Dark Souls 3 is a masterpiece.

Whether this game is your first of the Soulsborne series, or your 4th, the game does well in addressing both audiences.

Most beginners would buy or play this game because of its looks, and rightly so. Dark Souls 3 has amazing visuals, an intricate map layout, and very, very, VERY, satisfying combat. The game does best in not holding your hand like other tutorials but rather depends on the player's inquiry. If they want to learn the game, they may read the tutorial messages. If you're a hardcore veteran, then the classic tough enemy in the tutorial area is just for them. Moving on to the first boss of the game, to the new player, it will be difficult, but Iudex Gundyr is a perfect guide to teach the player one of the most important aspects of the entire series, rolling. His long wind-ups and telegraphed attacks teaches players timings all while making the fight look badass. Then the classic "Ha gotcha!" characteristic of Dark Souls 3 comes out and Iudex Gundyr bursts into a conglomeration of gooey black slime. Once again, teaching the player that this game is not forgiving, and to quote the most popular Darkest Dungeons line, "Remind yourself, overconfidence is a slower and insidious killer."

Aside from the fast-paced combat, Dark Souls 3 also gives the players moments to accept its beauty. There are many locations in the game in which the player may admire the landscape. One of my most favorite parts of this game is seeing how interconnected the entire map is. Looking up, you can see the Lothric Castle, and down bellow, Farron Keep all the while in the distance, the Deep Cathedral. Seeing these connections gives the player (or at least me) a sense of progress, knowing how far you have went and the struggles you went through just makes one love the game even more.

Every boss feels unique and they are beautifully crafted. Albeit, Dark Souls 3 has the most "gimmicky" bosses out of the entire series, the game somehow always makes the fights impressive. One-shotting the boss such as the Ancient Dragon may seem easy and cheating, but how does one not see the satisfaction in plunging on top of a dragon, completely annihilating it in one swoop. But the most satisfaction comes from the hardest bosses, the satisfaction that you finally beat the Nameless King, or Sister Freide, or Gael, after dying to them multiple times, after losing hope each time, is what mostly makes the player bond to the game. Every boss fight is memorable, some more than others.

Oh boy the weapons, OH BOY THE WEAPONS. Let it be known that I personally think that Dark Souls 3 has the best weapons out of all the Soulsborne games. The addition of an FP (or mana) system allows players to use weapon arts (inherit skills of a weapon) more often and permits the ability to make builds around them. The weapons are broad enough to fit any players' needs. The best part? They are all viable (for the most part). If you took a liking to a weapon, and upgraded it sufficiently, you never have to use another weapon again. Even simple weapons such as the Broadsword can outclass weapons such as Demon's Greataxe, but that line can be blurred by the player's skill. Speaking of the Demon's Greataxe, big boy weapons such as that have the most satisfying weapon art. Even if big weapons are not your forte, the weapon art for the Dragonslayer's Greataxe gives me such a bad ass feeling, the feeling of being Zeus, smiting my foes with lightning.

The NPC's feel alive. They feel like they're more than just an AI who's sole purpose is to have their dialogue skipped. Each character brings interesting lines to the table and to the story. Hawthorne, one of the first people you encounter already sets the tone of the game. You are a bug compared to god-like giants, yet you must somehow prevail. Or people like Anri, remind you that you are not alone. Heck, even Pickle-pee is interesting character in itself because who doesn't like trading with birds for valuables? My favorite NPC has to be Siegward, he's the one that I always looked forward to interacting with, no matter how many times I've played the game.

Dark Souls 3 is a great conclusion, or even beginning to the series. Of all the games, it makes multiple references and nuances to its previous games, such as easter eggs, or straight up armor from a previous boss in Dark Souls 1. Once you complete this game, you'll be left on your chair, couch, whatever, thinking to yourself, "Will I ever be the same again?"