'Dark Souls III' tips: Introduction to survival for beginners

Dark Souls 3 From Software, Bandai Namco

"Dark Souls III" has just arrived for Western fans. True to its form, the latest installment in the franchise still delivers the same hack-and-slash, hardcore gameplay for serious players. Those who are new to the series may find themselves trying unsuccessfully to proceed in the story a number of times and will need advice from longtime players.

According to The Verge, while the latest installment is a direct sequel to the "Dark Souls" franchise, the stories in the previous titles are so complex that "Dark Souls III" stands on its own in terms of story, plot, and gameplay. This means that beginners need not fret about missing out on a number of details in the story itself.

The industry follower also said that for newbies, a helpful piece of advice on conquering "Dark Souls III" is to choose battles carefully. For example, if beginners prefer to slash their way in "Dark Souls III" using Greatswords, appropriate locations are a must. The slash attacks and parries of big weapons are wide that they will be useless when fighting in tight areas like corridors.

Meanwhile, Polygon believes that even if a player is a beginner in "Dark Souls III," a preferred character will greatly help in finishing the game. This installment introduces a number of new characters that players can choose from, and newbies who prefer slashing their way in RPG games can select knights and brawlers as appropriate characters to suit their styles.

Kotaku adds that it is best for beginners – and even veterans – to fight one enemy at a time. This makes combat more straightforward. Should a newbie encounter a group of enemies, a bow and arrow will help – shooting at one in a group will make an enemy come for a kill, but the others will stay behind.

News
Scotland’s assisted suicide vote: a temporary victory?
Scotland’s assisted suicide vote: a temporary victory?

It will be interesting to see if the Scottish government goes down the route of investing in quality palliative care, or whether Liam McArthur's defeated assisted suicide bill is simply resurrected in another form.

Nick Timothy stands by criticism of Muslim prayer in Trafalgar Square
Nick Timothy stands by criticism of Muslim prayer in Trafalgar Square

Shadow justice minister Nick Timothy is standing by claims that a mass Islamic prayer in Trafalgar Square was “a declaration of domination” that should never be repeated.

Britain’s culture of giving is becoming more 'fragile' as donations fall
Britain’s culture of giving is becoming more 'fragile' as donations fall

A major new report from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has raised fresh concerns about the state of charitable giving in the UK, showing that total public donations fell sharply in 2025 as fewer people gave and average gifts became smaller.

UK urged to press Nigeria on violence against Christians during historic Tinubu visit
UK urged to press Nigeria on violence against Christians during historic Tinubu visit

A coalition of Christian and human rights organisations has called on the UK government to use President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Britain to press for stronger protections for Christians and other vulnerable communities in Nigeria, amid continuing concern over deadly attacks and weak accountability.