New Game & New Game Plus

New Game & New Game Plus

Upon completing the main Dark Souls III campaign and the entirety of The Ringed City DLC, you will naturally progress into New Game Plus (NG+). This cycle retains your character's level, stats, and inventory, but significantly ramps up the difficulty. Enemies will have increased health, deal more damage, and possess higher resistances. This applies to all enemies, including those found within the familiar areas of The Ringed City, making your return journey a true test of skill and preparation.

In NG+, the strategic importance of your build and equipment becomes even more pronounced. Enemies hit harder, and you'll need to be more efficient with your attacks and dodges. Consider revisiting your build to optimize for higher damage output or improved survivability. For example, if you found yourself struggling with the increased aggression of enemies, investing more points into Vigor for more HP or Endurance for greater stamina reserves can be beneficial. Similarly, ensuring your primary weapon is fully upgraded and infused for your highest-scaling stats is paramount.

The Ringed City itself offers unique challenges in NG+ and subsequent cycles. Bosses like Halflight, Knight of Ariandel, and the final boss, the Slave Knight Gael, will become significantly tougher. Their attack patterns remain the same, but their increased damage and health pools demand near-perfect execution. Furthermore, any covenant-related invasions or NPC encounters will also be more challenging. Embrace the increased difficulty as an opportunity to refine your combat mastery and truly become the Ashen One.