The "Dark Souls" series has been known as one of the most brutal games you'll ever face as a player. Its latest game - "Dark Souls 3," proves not to be an exception. If this is your first game in the franchise, here are some tips for you to cover.

Gamespot's beginner tips got you covered.

Explore

To start it off, exploration leads to a lot of good rewards. These includes new weapons, armors, souls, rings, the works. Don't hesitate to scan the whole area even after you have defeated the boss, because you'll never know what you might have missed.

Run

Just in case you haven't realized yet, with this game, your character is bound to die. A lot. If it gets to the point that the enemies in your current area seem to be overwhelming and too difficult to defeat, then there's a chance that you might have to make a run for it. You can backtrack, and check other routes (or alternative routes) that you might have missed. Remember, running away from battle is also a tactic.

Read

Reading item descriptions can be a very boring task especially in games like this. Still, doing so will net you with new quest, valuable items, and secret areas. It should also be noted that reading is essential when it comes to Keys, as it will tell you where that needs to be used.

Talk

Every NPC has something to tell which gives you more understanding of what the game is all about. Talk to them until they start repeating their responses. They might guide you to secret areas and/or give you items. Aside from that, talking to certain NPCs will affect the game ending.

Reinforce

This is one of the very basics of playing RPGs, strengthening your weapons. As such, make sure to often give the Blacksmith a visit as he can offer you expanding and reallocating of your Estus Flask. He can also add status effects to your weapons and more importantly, reinforcing them. Don't worry too much about the payment as most of the time he won't charge that many souls.

Equip load

Similar to your player dying, you will be rolling a lot in order to dodge enemy attacks. With that in mind, you need to always pay attention to your equip load whenever you equip armors and/or weapons. Having a high equip load burdens you with a slower roll and stamina recharge which could be crucial to your survival.

Messages

There are a lot of messages (which are shown as orange spots) scattered on the ground everywhere which are usually left by other players. While some of these notes are trustworthy, some of them are not. Make sure not to be fooled as the consequence/s can be fatal. Gamespot's tip here is to always check how many Appraisals the messages have so you can decide whether to really jump off that cliff when the message says "Treasure below".

Boss Souls

Upon defeating your first few bosses, make sure to visit the old guy sitting on the throne. He's willing to trade one of the two unique items in game for those boss souls. Take note that you can only trade one per playthrough so you need to visit him again (on new game+) in order to take both.

Co-op

If despite your efforts, the game is still challenging as hell for you, it might be the time to turn to other players for help.

As long as you're logged into the game you'll see some summon signs on the ground. Examining it will summon a player to help you. Gamespot says that if you want to help someone instead, you'll need an item called "White Sign Soapstone."

Matchmaking in this game works by finding someone near the same level as you. Keep in mind that like in other games, the bosses get tougher when you call someone for help. Finally, Gamespot notes that in order to participate in the co-op game, both parties need to be embered (or by using the item called Ember).

Hopefully with these tips, you'll be dying less often, roll faster, and succeed in finishing the game while having a blast and completing most or all of the tasks. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on "Dark Souls 3."