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DARK SOULS™ III

DARK SOULS™ III

FromSoftware, Inc. · released Apr 10, 2016

ActionPCPlayStation 4Xbox One

Dark Souls continues to push the boundaries with the latest, ambitious chapter in the critically-acclaimed and genre-defining series. Prepare yourself and Embrace The Darkness!

Steam page ↗OpenCritic ↗Metacritic 89 · users 8.8 ↗
88
VGC Score
■Stablehigh confidence▲ +9 since launch

launched at 79, updates lifted it to 88

79%
At launch
94%
Steam all-time
90%
Press
88%
Player sentiment
93%
Recent sentiment

PC 88 · Xbox 80

Screenshots & trailers

What players say

Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 403 sampled Steam reviews (371 positive / 32 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.

What positive reviews talk about

  • Combat11% mention it
  • Story & writing9% mention it
  • Music & audio8% mention it
  • World & exploration8% mention it
  • Difficulty & balance7% mention it

What negative reviews complain about

  • Story & writing13% mention it
  • Controls & UI13% mention it
  • Performance13% mention it
  • Difficulty & balance9% mention it
  • Progression & loot9% mention it

Satisfaction by hours played

Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.

Under 5h

73%

22 reviews

5-15h

91%

44 reviews

15-40h

94%

97 reviews

40-100h

94%

141 reviews

100h+

93%

99 reviews

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)–9030
Creator reviews (3 tracked)–891
All-time Steam reviews94%891643
Metacritic user ratings–9286
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)93%88296
Calibration prior (typical game)–7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 300 reviews sampled · 847 total reviews in window · weighted 211.3 up / 15.3 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (185)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 80
    The JimquisitionThe Jimquisition
    trust 72CreatorApr 4, 2016

    “On PS4, the experience is further hampered, with slowdown in multiple locations for a game that can only handle an fps of 30 at peak. The upside is that, at least in my experience, these dips in performance occur in strangely unpopulated areas, meaning you should have a solid framerate when it comes to combat. Make no mistake, however, that console versions are inescapably inferior.”

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    GameMAGGameMAG
    trust 69Apr 4, 2016

    “Dark Souls 3 combines all the knowledge and experience that From Software has accumulated since the release of Demon's Souls and the recent Bloodborne,and creates an amazing adventure that will test you for strength and patience.”

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    3DNews3DNews
    trust 69Apr 15, 2016

    “Dark Souls 3 is not as impressive as the first part, but is virtually devoid of the flaws of the second. A great adventure, worthy of a series, able to absorb you and let go only after a few passages.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    Slant MagazineSlant Magazine
    trust 68Apr 12, 2016

    “The most evolved and accessible entry in the series, making a lot of intelligent choices from its faster, sleeker cousin, Bloodborne, when it comes to enlivening combat.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    GameFMGameFM
    trust 68May 2, 2016

    “In short, Dark Souls III is the sequel that brings back everything that was good in all the games in the series, and despite its problems, it is still a game worth playing, and for fans, it is a full plate of references and challenges to be overcome.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    Gadgets 360Gadgets 360
    trust 68Mar 29, 2016

    “So Dark Souls 3 might not be the last game in the series, but we won't be surprised if it's taken in a different direction going forward. The remarkable improvements in terms of combat, level design, and boss encounters, made our time with it well spent despite its technical and user interface failings.”

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    PLAY ZinePLAY Zine
    trust 67Apr 18, 2016

    “It isn't an easy task to bring a masterful end to a successful trilogy. Yet Dark Souls 3 does it flawlessly. A great "ending" to a great franchise, Dark Souls 3 might feel a bit easier than the veterans are used to, but don’t be fooled, it’s still a Dark Souls game at its core. Hard but fair and a joy to bear.”

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    GRYOnline.plGRYOnline.pl
    trust 67Apr 5, 2016

    “Previous titles from From Software studio were able to reject themselves from the very beginning, and Dark Souls III tries to convince new fans that the devil is not as scary as he is painted.”

    read full review ↗
  • 88
    Paste MagazinePaste Magazine
    trust 67Apr 4, 2016

    “Dark Souls III would be a fitting end to a videogame series, and we don't get many of those. I enjoyed almost all of my time with it, but I'm not sure if I'd want another game like this to come by for a long time. As a comprehensive second draft of the best moments from the series, it left me with fond memories of everything I love”

    read full review ↗
  • 93
    LaPS4
    trust 66Apr 4, 2016

    “Miyazaki did it again. With nothing new but using its successful formula, Dark Souls III becomes the best entry in the franchise and a serious contender for Game of the Year. If you're a fan of the franchise or have played any of its entries once, you will love this game more than you could imagine. From Software has created a true homage to its players.”

    read full review ↗
  • 100
    Total Gaming NetworkTotal Gaming Network
    trust 65Jun 5, 2016

    “Quite possibly the best "Souls" game to date, even surpassing the original, and much beloved, Dark Souls.”

