This post won't contain unmarked spoilers for those of you who wish to play the game blind like I did.

Graphics: 7/10

Passable. Some of the textures are definitely low-res and dated by today's standards, but the game looks great when you're not up close, and the environments, especially Irithyll of the Boreal Valley are downright gorgeous sometimes. The enemy design is also excellent, with very distinct looks for enemies with distinct movesets. All of the bosses also look very natural and the animations are done very well.

Gameplay: 9/10

While often criticized for encouraging rollspam and light attacks, the combat against bosses still feels great. Basic enemies are spaced out enough that it's not often that you'll get swarmed, and they chase you just long enough to put just a bit of peril into running away, without them seeming overly relentless like in DS1. The ripostes and backstabs feel excellent, and the controls are the perfect balance of tight and clunky to immerse you. Not so clunky as to feel hard to play, while still enough there to make you think about your next moves. Bonfire placement is another tight point on this one, but I feel like they are the perfect distance apart to make you work for the next one, but not have you running halfway across an area if you do end up dying. Those two in Lothric Castle are pretty bad though The pacing is a bit rough at the beginning, with a fairly linear progression from area to area, but once you get past the midway point, the game opens up immensely, and the areas become much more satisfying to explore.

Story: 4/10

The story is barely told to you through the game. The lore is actually incredible for these games, but you don't get much more than vague hints at it throughout the game. It's also much harder to appreciate if you haven't played DS1 or 2, since this game is riddled with references to those games (especially 1, seeing as they have the same setting.) The opening cutscene, despite how loud it is, is about the most story you're getting here, unless you do your homework.

Overall: 7/10

While certainly not perfect, the game performs exceptionally well and serves as the most polished of the three titles in the series. Playing this one made me pre-order Elden Ring, and it's truly a wonderful time, especially if you have friends or enjoy immersing yourself. I think a post I saw really wraps the feel of this game up well. "It's like one of those anime with all of the super powerful protagonists, except you aren't one of them." It really makes you feel like the little fish in the pond and has extremely satisfying fights. Plus, the new weapon arts really make you feel badass