always, we've compiled them in a list below to give you an overview of the game's critical reception.

For a wider view on the game's critical reception, head to GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Dark Souls 3
• Developer: From Software
• Platform: Xbox One, PS4, PC,
• Release Date: April 12
• Price: $60/£40

GameSpot -- 8/10

"There are several possible endings to Dark Souls III, and although most are anticlimactic, they drive home the loneliness of the paths we took. The old lords have abandoned their posts, and in the hunt to usurp them, we descend into those dark valleys, and climb those imposing peaks. This is the essence of Dark Souls III: periods of doubt, followed by great reward. The journey may be rocky, but there's a throne waiting at the end." -- Mike Mahardy [Full review]

IGN -- 9.5/10

"If Dark Souls 3 truly is the last in the series as we know it, then it's a worthy send-off. Weapon arts allow stylish and versatile new moves without tarnishing the purity of the combat system. Lothric’s awe-inspiring locations provide visually stunning arenas for rigorous exploration and fierce face-offs with hosts of deadly enemies and even deadlier bosses. While not all the risky changes land as neatly as others, Dark Souls 3 is a powerful journey and the sequel the series truly deserves." -- Chloi Rad [Full review]

PC Gamer -- 94/100

"Dark Souls 3 gracefully pushes the series’ notoriously difficult action towards a greater artfulness that tests far more than reflexes. I was challenged to read environments and props like a novel, to empathize with Lothric’s imperfect inhabitants, and to ask whether or not I was trying to save anything worth saving. But there are no easy answers here, only 40-plus hours of tense action, awe-inspiring exploration, certain death, and big, bleak, beautiful questions." -- James Davenport [Full review]

HardcoreGamer -- 4.5/5

"For those who haven't been able to get into Dark Souls in the past, your mind won't be swayed here as the third instalment is mechanically the same with only slight alterations to combat and progression. Fortunately those already tightly entrenched in the series won't have anything to scoff at. Significantly improved over its predecessor, Dark Souls III will have players immersed in the deep and rich fiction that From Software is known for." -- Adam Beck [Full review]

RPG Site -- 9/10

"Dark Souls 3 oozes loving detail at every seam, and is at the very height of craftsmanship in the action RPG genre. Sometimes it is too poised at being more of a greatest hits album of the franchise than a proper sequel, but maybe that was the intent. From Software knows how dearly fans love this series, and they have reciprocated that love tenfold with this game. Dark Souls taught us that nothing lasts forever. From the largest star to the smallest bonfire, sooner or later every fire fizzles out. For now at least, it is time to bid farewell to this franchise, and Dark Souls 3 is as wonderful a send off as any we could have hoped for." -- Kyle Campbell [Full review]

Jimquisition -- 9/10 (PC), 8/10 (PS4)

"Dark Souls III is, in many ways, a balancing of past accomplishments. The detailed yet obfuscating narrative of Dark Souls, the convenient travel system of Dark Souls II, a dash of the speed found in Bloodborne, and the rock solid backbone of strenuous, fulfilling challenge that runs throughout the entire series." -- Jim Sterling [Full review]

Destructoid -- 8.5/10

"If Dark Souls III truly is the last game for now, it makes perfect sense, since it's just as much of a love letter to fans as it is a culmination of the series. I may not have like this iteration as much as the rest, but it's still streets ahead of most current action games and deserves a warm spot on your shelf by the bonfire." -- Chris Carter [Full review]

Polygon -- 7/10

"At this point, most Souls players know what they're looking for in a new entry. Your personal expectations for the series will play a key part in your enjoyment of Dark Souls 3. If you play these games for the intense, controller-clenching combat and the excitement of invading other players' worlds, then there's a lot here to keep you busy and happy. But in so many important ways--its world design, its pacing, the technology powering it--Dark Souls 3 falls short of the mark. Do you play for the joy and stress of exploring dangerous, intricately crafted places full of hidden elements and endless side paths? Then I suspect you'll join me in being a little let down with the direction this sequel has gone in. -- Phil Kollar [Full review]