Bandai Namco releases a range of new, impressive-looking screenshots from upcoming action-RPG Dark Souls 3, featuring one of the game's new bosses.

New screenshots released by Bandai Namco are sure to make the wait until April 12th all the more agonizing for Dark Souls fans. The images released show off some of the new armor sets, characters, and locations that players will encounter on their journey through the game's brutal world.

The image above showcases one of Dark Souls 3's new bosses, the Ludex Gundyr, who wields a long spear-like weapon and attacks with a large black mass that erupts from his body, presumably in one of the later phases in the fight. According to Bandai, Gundyr will be encountered in the area known as the Untended Graves as the player is revived as an "Unkindled".

The images also show off a new area known as the Firelink Shrine, home to a Fire Keeper who serves the player on their "long and arduous journey". This location serves as a starting area for players as they begin their adventure. A Fire Keeper is an iconic NPC in the world of Dark Souls and act as the guardians of the bonfires. So far Fire Keepers have all universally shared the ability to upgrade Estus Flasks and presumably this guardian will share that same role.

These new pictures show us a more in-depth look at the world of Dark Souls and seem to focus mostly on the early part of the game. They accompany the array of screenshots that were released to promote the upcoming action-RPG in late 2015, which focussed more on PvP and gameplay elements. One of the new images does show a element of magic, demonstrating a pyromancer in a cathedral launching flames at a group of ghoul-like creatures,

In an interview last year, Dark Souls 3 director Hidetaka Miyazaki made a lot of gamers very happy by announcing that the upcoming game would have an updated combat system, inspired by the limited combat seen in FromSoftware's other major title: Bloodborne. Miyazaki stated that he wanted the next in the Dark Souls franchise to feature a wide range of battle styles, as well as utilising magic in combat.

Dark Souls 3's release date is fast approaching and it's sure to bring a lot of new players to the already popular franchise, especially since the game's well-received announcement at E3 2015. For many people, the latest in the Dark Souls franchise is one of the more anticipated games of 2016. Until recently, developers From Software have been careful to avoid divulging too many details on the newest instalment in their wildly successful series so these new screenshots are a welcome late Christmas present for all of us.

Dark Souls 3 releases for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on April 12, 2016 in North America, South America, and Europe.