


If you want to get as much out of a single-play through as possible, though, we're here to help. The idea, of course, is that you'll learn from the mistakes you make on your first Dark Souls III play-through and try something different on your subsequent runs. Progressing a single NPC's quest line through to its conclusion can be a daunting task, but attempting to juggle the interlocking quest lines for each of the the dozen or so NPCs in the game can be utterly nightmarish. Often, you'll need to visit specific locations and accomplish certain tasks in a very precise order to further a character's story arc. It's incredibly easy to miss the trigger points that move each NPCs side quest forward as you explore the world, and even easier to do something that completely breaks the progression of these quest lines without even realising it. Unfortunately, in most cases, completing an NPCs side quest can be a real challenge.

Dark Souls 3 vs Dark Souls 1 Graphics Comparison Almost all NPCs, however, feature their own (often obtuse) quest lines that, once completed, can elicit a whole range of rewards, from exotic weapons and armour, to special lore moments and even secret endings. NPCs tend to come in two forms: those that become merchants at Firelink Shrine once encountered, and those that begin journeying across Lothric. It's entirely possible - and surprisingly easy - to get through the game without meeting a single non-story-critical NPC, with many characters only making their presence felt once you've liberated them from some distant, rarely-visited corner of the map. Dark Souls isn't a series that gives its secrets up easily, and that extends to its myriad NPC side quests.
