General Information: Gameplay 2824

Learn the core mechanics of Dark Souls III, including health, death, souls, leveling, and saving. Your essential guide to surviving Lothric.

Hey there, Ashen One! Welcome to the wild world of Dark Souls III. It can be a bit daunting at first, but don't worry, I'll walk you through the basics so you can focus on not getting absolutely wrecked. Let's get you up to speed on how everything works.

Health & Death: Your health bar, that red gauge on the top left, is pretty self-explanatory. When it hits zero, you die. Bummer, I know. But here's the thing: you don't *really* die. You'll just respawn at the last bonfire you rested at, and all the Souls you were carrying will be dropped right there on the ground. If you manage to die again before picking them up, those Souls are gone forever. So, keep an eye on that health bar! You can regain health in a few ways: resting at a bonfire (which also refills your Estus Flasks and FP), using an Estus Flask (your trusty healing potion), casting an HP-restoring spell, or using an Ember. Using an Ember not only heals you but also boosts your maximum HP temporarily. Just a heads-up, if you die while Embered, you'll become 'unkindled,' which means a chunk of your max HP is taken away until you become human again.

You can increase the number of Estus Flasks you carry by finding Estus Shards and giving them to Andre, the blacksmith. He's usually found near Firelink Shrine.

Souls & Leveling Up: Souls are basically everything in this game – your currency, your experience points, your everything. You get them by smacking down enemies or by using specific items. They're stored on your character, and you'll need them to buy stuff from merchants and, more importantly, to level up. If you die, remember those Souls drop where you fell. Get back there and grab 'em before you kick the bucket a second time! To level up, you'll need to head to Firelink Shrine and chat with the Fire Keeper. She's the one who lets you trade Souls for stat increases. Each time you level up, the cost in Souls goes up, no matter which stat you choose. So, choose wisely!

Saving & Loading: Dark Souls III has an auto-save feature that kicks in pretty frequently. This means you can't just quit out and reload if you mess up. You'll have to deal with the consequences and try again. The only real way to 'game' the system is by backing up your save file to a USB drive. This is super handy if you want to see all the different endings without playing through the entire game multiple times. You can beat the final boss, get an ending and its associated trophies/achievements, then reload your backed-up save and try for a different ending.

So, that's the gist of it! Keep these basics in mind, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a true Dark Souls III master. Don't get discouraged by the deaths – they're part of the learning process!