Dark Souls Trilogy Compendium 25th Anniversary Edition Hardcover – April 15, 2024

I pre-ordered this like so many others and at first was annoyed by the delay but after finally having received this in july i can say it was worth the wait. First a word on what this volume is not---this NOT a strategy guide for all 3 games. If what you are expecting is step by step tips and tricks on how to beat the game then you must go back and get the individual future press volumes for DS 1 and 2 (unfortunately Future Press never made a DS 3 strategy guide because the contract for the strategy guide for that game was given to another company which made a vastly inferior product compared to the previous Future Press volumes.) The Compendium does however have a section where they show maps of every area so that can help those looking to use this volume as a type of game guide. If however you are stuck on a certain boss and have died hundreds of time trying to pass it, do not look to this compendium for a strategy on how to beat that boss because you wont find it. That info as i said before will be found in the individual Future Press game volumes. In the Compendium there is a section on enemies the player will encounter when playing all three games but it is more of an alphabetical listing of enemies and bosses with nice illustrations rather than a strategy section.This book is more of an encyclopedia gathering all the knowledge of items, equipment, lore, a list of enemies, maps, and tips on how to build characters for all three Souls games. There is also a dialogue section where all the dialogue with important NPC's is listed line by line--definitely not recommended for those who want to avoid spoilers but if you've played all the Souls games already it acts a s a kind of nice memento of your previous adventures in the Souls universe. The lore portion of the book is especially well done and does a pretty good job of connecting all three games into one overarching universe to the best of its ability. Construction quality is excellent. The volume is a quality hardback with a ribbon and it comes packed in a slipcase with nice understated art of the Chosen Undead, the Bearer of the Curse, and the Ashen One on its front. The volume is hefty but not ridiculously so---however you really can tell by its heft that this volume is combining all three Souls games.This volume comes highly recommended if you are a Souls fan or if you are a fan of Future Press products. The compendium is worth it just to see how Future Press treats the DS III material which it did not get an opportunity to do when the game first came out. Definitely a nice addition to any video gaming library bookshelf. Two thumbs up!

Future Press has a well-known reputation for producing exceptional strategy guides, and this particular guide for the Dark Souls series is no different. It provides extensive coverage of all three Dark Souls games, offering detailed information on:-world- Maps with item locations- NPC dialogues- Weapons- Game stories- DLC content- NPCs- and moreThe book's quality is remarkable, featuring a slipcase, vibrant colors for all artwork and maps. A highly detailed index and a bookmark ribbon, so you never get lost. It is a collector's item. Initially released in 2020 during the pandemic, with Future Press only producing a single print run as they always do, it became highly sought after, with copies selling for up to $1000. This is them re-releasing it for their 25th-year anniversary and is a limited run.These are the changes made to this future press 25th year anniversary edition:+ The slipcase has sharper edges for a sleeker look+ The title is printed on the spine of the slipcase for better shelf display+ Colors have been adjusted on some artworks to maximize print quality+ A special 25th Anniversary sticker has been added to the inside cover of the book.Other than these small changes, the content of the book remains perfectly true to the original.I ,highly recommend this strategy guide for any aficionado of the Dark Souls series.

Be warned, they packed my copy into a box with nothing securing the 7lb book from flopping around and during transit the package was dropped by UPS and the weight of the book and lack of packing materials damaged the book beyond repair. Over 200 of the pages were damaged with a noticeable crease on 1/2" in from the corner, the slip-cover and hardcover were both rolled and crippled into the corner, both very noticeable and ugly damage. Amazon was kind enough to try and make it right, the details of which I will not disclose. The book, being a first edition, not replaceable. Stuff happens, and that shouldn't reflect badly on the book; it's not the books fault that savage animals mishandled it during transit. It's suffered enough. Below you'll find a decent review.The Dark Souls Trilogy Compendium is a huge encyclopedia dedicated to Dark Souls. It spans the entire trilogy, detailing every map, NPC, conversation, enemy, item, and more. It is the definitive collection of Dark Souls knowledge. Highly detailed images accompany flavor text for an easy to understand format. The quality of the print is amazing. Gold leaf slip cover, thick hardcover, thick semi gloss pages. This is not a strategy guide, it is not going to detail a way to beat Dark Souls, but after reading it you'll have more knowledge about the game than most people who have beaten it; without needing to "git gud" in the process, a 4th grade reading education is all the gud you'll need to have to enjoy this book. Seriously though, this book is legendarily high quality.

If you're a big fan of the Dark Souls series, you need this on your shelf or on your coffee table. Every single item, piece of equipment, line of dialogue from the trilogy, is contained in this book in a well organized presentation. Extremely high quality print. At the current listed price of $38.72, it's an absolute steal.

This is NOT a guide/walkthrough book. It does have level maps and LORE maps, item descriptions and implications, and dialogue trees, found in the stories and connections of the three souls games. It may not help you succeed at these games but if you like to learn as much a possible from a credible source, this is your tool. Closest to the truth you can get other than the whispers from Miyazaki’s lips. Good luck grabbing one, maybe they will repress in another 10, 20, 50 years. 🫣