10. General tips Dark Souls III Guide

Look for hidden entrances and items.

1. Thoroughly explore each location. Watch out for enemies, traps, and places in which you can easily die, like from falling from a height.

2. After dying, your main priority should be to recover the souls you've lost. Be careful when doing it and remember how you died, so that you won't repeat the mistake.

3. Use the souls you've accumulated as often as possible, to increase the level of your character. This way you will increase the stats and the power of your character.

4. If you can't move forward - turn around. Some locations can lead to more than one place. If you can't handle the monsters in one of them, try another one.

5. Collect items. They are marked by glowing orbs. They can sometimes be very well-hidden; behind crates, blocked passageways, or even illusory walls.

6. Pay attention to enemy behavior. They have their own attack patterns and moves, which are easier to counter or parry if you observe them properly.

7. Use a shield. Especially during the first hours of the game, when you have a fragile character, and you have to beware of incoming attacks.

8. Use special abilities during combat. Some of the weapons give you access to more advanced attack techniques, and allow you to perform series of strikes. Remember about special attacks, such as the backward thrust.

9. Use the available items. You can deal damage from afar (with the help of, for instance, Firebombs), or increase the effectiveness of your weapon for a short time.

10. Remember about healing. The only way to regain health is by using the appropriate Estus Flask, or by resting at a bonfire.

Learning the attack patterns of bosses is the key to every boss encounter.

11. There's no pause option in the game. If you are looking through your equipment, you are always vulnerable to enemy attacks.

12. You can stumble upon enemies invading your world in some locations (use the Ember). Those can disappear after defeating the boss in a given location.

13. Items you've picked up won't respawn when you revisit the location. It means, that if you've cleared the location once, going through it another time won't give you any new items.

14. Remember about increasing the amount of flasks your character can carry. Blacksmith Andre can help you, provided that you have an Estus Fragment.

15. Don't forget to unlock shortcuts. It will allow you to move around the location freely.

16. Plan the development of your character from the very beginning. This way you can be sure, that you've used all of the stat points in the best way. You will avoid wasting precious points into abilities that are useless for your playstyle.

17. Use a torch. You can purchase it as soon as you visit the Firelink Shrine. It can be used to help navigate in dark areas, or to uncover hardly visible passages.

18. Remember to upgrade your weapons. If you find better gear, don't hesitate to replace the one you have. You should experiment with weapons, look for the best one for your playstyle. Each weapon "feels" different in combat.

19. Try to lure enemies away from groups. This will allow you to deal with them one on one, making the whole encounter a lot easier.

20. Speak with the NPCs you stumble upon during your journey. You can learn many interesting things about the world of the game and the story. Some of them are also associated with side quests, and some will even trade with you.