Dark Souls 3: 12 Essential Tips New Players Need To Know

5. When Is Best To Summon

Although you can summon whenever you've chomped on an Ember and are visible to the rest of the community, you'll want to hold off on doing so until you really need the help.

Feel free to place your summon sign anywhere you like and get beamed into someone else's game for a helping hand, but on the flip-side, I'd recommend saving Embers until you're right next to a fog gate (boss area), or in front of a large expanse of enemies.

This way, you won't be invaded by random players as you're not in 'ember form', and can call upon more friendlier types, as and when you need them. If any unwanted opponents do show up and you're already next to a fog door, traverse it and they'll be banished back to their realm.

A summoned companion gets sent back a few seconds after a boss fight anyway (long enough for you both to bow and wave at one another), whereas doing so on a regular stretch of gameplay means you can hang out for longer. Hop into the in-game settings and you can even set a password to restrict who can 'see' and join you, so if you're looking to buddy up with a specific friend, use this as a way to link your games together.