Dark Souls 3: Five tips for first-time players

Dark Souls 3 was released to the sound of gamers' jaws dropping this week. It has been hailed by reviewers across the board, with The Guardian giving it a rare 5/5 stars, IGN putting it at 9.5/10 and Gamespot awarding a solid 8/10. The result is a score of 90 on Metacritic, the review aggregating service.

With such hype around the game, it's a strong choice for someone looking to make a purchase worthy of keeping them inside all summer. The only thing that might put people off is having no experience of Dark Souls 1 and 2 – but the good news is that it doesn't matter.

So, roll down the blinds, pick up a controller and get stuck in. Here are five top tips for first-time players:

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Don't worry about dying

As well as being a generally positive life philosophy, this advice is particularly pertinent to a game where dying regularly is completely unavoidable. If the constant reminders of your mortality start to get annoying, just remember that each death and reincarnation forms part of a learning curve that will eventually lead to success.

Don't make too many enemies

Wandering around a terrifying fantasy universe full of monsters trying to murder you can make you a bit paranoid about stranger danger. Whether it's dark shape-shifting creatures or your run-of-the-mill massive dragon, you're going to be constantly facing characters who want to kill you. However, you shouldn't tar every hideous beast with the same brush. Some characters will help if you can win their favour, so it's important to give each one a fair evaluation before deciding whether or not to hit them with a big sword.

Classes aren't a big deal

At the beginning, you are tasked with choosing a class for your avatar. This might seem like a big deal but in reality, it only affects a few stats and bits of starter gear, all of which become irrelevant when you change and develop throughout the game. That said, if things are going horribly wrong and you can't seem to move on, then you might want to change to the knight class. You'll see instant gains: getting bulkier and having the advantage of a shield.

Start with a balanced build

The levelling system in Souls allows you to choose the way your character develops. You could go ultra-bulky and turn yourself into a Dwayne Johnson-style tank covered in body armour, or opt for a featherweight style with an emphasis on being quick and nimble. While both of these can work, you're better off going somewhere down the middle. Get some good armour but not so much it slows you down, boost your health stats and increase your magic bar if you use it. Don't put all of your soul eggs in one basket.

Shoot from range

Don't neglect the power of a simple bow and arrow. It might seem obvious, but you make your job easier by attacking enemies from a distance before close-range combat. If you see a group of enemies, shooting one will sometimes draw them away from their group, bringing them charging towards you for some one-on-one action.