Over the years the Dark Souls 3 fandom has proven to be one of the strongest gaming communities around. Despite five years having passed since the game's release, and the single-player focus of the game, the Dark Souls 3 online community is still incredibly active.
While Dark Souls fans were clamoring for Dark Souls 4 at The Game Awards 2017, FromSoftware instead decided to drop Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a Soulslike game which has received critical acclaim in its own right. While Sekiro may have scratched the Dark Souls itch for some fans, others eventually returned to Dark Souls 3. The combat featured in Sekiro and Dark Souls 1 is slower than the fast-paced chaos in Dark Souls 3 or Bloodborne, creating a small divide in the fandom. Now a new mod seeks to combine the two communities.
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The mod is titled "The Blades of Ashina" and allows players to use any of nine Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice weapons in Dark Souls 3. These weapons include the Phantom Kunai, Flame Vent, and Talon of Hatred. Not only does the mod add weapons, but it also provides 3 armor pieces and 12 new spells all based on Sekiro. To run the mod players will need to use the DS3 Mod Engine and unfortunately, they will be soft banned for use. After installation of the mod players can purchase the new weapons, spells, and armor from the Shrine Handmaid.
The creator of the mod described it as a “tribute to a game [they] love very much.” The Dark Souls moding community is still just as active as its player base. There are several other popular mods for the game, the two most popular being "Cinders," and "Ashes." For those wondering, the "Blades of Ashina" mod does not work with either of these popular mods, and the creator has no intention of adding this compatibility.
Fans of both games are sure to be delighted with the new mod. It is clear the creator put a great deal of time and effort into "The Blade of Ashina," seeking to make a mod that would alter the gameplay experience. Even those who are not interested in Sekiro will likely be pleased with the addition of the new weapons.
Some fans may be disappointed by the lack of "Ashes" and "Cinders" compatibility. However, the mod’s creator has explained the reasoning for not introducing this. "I have plans to expand this mod overtime, and I do not want my work to end up as just an 'add-on' to one of the bigger mods. I want it to be able to stand on its own. Letting other people take and totally re-interpret the stuff I spent months working on is also something I don't feel comfortable with, and I know the developers of those bigger mods tend to feel the same way."
Dark Souls 3 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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Source: NexusMods