Dark Souls III is the Easiest to 100%

As a long-time Souls player with countless hours across the entire series, I‘m here to settle the debate on which game truly offers the most accessible road to fully completing the journey at 100% – and Dark Souls III takes the prize. Don‘t get me wrong, no Souls game is "easy" by any traditional standard. However, after multiple maxed-out playthroughs of every entry, DS3 stands out for respecting players‘ time with streamlined progression, quality of life improvements, and reasonable requirements.

Let‘s closely analyze the completion demands side-by-side. Take it from me, someone who has repeatedly taken the plunge to confront these brutal yet breathtaking worlds:

Gameplay & Progression

In terms of sheer playability, Dark Souls III makes getting from start to finish a less tedious affair through smart quality of life tweaks:

• Fast Travel – Warping between bonfires means far less frustrating backtracking through twisty level layouts.
• Linear World – While still interconnected, the world design trims confusing spiraling paths that lead players in circles.
• Refined Combat – Faster and more responsive controls with over 70 imaginative boss fights that challenge without resorting to cheap frustration.

According to the completion times logged on HowLongToBeat.com, Dark Souls III‘s main story quest falls closer to the 30 hour mark – especially impressive considering the scale and density of content.

Comparatively, the obtuse world design and antiquated mechanics (especially without bonfire warping) in the original Dark Souls inflates its average story playtime closer to 42+ hours. Those extra 12+ hours account for quite a lot of grueling and repetitive trial-and-error.

The numbers speak for themselves – Dark Souls III offers a more thoughtfully streamlined adventure from start to finish.

Grinding & Farming

While no Souls game is truly "easy", they often vary wildly in terms of grueling item farming demands at endgame:

• Obscure Drops – DS3 mostly avoids making players endlessly grind rare spawns for covenant or weapon materials.
• Straightforward NG+ Cycles – Only a couple + playthroughs needed to collect unique boss soul weapons.
• Upgraded Gear Carries Over – Keeping maxed out weapons/stats makes subsequent runs even smoother.

Veteran fans surely recall the nightmarish slog of farming Darkmoon Blade or Pure Bladestone in DS1. And don‘t get me started on grinding 30 Mad Warrior kills in Dark Souls 2‘s Iron Keep. DS3 learned from past sins by largely avoiding these fun-sucking chores. Most rare loot comes naturally through regular play or with peripherally obtained covenant rank ups.

In fact according to completion data, maxing out DS3 hovers around 50 hours. Compare that to the 80+ hour average for DS and DS2. I can personally confirm pushing past 100 hours for my first 100% run in DS1. That extra 30-50 hours makes all the difference when relying largely on unforgiving skill rather than unlimited free time. After all, we play these games for satisfaction in overcoming challenges through mastery – not consciousness-melting grinding.

So when it comes to evaluating the path of least resistance to seeing those sweet triple digits, Dark Souls III undoubtedly respects players‘ patience the most.

Verdict

While no Souls experience is a cakewalk, Dark Souls III smoothes out previous pain points for the most pleasant and painless road to 100% completion.

Between robust quality of life improvements, fine-tuned world design, and avoiding excessive farming demands, DS3 celebrates triumph over adversity without crossing into mindless tedium.

For series veterans and completionist maniacs like myself, that careful balance of challenge and respect is what keeps me coming back. So to all you undead warriors marching toward distant platinum trophies, may DS3‘s bonfires light your long night.