There’s a moment early in “Dark Souls 3”—after you’ve killed the first real boss (Soulsborne fans will know what I mean by this)—when you have to walk up to a cliff edge in order to be transported to the next area.

What would normally just be a serene vista in any other game is actually a map in “Dark Souls 3.” This view shows the player every area (mostly) that they will inhabit (and die in) throughout the next 30-or-so hours it takes to finish your quest.

Everything you see you’ll eventually visit.

It’s moments like this that separate “Dark Souls 3” from about anything else on the market, and why it stands out as one of the best games available this generation.

Return to form

“Dark Souls 3” opens in the same, obtuse fashion fans of have come to expect. After creating your character, you’re sent on an impossible-sounding quest to kill the Lords of Cinder and relink the First Flame. (Or maybe. I’m still not sure what the story is about.)

On the way, you’ll fight hordes of grotesque horrors and armor-laden knights. You’ll battle 100-foot tall giants, and escape the grasp of a few treasure chests turned skinny, man-eating murderers.

Basically, it’s more Souls. And that’s a wonderful thing.

For many fans, including myself, 2013’s “Dark Souls 2” was a complete letdown. It just didn’t feel right. Levels weren’t connected and bosses seemed too similar. The difficulty the series is known for felt artificial, and I wasn’t caught up in the world like I was with “Demon’s Souls,” “Dark Souls” and last year’s “Bloodborne.”

Thankfully, series creator Hidetaka Miyazaki returned to direct this iteration, and fittingly so, delivers his opus. If this really is the last Souls game in name, then there couldn’t be a more fitting send off.

Different, but the same

For many players, “Dark Souls 3” will be their first introduction to the series. As they’ve no doubt heard by now, the game is hard. And dying is a part of it.

Combat is traditional action RPG fare. At your disposal are all sorts of fantasy weapons, shields and magic. The game feels faster than the first two, which could be an influence brought over from “Bloodborne’s” fast-paced encounters.

This time around, players will have a Focus Point (FP) bar—think a mana bar, but useable by all classes. FP can be used to showcase flashy new weapon skills, or cast sorceries and pyromancy. But it’s not overpowered or gimmicky—the same estus flasks used to heal have to be allocated to restore FP, so magic spamming is a thing of the past.

And weapon skills aren’t useless like I thought they would be. I found myself using them often, especially in tight encounters. And some weapons’ skills were too good not to use.

But aside from that addition, the game feels mostly similar. Many enemy types make a return, and fans will surely notice returning weapons, spells and a few patch-like NPCs.

The game has received some flak for this, as the fan-service is at times off the charts (just wait until you visit a certain beloved area again). But I never felt like it was too heavy handed.

If anything, I felt pangs of nostalgia as I was reintroduced to locations, characters and music that I hadn’t heard since 2009, when I was formally introduced to the series.

If anything, this game feels like a love-letter to fans; a proper send-off of the series that just feels right. By incorporating so much from previous entries, the game’s story wraps up in a logical conclusion. I won’t spoil anything, but the endings (there are four of them) bring proper closure.

One last time

Throughout the 40 hours I’ve sunk into “Dark Souls 3,” I’ve only beaten it once. Granted, I tend to take my time with these games while I try out new armor or weapons and explore every nook and cranny (of which, I can assure you, there are plenty). But even still, I feel as though I’ll have hundreds of hours before I’m ready to retire the case to my shelf.

Reflecting on my experience, it’s easy to call this game one of my favorite games of the series, if not one of my favorite games of all time. The original “Dark Souls” has a special place in my heart – a place I thought no other game would occupy.

Newcomers: Buy this game, you won’t be disappointed. If you’re a fan of third-person action RPGs, then you can’t go wrong.

Fans: You probably already own it, and if you don’t, you’ve made a huge mistake.

In other words, buy this game. It’s a masterpiece.