Above all else, Dark Souls III is fun, and it achieves this through exemplary game dynamics and precise difficulty balance. I find the lore of Dark Souls III to be more engaging than that of Elden Ring, and the game does an excellent job of concluding the critically acclaimed Souls series with a very emotional and coherent story. The game also features plentiful fan service, which creates a nostalgic experience for returning fans like myself.

In my opinion, Dark Souls III has the best overall lineup of bosses in any FromSoftware game, including several individual encounters which are unanimously heralded as some of the best in all of gaming. The final DLC boss delivers what is indisputably, both mechanically and especially thematically, one of the best boss fights in any video game ever. In this sense, Dark Souls III has a perfect ending, and the effort one spends in beating this game will be abundantly rewarded.