Every FromSoftware Soulslike Game, Ranked From Easiest to Hardest (2024)

The launch of Demon's Souls in 2009 was the start of something huge for the video game industry. Its iconic gameplay systems became the staples of a new subgenre of Souls-likes, which have continued to rise in popularity. FromSoftware Elden Ring is the studio's most popular game yet, but it's maintained the franchise's tradition of extreme difficulty at every turn. Soulslikes are defined not only by their difficulty and intimidating boss fights but also by their play styles.

Games like DarkSouls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring challenge players to advance through checkpoints, where players can use earned XP to level up or boost their character in other ways. However, these checkpoints respawn enemies that aren't bosses and when their character dies, they drop their XP on the spot and must retrieve it without another death, or it's lost forever. The limited healing, environmental hazards, and hard-hitting enemies make the genre's challenges even tougher. Even the easiest Souls-likes are challenging, and the toughest examples, like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, are particularly demanding in terms of mechanics.

Updated on May 29, 2024, by Guillermo Kurten: FromSoftware has become a staple in mainstream AAA gaming, with the studio well-known for its intensely challenging Souls-like games. However -- between Demon's Souls, Armored Core VI, and Elden Ring's upcoming DLC, each game's difficulty varies. This list is being updated to add the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC trailer, details on what makes these games so challenging, average playtime, and critical receptions.

8 Elden Ring Lets Players Curate the World's Difficulty

DLC expansions: Shadow of the Erdtree

Elden Ring shot FromSoftware and the Souls genre even further into the mainstream. Its open world is meticulously designed and combat is hugely rewarding, while offering many new features that make Elden Ring perfect for introducing new players to the genre. Many of these new features lowered the game's overall difficulty, but Elden Ring is still a challenging experience – especially for newcomers.

The most noticeable difference between Elden Ring and other FromSoftware Souls games is its open world. Giving players more to explore is the key to reducing the difficulty curve, as someone struggling to keep pace in one area can choose to venture into an easier locale. The campfire checkpoints are also far more frequent and conveniently placed, so players are never too far from their dropped XP when they die. These noticeable additions, paired with smaller changes like the increased prevalence and strength of summons, help make Elden Ring a comparatively smoother experience.

FromSoftware's Soulslike subgenre is hard by design, but Elden Ring's unique way of letting players curate the experience makes the challenge variable. These various quality-of-life changes that come with developing such an ambitious open-world game can make Elden Ring indirectly easier. But it's certainly not without its notorious boss fights. Bosses like Malenia, Blade of Miquella, and Mohg, Lord of Blood proved to be roadblocks for many players, and given the developer's track record with DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree should be especially difficult.

Elden Ring

Once ruled by the immortal Queen Marika, keeper of the Elden Ring, the Lands Between are now divided between several demigods. As the battling demigods fought over the ring, they created the Shattering, granting each of them a shard. As the Tarnished, it is up to the player to confront these demigods, collect their Great Rune pieces, repair the Elden Ring and become the Elden Lord.

Platform(s)

PC , PS5 , PS4 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S

Released

February 25, 2022

Developer(s)

FromSoftware

Publisher(s)

Bandai Namco Entertainment

Genre(s)

Action-Adventure , RPG

Multiplayer

Online Co-Op

ESRB

M

How Long To Beat

44+ hrs

7 Bloodborne Changes its Approach to Relentless Action

DLC expansions: The Old Hunters

Many fans still consider Bloodborne to be FromSoftware's greatest game, and for good reason. The unique gothic-Victorian setting is perfect for the genre, and Bloodborne is easily the most atmospheric entry in the series. Although its DLC, The Old Hunters, is one of the hardest in gaming, the base game is one of FromSoftware's less challenging offerings once you get the hang of things.

Bloodborne encourages a very different playstyle from most FromSoftware's Souls games. Combat rewards players for playing aggressively by restoring lost health if they can immediately hit back. Ruthlessness is the key to success in the Victorian dark fantasy of Yharnam, but this approach to combat boasts an impressive amount of variety. Bloodborne's wealth of inventive weapon types ensures that every player will find suitable builds to their tastes and carry them through the main story.

This refreshing playstyle makes the game somewhat easier, at least from a certain perspective, as it makes taking hits less grueling if players take control of encounters by matching – and overpowering – the enemy's pace. Bloodborne's healing system is also far less limited, as players can hold up to 20 Blood Vials, making sustaining a run easier. Although the boss fights are still massively tough, Bloodborne is more forgiving than others in the genre.

