2. Tips for beginners Dark Souls III Guide

Dark Souls III, like the previous installments in the franchise, is a difficult and demanding game, where most of your encounters with enemies will require you to use a dedicated strategy, exploiting any enemy weakness you can find. Dying and repeating battles is a common occurrence and you must simply get used to it. The gameplay mechanics didn't change from the previous games, which should make the more experienced players feel at home. You should, however, familiarize yourself with the following hints to have a grasp of the basics from the very beginning.

First of all, don't rush. It can, and will be fatal in a great deal of locations. The enemies can hide behind corners, or be preparing an ambush in dark rooms. Rushing through the area can also lure out too many enemies for you to handle. Additionally, there's a good chance that in haste you will miss a lot of the game's most interesting places, characters and items. Remember, that every location has many branched trails and hidden passages, which should be explored in order to gain advantage and/or better equipment. Rushing is justified only when you've already cleared the whole area, and you just want to head straight for the boss.

Remember, that you don't have to fight every single enemy. If you've already cleared and done everything, avoid all enemies when heading for the boss fight. In most cases this will prove enough to safely reach the arena.

Use the shortcuts you've unlocked, so that the route to the aforementioned boss arena is the shortest and least risky. In each area you will be able to find elevators, or doors unlocked from the other side. Whenever you venture deep into an area, you should remember about the passages you have managed to unlocked. This way, when you die, you will be able to get from the bonfire to your place of death a lot quicker.

To make things even easier for yourself, don't forget to regularly level up your character. As soon as you complete the starting location, you will get to the Firelink Shrine, where you will be given the option to exchange the souls you've accumulated for experience. When increasing your abilities, you must select a stat that you want to invest in. Do it wisely, in accordance with the build you're aiming for (invest in strength if you prefer close combat, in intelligence if you are using a character relying on magical attacks, and so on).

Watch out - even an ordinary chest may turn into a deadly enemy!

Your chances of survival can be further increased by luring out and separating single enemies from groups. Enemies in the game work in such a way, that they will attack only once they've seen your character. Thanks to that, it's possible to lure them out from their groups and eliminate one by one. In some places it's the only way to get through a group of stronger enemies.

Use your shield. At the beginning of the game it's one of the better and easier ways to avoid damage. The shield will absorb the damage from an attack, and will allow you to perform a counterattack. In the early stage of the game, your character will be relatively weak, which is why you can't allow the enemies, especially the stronger ones, to hit you. You can neutralize their attacks easily by using the shield - not to mention that it's easier than getting the hang of dodges. However, the latter becomes mandatory later into the game.

Every enemy has a weakness, which you have discover. You can fight a foe the conventional way, but if it's not working, try changing your strategy. Maybe the enemy is vulnerable to fire? Or maybe the boss you're having trouble damaging has some body parts that are more susceptible to attacks?

Trade from the very beginning of the game. Exchange the souls you've accumulated for items, buy Firebombs and better elements of attire, increasing the overall stats of your character. Don't forget about upgrading your equipment - this will allow you to power up your weapons and increase the amount of flasks you carry.

Explore. By going through every nook and every cranny you will discover numerous useful items and gain a lot of experience by fighting a bigger number of monsters.

Prepare yourself before the fight, especially when going against a boss or some other difficult enemy. Equip yourself with the most appropriate weapon and attire, prepare items that will make the whole encounter easier by using damage-dealing items, increasing the effectiveness of your weapon, and, above all else - healing your character.