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    Cubed3Cubed3
    trust 65Dec 27, 2016

    “All of the praise that Dark Souls III receives is well deserved, because it gets most of everything right. However, it never strays from the established formula. This is something most gamers are willing to ignore, just because the formula is excellent. Although it's great that the Dark Souls series can retire on a high note, it's a shame that its crown has gone unchallenged. Hopefully that will change in the future. Videogame companies in competition with one another helps to bring out the best in them.”

    read full review ↗

…and 173 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

  1. Patch 1.15.2 Patch Notes
    Jan 12, 2023
  2. Online features for the PC version of Dark Souls III have been reactivated.
    Aug 25, 2022
  3. Dark Souls III regulation update 1.35
    Jun 14, 2017
  4. Dark Souls III regulation update 1.35
    Jun 14, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  5. Patch 1.14 patch notes (updated may 12th)
    May 10, 2017
  6. Patch 1.14 patch notes (updated may 12th)
    May 10, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  7. Round Plaza: Undead Match new arena - April 12th
    Apr 11, 2017
  8. Patch 1.13 patchnotes - April 14th
    Apr 10, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  9. Patch 1.13 patchnotes - April 14th
    Apr 10, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  10. Regulation Update 1.32 - Patchnotes - April 5th
    Apr 4, 2017
  11. Regulation Update 1.32 - Patchnotes - April 5th
    Apr 4, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  12. The Ringed City is now available!
    Mar 28, 2017
  13. Patch 1.12 patchnotes - March 27th
    Mar 24, 2017
  14. Patch 1.12 patchnotes - March 27th
    Mar 24, 2017
  15. Patch 1.11 Patchnotes - March 24th
    Mar 21, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  16. Patch 1.11 Patchnotes - March 24th
    Mar 21, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  17. Patch 1.10 Patchnotes - February 8th
    Feb 3, 2017
  18. Patch 1.10 Patchnotes - February 8th
    Feb 3, 2017significant · resets scoring window
  19. Version 1.09 patchnotes - November 25th
    Nov 21, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  20. Version 1.09 patchnotes - November 25th
    Nov 21, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  21. Regulation v1.22 patchnotes - Nov. 11th
    Nov 9, 2016
  22. Regulation v1.22 patchnotes - Nov. 11th
    Nov 9, 2016
  23. App Version 1.08 - Patchnotes
    Oct 17, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  24. App Version 1.08 - Patchnotes
    Oct 17, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  25. App Version 1.07 - Patchnotes
    Aug 17, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  26. App Version 1.07 - Patchnotes
    Aug 17, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  27. App Version 1.06 - July 19th
    Jul 13, 2016
  28. App Version 1.06 - July 19th
    Jul 13, 2016
  29. Regulation Version 1.09 - July 1st
    Jun 30, 2016
  30. Regulation Version 1.09 - July 1st
    Jun 30, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  31. Update App Version 1.05 / Reg Version 1.08 - Friday, June 10th
    Jun 6, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  32. Update App Version 1.05 / Reg Version 1.08 - Friday, June 10th
    Jun 6, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  33. Regulation Version 1.07
    May 19, 2016
  34. Regulation Version 1.07
    May 19, 2016
  35. App Version 1.04.2 / Reg Version 1.06.1 Update
    May 13, 2016
  36. App Version 1.04.2 / Reg Version 1.06.1 Update
    May 13, 2016
  37. Regulation Ver 1.06 - April 28th
    Apr 27, 2016
  38. Regulation Ver 1.06 - April 28th
    Apr 27, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  39. Update 1.04 - 4/28 8am UTC/1am PST
    Apr 27, 2016significant · resets scoring window
  40. Update 1.04 - 4/28 8am UTC/1am PST
    Apr 27, 2016significant · resets scoring window

…and 2 earlier patch announcements.