Still, The Old Hunters DLC expansion is more than enough to give players a challenge by any normal standard. With boss fights like Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower and the cosmic-horror monstrosity that is the endgame boss, Orphan of Kos, Bloodborne helped cement FromSoft's reputation for developing famously difficult DLC.

Bloodborne

A hunter awakens in the plagued lands of Yharnam, where the denizens have succumb to beast hood, in an attempt to learn the truth and how to end the plague, unbeknownst of the true horror lurking within the city.

Platform(s)

PlayStation 4

Released

March 24, 2015

Developer(s)

FromSoftware

Publisher

SCEE, SCEA, SCEI, Sony Interactive Entertainment, SCE Australia

Genre(s)

Action

ESRB

M

Mode

Single-player, multiplayer

6 Dark Souls 3 is a Streamlined Tough-But-Fair Experience

DLC expansions: Ashes of Ariandel, The Ringed City

FromSoftware learned a lot of lessons from their earlier releases and implemented them in the development of Dark Souls 3. As a result, it's a difficult game to rank. On one hand, its faster-paced combat makes it feel harder than previous titles, but its string of easier early bosses also helps players adjust quickly to the new feel of the game.

The combat, in particular, felt like an amalgamation of what the studio had learned from the previous Dark Souls games as well as Bloodborne. This ties into Dark Souls 3's quicker action, as the moment-to-moment combat against regular enemies, minibosses, and bosses felt like a healthy midpoint between the more methodical Dark Souls and the relentlessness of Bloodborne. It's an aspect that makes the game feel more streamlined without sacrificing its challenging foundation.

New gameplay systems in Dark Souls 3 also gave players new ways of approaching combat. For example, players could use magic more effectively and various defensive tactics, including stronger shields, to find a playstyle that suited the individual. DS3 also reduces the ruthless environmental hazards that often felt unfair in previous games, making it easier.

But in true FromSoftware fashion, the game's two DLC expansions added another layer of challenge. The Ashes of Ariandel introduced one of the trilogy's most ruthless bosses in Sister Freide, putting players through a grueling 3-phase-long fight. Meanwhile, The Ringed City featured one of the toughest optional bosses in the form of the dragon Darkeater Midir, while the main story's endgame fight Slave Knight Gael gave the trilogy a memorable finale.

That's not to say the base game is without its challenges. Pontiff Sulyvahn gave many players trouble with his swift dual-wielded attacks that can close the distance. The Nameless King -- one of the last bosses -- can force multiple tries to defeat him thanks to his overwhelming two-phase fight. It requires a great amount of endurance on the player's part, with the first phase seeing the Nameless King fight the player on a wyvern, while his second takes them on in close quarters.

Dark Souls III

Developed by Japanese developer FromSoftware, DARK SOULS III is the latest chapter in the DARK SOULS series with its trademark sword and sorcery combat and rewarding action RPG gameplay. Players travel across a wide variety of locations in an interconnected world of unrelenting challenge and deep RPG gameplay as they search for a way to survive the coming apocalypse.

Franchise

Dark Souls

Platform(s)

Xbox One , PlayStation 4 , PC

Released

April 12, 2016

Developer(s)

From Software

Publisher

Bandai Namco Games

Genre(s)

Action RPG

ESRB

M

5 Dark Souls is a Balanced Challenge With Metroidvania Elements

DLC expansions: Artorias of the Abyss

Dark Souls occupies the middle ground of FromSoftware's difficulty. Unlike Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls 3, it doesn't include many features that help negate the game's base difficulty. On the flip side, it also doesn't include any overtly punishing mechanics or features that elevate the difficulty to crazy new heights (save perhaps the Bed of Chaos).

Unlike its predecessor, Demon's Souls, Dark Souls doesn't halve the player's maximum health when they die. Instead, when their characters drop their XP, players also temporarily lose the ability to summon. This feature is counterbalanced by the fact that players in this state also can't have their games invaded by opposing players. Dark Souls provides the baseline difficulty for FromSoftware's Souls games. Enemies hit hard, and boss battles offer real challenges, but it doesn't force players to contend with many other factors that further increase the game's difficulty. Perhaps the only other element that might make the game more challenging for some is how fast travel functions.

