In 2016, FromSoftware released Dark Souls 3, the third full installment of its most well-known series. At the time of its release, the game received critical acclaim with many calling it a perfect end to the franchise. While many fans have moved on to FromSoftware's latest game, Elden Ring, many dedicated gamers are still finding new ways to improve Dark Souls 3 and/or make it more challenging for themselves.
Since the game was released, the third Souls installment still enjoys support from developer FromSoftware. Recently, Dark Souls 3 received a new Steam update, and modders continue to make new content for the game even as official expansions have come to an end. Now, a Dark Souls player has achieved something that many would consider impossible.
In a recent Reddit post, user thomasboswick revealed that they had just beaten the game. The first of a pair of screenshots showed their character in the Kiln Of The First Flame having just defeated the base game's final antagonist and one of its more challenging bosses, the Soul of Cinder. The most amazing thing about the achievement, however, is that the player managed to do it without once leveling up.
The Dark Souls franchise features a leveling-up system that is both involved and simple at the same time, allowing for a lot of variety in character builds. While leveling up in the game doesn't provide the power boost that other similar games enjoy, they do provide players with a bit more of an edge. Sometimes these edges can mean the difference between winning a battle and being cast back to the nearest bonfire, which is frustrating for most gamers. In one particular instance, a player navigated one of the most frustrating parts of Dark Souls 2 only to fall into a pit right before reaching a new bonfire.
The franchise's games are perhaps best known for their difficulty factor more than anything else. So famous is their difficulty that there are numerous sets of Dark Souls mods dedicated to lessening the difficulty of the games. So the fact that anyone could put themselves through the entire game without giving themselves the edge that comes with leveling up is quite impressive.
On the other hand, we have seen very similar feats in the past. One gamer, for example, managed to beat all of Dark Souls 3 at level one while only using a dance pad. While this installment is undoubtedly difficult, feats like this remind us all that while the games are hard, they are conquerable challenges when one puts in enough time, energy, and patience.
Dark Souls 3 is now available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
