Since its release back in March of 2016, Dark Souls 3 has been keeping FromSoft fans entertained with endless ways to play the game. Players can continue to challenge themselves and make an already difficult game even harder. They can attempt Soul Level 1 run-throughs; they can attempt Soul Level 1 run-throughs whilst taking no damage; they can even attempt Soul Level 1 run-throughs whilst taking no damage only using a broken straight sword. Some players have even gone as far as to beat the game with a Guitar Hero guitar.
Dark Souls 3 may be one of the most re-playable games of all time. One can make that same argument for every Soul’s game prior. So much so for the original Dark Souls that it saw a remastered face-lift back in 2018. One and done has NEVER been the theme of any Dark Souls game. The same goes for 2015’s Elden Ring. This guide will focus on how players can best spend their time after their first playthrough of Dark Souls 3.
Dark Souls 3 - Pushing the Limits of New Game+
Dark Souls has always offered its players the ability to restart their journey on a harder difficulty. Not that players have the ability to choose the difficulty of a Souls game since they're already set to ‘tear-your-hair-out-hard’. New Game+ will reset everything in the game except for the player’s level, stat allocation, and inventory. Enemies receive boosts in damage output as well as overall HP. They will, however, drop more Souls upon killing allowing players to continue leveling their characters to much greater heights.
Playing thought the story again will allow players to revisit early bosses that once gave them a hard time. Instead of facing Iudex Gundyr with a starting weapon and a handful of firebombs, players will be able to enter the boss fight with theading down into the Undead Settlement after beating Vordt, players can instead rush the second part of the game by challenging the Dancer right then and there. All they must do is attack Emma, the woman in the chair. Although rushing the 2nd half of the game early will pose an even harder challenge, it will allow players to gain access to more powerful ring adaptations.
+Rings are only attainable in new game +, ++ & +++. These are more powerful versions of the rings found during the player’s first playthrough, and will be found in different locations. For example, Havel’s Ring boosts a player’s max equipment load by 15%. Base Havel’s Ring can be transposed for 5,000 Souls and ‘The Soul of a Stray Demon’. Havel’s Ring +1 can be found in New Game+ in Archdragon Peak and will grant a 17% boost. Havel’s Ring +2 resides in New Game++’s Irithyll and will grant an 18% boost. Finally, Havel’s Ring +3 can be found in the Ringed City (DLC) for a 19% boost. These buffed rings are crucial for players looking to dive Dark Soul's PvP after completing the game. So without further ado…
Dark Souls 3 - A Brief Intro to PvP
Dark Souls has one of the most unique multiplayer mechanics in video game history. Players are able to invade each other’s worlds as evil red spirits. The invader’s job is to kill the host attempting to progress, the host's job is to fend off the invader. Players can avoid being invaded altogether by playing un-embered or turning off multiplayer. However, those looking to spice up their next playthrough should absolutely welcome a human enemy as a new challenge. Of course, where there are red spirits, there are blue spirits. Players dawning Way of the Blue will be aided by a Blue Sentinel (a friendly human player) whose sole purpose is to kill the invading player. Whether invading or defending, Dark Souls PvP unlocks an entirely new meta-game for those looking to change things up. Players will collect faction items such as Pale Tongues for Rosaria or Proofs of Concord Kept for the Blue Sentinels.
Where the above is more tailored towards welcoming PvP in New Game+, players may be more inclined to start an entirely new character with the sole purpose of PvP focus. Below is a checklist of things to do before launching one’s Dark Souls 3 PvP Career:
Collect ALL Estus Shards and Undead Bone Shards: These will be crucial to the meta PvP game and allow players to enter invasions with maximum Estus flask capabilities. This will help keep them healed when being invaded themselves.
Collect all Umbral Ashes: Ashes can be given to the Handmaiden in order to increase her inventory. Perhaps the most important Ashes are the Easterner’s Ashes. These will allow players to buy Large Titanite from the Handmaiden in Firelink Shrine (more on that to come).
Collect all Coals and Tomes - This will allow players to infuse their weapons at Andre, as well as have full access to almost every spell in the game from various vendors.
Invest in Vigor: 27 to be precise. This will give players 1,000 un-embered HP. When invading, players will always enter with un-embered health.
Buffed Rings: Here is where having a high-level character on New Game +++ will be helpful. They’ll have access to these powerful rings which can be transferred to a lower level character via a friendly mule.
Spare Pale Tongues: Players can visit Rosaria to re-allocate their stats to build different versions of the same character. Be cautious, players only have 5 re-allocations before they must begin a new journey and start the game over.
Red Eye Orb - Players will need this in order to launch unlimited invasions from anywhere in the game. They can find it by following Leonhard’s questline and defeating the Dark Wraith at the bottom of the lift under The Tower on the Wall bonfire.
The most fun a player is going to have invading is between Soul Level 50 & 60. Here is the meta range of players that have a grasp on the finer mechanics of the game, and have tailored their character to their personal preference. Players will find every build imaginable without them dealing obscene amounts of damage. This will make for entertaining fights based on skill and timing. However, this range will not work if players have a weapon upgrade past level 6. Even having one +7 weapon in the inventory will ruin the low-level PvP experience. Players will need Large Titanite to +6. Stay on the safe side and just get rid of any Titanite Chunks to avoid a horrible mistake. The best places to invade at this level are Irithyll of the Boreal Vally and The Crucifixion Woods.
Dark Souls still continues to entertain its fans, even without pushing out any content after The Ringed City. Players can ramp up their Souls experience by challenging themselves on New Game + and beyond. However, the most fun they are going to have is learning the finer mechanics of PvP, hence unlocking the game within the game.
Dark Souls 3 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One & PC.