While the feature exists in Dark Souls, it's in a much more limited capacity than its predecessors, as fast travel isn't unlocked until well into the game's story. Specifically, players unlock it after getting the Lord Vessel in Anor Londo, and even then, it only lets players travel to select Bonfires. This makes traversal harder in certain ways, but since the game is partly a Metroidvania, the exploration this encourages is part of the charm.

The game's standout moments of difficulty include the infamous Blighttown, which contains a slew of lethal enemies. The most threatening was almost undeniably the curse-afflicting frogs, as this status effect instantly kills the player once the meter is filled – and the effect stays after resurrecting. Frustrating enemies combined with one of the most labyrinthine areas in the game made it one of the most difficult portions of the entire trilogy. This game is also where FromSoft built its reputation for gritty DLC that elevates the already high stakes, with the Artorias of the Abyss expansion pitting players against the eponymous fallen knight. Artorias is one of the most agile and physically powerful bosses in Dark Souls​​​​​​.

Dark Souls Remastered

Re-experience the critically acclaimed, genre-defining game that started it all. Beautifully remastered, return to Lordran in stunning detail. DARK SOULS: REMASTERED includes the main game plus the Artorias of the Abyss DLC.

ESRB

M

Franchise

Dark Souls

Platform(s)

Nintendo Switch , Xbox One , PC , PlayStation 4

Released

May 25, 2018

Developer

QLOC

Publisher

Bandai Namco Games

Genre(s)

Action RPG

4 Demon’s Souls is the Raw Form of FromSoftware's Souls-Likes

Demon's Souls is the game that started the Souls genre and established many of its core mechanics. Although the 2009 original was slightly unbalanced and included a few inventory loopholes that made the game easier, the 2020 remake by Bluepoint Games fixed these issues and consolidated the game's place among FromSoftware's most difficult titles.

As if Souls games weren't hard enough, Demon's Souls makes the difficulty skyrocket by halving players' maximum HP after death. Only by reaching the next checkpoint can they regain their lost health. This makes respawning and reclaiming what players lost more of a challenge than even in more contemporary FromSoftware games. Depending on how the player dies, Demon's Souls can demand players to run the length of an entire level and defeat the boss before unlocking another checkpoint.

Compared to its successor series, this Soulslike progenitor isn't nearly as generous with the Bonfire system of Dark Souls – and certainly not the Sites of Grace in Elden Ring. That said, the game offers some open-ended gameplay by allowing players to tackle Demon's Souls' levels in any order they choose.

Demon's Souls

Demon's Souls promises to be the hardcore action RPG experience PS3 owners have been waiting for since the platform's launch. Team up with two other players in simultaneous cooperative play, working together to topple some of the game's colossal bosses, or force your way into the games of skilled players and challenge them to PvP battle. Leave hints and clues for those who will follow in your footsteps; either intentionally or through your own inadvertent demise, your bloodstains will allow your successors to view a replay of your death, hinting at how to avoid your gruesome fate.

Platform(s)

PlayStation 3

Released

October 6, 2009

Developer

From Software

Publisher

Atlus

Genre(s)

Action RPG

ESRB

M

3 Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Offers a Familiar Difficulty Level Under a Fresh Context

FromSoftware took the success of its Souls-like titles to refresh a cult-classic series for the modern era. Instead of dark fantasy making up trappings, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is a mecha-based vehicular combat game in a dystopic sci-fi setting. As such, the combat style asks players to be quick with their reflexes and positioning, constantly adjusting their aim on top of melee combat.

How the player and enemy mechs can quickly traverse the environment adds a new layer of difficulty compared to Dark Souls or Elden Ring, which might make players readjust their muscle memory for Armored Core VI. However, it follows a similar template for progression, as normal enemies ensure players are on their toes but aren't especially difficult either.

Meanwhile, bosses and occasional minibosses ramp up the stakes and test players' mettle. Customization is another familiar feature. While it's not an RPG, Armored Core VI gives players variety in their mech builds if a certain approach doesn't suit them. The V.II Snail boss fight is a prime example of what makes the game so difficult. Combining fast-paced attacks with high-damage output and tough shields, players will constantly be on edge.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

A mysterious new substance was discovered on the remote planet, Rubicon 3. As an energy source, this substance was expected to dramatically advance humanity's technological and communications capabilities. Instead, this substance caused a catastrophe that engulfed the planet and the surrounding stars in flames and storms, forming a Burning Star System. Almost half a century later, the same substance resurfaced on Rubicon 3, a planet now contaminated and sealed off by the catastrophe. The player infiltrates Rubicon as an independent mercenary and finds themselves in a struggle over the substance with the corporations and other factions.

