Dark Souls 3: New Info on Magic and Gameplay Changes
Sep. 8, 2015Dark Souls 3: New Info on Magic and Gameplay Changes
In a preview for the upcoming digital issue, Game Informer revealed a few concepts that everyone can expect to see return inDark Souls 3. While the game is shaping up to be an amalgam of all the games From has released since Demon’s Souls, these are the gameplay features we know will carryover:
Yes, yes, this is a biggie and it’s been on everyone’s mind recently. What can we expect to see inmagicfor this iteration? Certain spell staples will return from past games but expect to see more differentiation between spells, especially as your character progresses. But Miyazaki had this to say further:
We will make sure that they are not just the same type of spells with different attributes (i.e. Spear type, lightning type) but actually have specific characteristics that can enhance the players’ play styles and strategies,” Miyazaki says. “Players will be able to have more criteria to accurately choose the different types of spells to best fit their tactics and strategies. This is similar to the thinking behind the characterization of each weapon and their specific battle arts.
So players will be able to approach magic in a fashion similar toweapon arts, adding a layer of complexity and choice when deciding which spells to include in a build.
As we told you back at gamescomThe MP bar from Demon’s Souls is coming back. Read that again. Read it once more. Now hear this from the Miyazaki himself:
By changing the magic management system to an MP scheme, options and freedom of utilization should increase. This way we can better clarify the differences in managing items and magic.
As we predicted back in August, no more recharges at abonfire, players will be able to replenish their spells on the fly via item usage. Perhaps we can also expect to see a return of the MP regen items such as Crescent weaponry, and this humble author’s personal favorite, the Phosphorescent Pole. This will be quite the concept to acclimate to for those fans of the series who have not had an opportunity to play Demon’s Souls.
An interesting melange so far of old and new, we’ll continue to keep you updated on all the new info as it comes out until the game releases sometime next year on PS4, Xbox One and PC. How do you feel about the tweaks and changes? Let us know in the comments.
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Editor at Fextralife. I look for the substantial in gaming and I try to connect video games to the emotions and stories they elicit. I love all things culture and history and have an odd fondness for the planet Jupiter. I think my dogs are pretty awesome too.
I thought bonfire ascetics were the most retarded mechanic i’ve ever seen in a video game. i mean just try to explain the concept to someone who has never played the game.
I like everything mentioned in the article except the absence of bonfire ascetics. I thought it was great to be able to replay the bosses i liked the most, and try them to the hardest difficulties without having to play through the game 7 times. What i would have liked to be different though, is by using ascetic in an area, that ascetic moves the whole area to NG+ and respawns all bosses, instead just the area of the bonfire. This way you had to think twice before doing it, but more importantly there were not be any inconsistencies in enemy power within the same area.
I think the biggest problem with demon’s souls magic balance was that FROM were new to the genre at that point in time. After 4 games of magic use, I think they understand the balance of spells well enough to employ an MP bar to replace the spell counter system
That is one spell I strongly think should not be in the game, then so many people will do faith builds. That’s the one thing that’s bad with Demon’s Souls, if you don’t do one of the magics, you are pretty underpowered compared to other players with magic because almost all enemies, players included, are weaker to magic or fire than any kind of physical damage, and both magics have extremely powerful spells for both damage and survivability. Second chance for faith, warding for sorcery which decreases damage by 70%, but at least warding only defends against physical damage, which again makes pure physical builds underpowered.
Another downer about Demon’s Souls is that most enemies had about equal resistance to all of the physical attack types (slash, blunt, regular, thrust) and hammer and axe weapons did the same stagger as daggers and swords, so they weren’t very effective as they are in later games except for great axes and great hammers for their knockback/down ability, but that’s so slow, it can be easily punished.
I think the return of a MP bar is a pretty good idea. The only reason I can think that they decided to take it out, was the fact you could kind of abuse some of the spells, such as Second chance; Just cast it, and refill your mp, then do it over and over.
I’m really looking forward to Dark Souls 3, but I’m still looking forward to the Bloodborne expansion a little more, and maybe a Bloodborne 2?
So… Welcome to darksouls 2.5 Bloodborne edition! Lol
And yes, I called that mana bar, and I was right! The other stuff is just adding to what I said: this game is gonna be closer to dks2 than dks1, the porting and respecing are very distinctly dks2 mechanics. I do think there may be more lore and interest to the whole thing, but hopefully this helps people let go of the idea that this is dark souls 1 remastered.
Also, we have a demo on Saturday then tgs with magic. Ask your questions while you can!
Each installment blends its roots and new mechanics more and more.
Can’t wait to see all the spell differentiation.
MP Bar is back! How are we the only ones who mentioned that!?! lol. Not sure how I feel about warping right off the bat. I always felt you learned the lay of the land from not being able to. Hopefully Respecing isn’t as possible as it was in DKS II. Once a playthrough would be about right for me.
Cas
Me when I saw the return of the magic bar and the inclusion of an infinite use pvp item like in Demon’s Souls:
HELL YES!
I don’t think they should have ever gotten rid of the classic RPG mana bar. Thank goodness it has returned. I also feel more comfortable about including a blood meter for blood powers in my Bloodborne 2 fan fiction and game design.
Each souls game has gone more and more magic focused with each installment so far. The return to the MP with plentiful replenishing items sounds fantastic for those wishing for pure magic- personally I can’t wait.
Glad to hear there’s no ascetics. I felt that they sort of just added to the farming in souls games.
The fact that teleporting will be there from the get go means I am going to become super duper lazy when I exploreI hope it’s not a hint to the fact that like dark souls 2 the world won’t be interconnecting. I would be quite disappointed if that were the case.
