Let me tell you of an Age of Dark Adventure. Of ancient dangers, perfidious traps and dungeons, heinous curses and kingdoms crumbling before the inexorable passage of time. An age of great demons and dragons eroded by decay that survived as remnants of a Glorious Age that, like a bonfire that burned brightly before it was consumed, reduced to ashes.
Of a Dark Age in which heroes, heirs to an ancestral tradition, walk the path of danger, to face powerful bosses while dying, dying, dying again and dying again and again.
Of pacts, magic, tragic stories, dark invaders hunting adventurers and syphilitic swamps teeming with hepatitis and teeming with giant crabs.
Let me tell you about Dark Souls III.

Oh, how much players enjoyed the first instalment!
Oh, how much (less) those same players enjoyed the second instalment!
Oh, admire the legions who came to the franchise drawn like moths to the light by YouTube videos, word of mouth and recommendations from friends who wanted to share in the bliss and glory of Souls!
Oh, how many souls lost, how many invaders defeated, how many tears were shed for Sif!
How many bottles of estus ran out before reaching the most difficult fights? Countless, like the legions of enemies we mowed down with swords, magic, axes and pyromancies in order to keep moving, if only a little, to the next bonfire.
How many poison-filled swamps have we crossed, wallowing in their muck as we try to dodge the onslaught of enemies placed with the worst of intentions by the most perfidious of developers? I don't even want to count them, as they still make me ache. Darks Souls were a breath of fresh air in their day. A horrifying and mysterious journey through a ruined world ruled by the shadows and mistakes of gods, heroes, dragons and demons whose bad decisions in pursuit of keeping the fire, accumulating power or preserving their kingdoms in amber led to decay.

But it all ends, or at least sleeps for a long time before it resurfaces. As Lovecraft said "That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die".

Dark Souls III is the closure to this epic journey of death, disgust, poisonous swamps, annoying laughing characters, crazy hit boxes, homages to Berserk and glorious music, fantastic combat, black humour, broken magic, hope and despair. And it's a good closer, even if it innovates little. This journey, this farewell to the kingdoms built on the ashes of Lord Gwyn and Anor Londo, on the genocide of the dragons, in the shadow of the First Flame is a magnificent game. A polished formula of all that is bad, all that is good, all that is fun and frustrating about this franchise.

If you're a veteran, if you've played the previous ones, this game is a collection of old but comfortable sneakers, it will be familiar, different but similar to what you've already played. It's the old reliable. It's Episode VII of Star Wars in a medieval fantasy setting with poisonous swamps. It's a reunion of old classmates where everyone can still recognize each other.

If you haven't played any before, well, welcome to Dark Souls.

This is a difficult game, with many unfair encounters and horrible combat... bosses are either wickedly difficult or placed at the end of truly despair-rich paths. The traps are even more murderous than they once were, and you're going to eat them up. Enemies do damage, a lot of damage, and they'll make you bite the ground, you'll die while their life bars don't seem to diminish. But don't despair.
Seek the wisdom of all the forerunners who walked the dark path before you. Look for the signs on the ground.
Good luck to you.