Franchise

Armored Core

Platform(s)

PC , PlayStation 5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , PlayStation 4

Released

August 25, 2023

Developer

FromSoftware

Publisher

Bandai Namco Games

Genre(s)

Vehicular Combat

ESRB

T

2 Dark Souls 2's Strange Game Design Makes it Uniquely Tough

DLC expansions: Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, Crown of the Ivory King

Dark Souls 2 is the only FromSoftware Souls game not directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki. The sequel is often criticized for lacking creativity and is widely regarded as the least popular game in the franchise. Most of the game's bosses are designed to hit harder and tank more incoming damage to compensate for their similar movesets. The overly hazardous level design also often felt unfair and tedious, making it harder and less fun to play.

Another feature in Dark Souls 2 that further adds to the difficulty is the player's maximum health decreases slightly every time they die, making every mistake even more punishing. Healing items also take a long time to consume, making them a less viable option for survival amid combat. In the base game, bosses like the Fume Knight tested the player's mettle the most. His hard-hitting attacks and relentless offensive pattern give players little time to breathe. The DLC expansions added extra challenges, with the Crown of the Sunken King's final boss -- Sinh, the Slumbering Dragon -- being a standout. The beast's area-of-effect attacks can easily kill the player from overwhelming Toxic buildup.

Still, the game garnered a strong critical reception and some retroactive affection for how it pushed players to experiment with strange character builds. The lack of a typical level cap – like the first and third entries had – contributes to this. But it's ultimately the punishing external factors that have to work within that make the challenge intense and feel, at times, artificial. Out of all of FromSoftware's modern Soulslikes, Dark Souls 2 is the most difficult.

Dark Souls 2

Prepare to die... Again. Dare yourself to engage against intense gameplay in a vast world powered by a new engine. Immerse yourself into mind-bending environments filled with new twisted monsters and deadly bosses. A vast array of threats will prey on human senses & phobias - auditory hallucinations, vertigo, acrophobia, etc. More intricate customization options provide weapons and armor tailoring to player style.

Franchise

Dark Souls

Platform(s)

PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360 , PC

Released

March 11, 2014

Developer

FromSoftware

Publisher

Namco Bandai Games

Genre(s)

Action RPG

ESRB

T

1 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Demands Mechanical Mastery

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice isn't a traditional Souls game since it doesn't include a leveling-up mechanic. Instead, the 2019 Game of the Year allows players to unlock and upgrade skills at checkpoints. The knock-on effect of this design choice is that unlike in other FromSoftware Souls-like games – namely Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring – players can't simply grind an area to earn XP and boost their stats to make the game easier.

At its core, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an action-adventure title, as opposed to the former games' action-RPG trappings. This makes this samurai fantasy markedly harder, as it values mastery of its mechanics above all. Compared to its contemporaries, it has a more linear level progression system. This means players mostly repeat tough encounters until they learn to overcome them, rather than venturing off the beaten path and returning later.

It forces players to practice, learn enemy attack patterns, adapt, and improve. Sekiro's fluid combat is a joy to play but also forces players down a single playstyle path. Parrying and timing are key, so players used to blocking or dodging in other Souls games will find Sekiro even harder. Sekiro forces players to learn and master its combat systems or die, easily making it FromSoftware's hardest Souls game.

Throughout the main story, the game enforces this core principle in various ways to keep players on their toes. The grizzled shinobi known as the Owl gives the protagonist a brutal fight, especially since he can be fought in two variations. And perhaps the hardest boss in any FromSoft Souls-like game, Isshin the Sword Saint makes players apply everything they learned to earn the game's ending across three intense phases.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekirofollows ashinobiknown as Wolf, who attempts to take revenge on asamuraiclan that imprisoned him and kidnapped his lord.

ESRB

M

Platform(s)

PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox One , Stadia

Released

March 22, 2019

Developer(s)

FromSoftware

Publisher(s)

Activision , FromSoftware

Genre(s)

Action-Adventure

Summary

This is an action-adventure game in which players assume the role of a disgraced shinobi on a quest to rescue his kidnapped lord in ancient Japan. Players use swords and a prosthetic arm to battle members of an enemy clan and supernatural demons in frenetic combat. Large blood-splatter effects occur as enemies are killed; some attacks result in decapitation and/or dismemberment. Cutscenes depict additional acts of violence: a man impaled through the chest with a sword; a child stabbed with a sword off screen.