The standard Estus Flask that allows you to heal has a new twist - you also have an Ashen Estus Flask which refills your FP. An NPC at the Firelink Shrine lets you choose how many drinks from your flask go to each type. Feeling confident? Toss everything into the Ashen Flask and go nuts with spells and Weapon Arts.
The Souls games have always had very fun and rewarding co-op, but until the release of Bloodborne last year, there were always hoops you had to jump through if you wanted to partner up with a specific friend. Rejoice, for Dark Souls 3 not only marks the return of the password-based matching system from Bloodborne, it also removes the obtuse level/soul-based restrictions on who you can summon.
In most areas, you can summon up to two partners, but some areas will restrict you to one unless you meet certain conditions. My personal M.O. is to explore areas on my own, offer my services to players attempting bosses, then take the big bads on in my own game, but you should be able to find players near any bonfire in the world.
You’ll still need to be in Lord of Cinder (human) form in order to summon friends or NPCs for jolly co-operation, but you can regain it by either defeating a boss or consuming an ember. While in this form, you can summon friends and strangers, but you also open yourself up to having your game invaded by enemy players, a hallmark of the series.
As a general rule, the more dramatic the scenery, the more likely you are to find other players wanting to invade you. If you see a bridge with a stunning backdrop, you can bet that you’ll be seeing plenty of players who want to duel.
Covenants are still a huge factor in the multiplayer aspects of the game. Familiar ones like the Warriors of Sunlight exist for the cooperative-minded player, while others like the Mound Makers allow you to choose to defend your summoner (or backstab them at an opportune time). Revealing too much about the covenants can tread into spoiler territory, but rest assured - if you feel like defending other players or invading people who tread in certain zones, there will be a covenant for you.
Dark Souls 3 feels like a fitting ending to a remarkable trio of games. From Software says this will be the final Dark Souls game, and while I’m sure they’ll keep making games in this style, it’s going out on a very high note.