Dark Souls 3 is a hard game.
That probably won't be a surprise to many fans, especially those who have already taken From Software's latest action-RPG for a spin.
What makes the difficulty of Dark Souls 3 different from the rest of the series is that the level of challenge is almost perfectly pitched. The original game featured some brutally-difficult sections, followed by long stretches of minor obstacles — Dark Souls 2, on the other hand, never felt like much of a challenge at all.
The latest game in the series feels like a perfect middle ground: the game is still extremely challenging, and ready to pounce on any mistake the player makes ... but it's evenly-paced, without dipping too far into the insanely-difficult or pitifully easy sides of the spectrum.
Except for the Soul of Cinder, that is. It's understandable that From Software wanted to make the final boss of the game a challenge, but the Soul of Cinder can destroy even the strongest of characters in mere moments. It's an encounter that can stop entire playthroughs in their tracks, where hours of gameplay equal no progress whatsoever.
Unless you're Twitch streamer TolomeoR, who can beat the Soul of Cinder without blocking, dodging or even leveling up his character.
Yes, that is someone killing the Soul of Cinder without taking a hit, dodging away from an attack or even using armor — and yes, it is real. Granted, TolomeoR's run sounds downright impossible: how could anyone beat the Soul of Cider without dodging, or armor, or leveling up, or parrying or taking a single hit?
Watching the video reveals that, despite all of the handicaps he's placed on himself, TolomeoR has an intimate knowledge of the Soul of Cinder fight. Timing, attack patterns, the different phases of the fight — TolomeoR knows what to expect and when to expect it, to the point where it looks like he can see into the future.
Oh, and one more thing: this isn't Tolomeo's first run through the game, or even his first pass through New Game+. The video above reportedly shows TolomeoR completing his sixth run through the game — if you thought the Soul of Cinder was tough before, just wait until you beat the game five times and then decide to fight him.
Of course, TolomeoR isn't done with Dark Souls 3 just yet — his seventh run through the game just started. If you'd like to see more insane Dark Souls 3 skills, head on over to his Twitch channel.
