Ranking FromSoftware's Soulslikes from Easiest to Hardest

In this article, we’ll list each of the original Soulslike games from FromSoftware, from easiest to hardest, with the goal of selecting the most challenging game in the genre and establishing a playable order for players who want to venture into this style for the first time or for those who have tried it before and intend to return after some time.

Elden Ring

The "easiest" option is the best entry point into the genre. Elden Ring is a masterpiece in gaming history, featuring a vibrant open world and epic battles, with free and highly rewarding exploration. The combat system is far more advanced than previous titles, and there are several features to help less experienced players survive in the Lands Between.

Demon’s Souls

The first Souls game served as the model for the Dark Souls Trilogy, forming the basis of the format, even though it's not as famous as its successors. Demon's Souls revived the philosophy of older games, which offered very little or no information on what to do to the player and presented increasingly difficult challenges as the game progressed.

Even so, the title was still far from being an impossible game like some of its successors are considered today. The Soulslike genre was established here, and for that reason, Demon's Souls deserves this position on the list.

Dark Souls 2

Before discussing Dark Souls 2, it's important to clarify that ideally, the trilogy should be played in order to fully appreciate the story (Dark Souls 1, then 2, and finally 3). However, in terms of difficulty, the second title in the trilogy falls behind the other two, and this becomes even more evident when playing them in order.

DS2 is the most different of the three, with several mechanics tested here and never replicated in other titles, such as the ability to use more rings and movement and animations different from the other two games.

There are incredible battles here and scenarios that are a torture to explore, such as the unforgettable Iron Keep or the battle against the Fume Knight, but I still consider this the least challenging game in the franchise, ranking fifth in difficulty.

Bloodborne

Now we enter controversial territory. Bloodborne is considered by many to be FromSoftware's best game (and by some, Sony's best game), always cited as one of the most difficult, but the game brings several gameplay innovations that contradict this opinion.

Bloodborne is indeed a difficult game, with a faster and more frenetic gameplay, where you’re not a knight in heavy armor with a shield, but a hunter dressed in leather. Dodging is the main way to avoid taking damage, and the enemies are voracious.

However, Bloodborne's greatest asset in favor of a smooth gameplay experience is the parry mechanic, which is implemented here with firearms and the bullets you can collect from defeated enemies. Mastering the parry in Bloodborne is one of the game's strongest mechanics and greatly facilitates battles against most bosses and enemies.

Dark Souls

The first of the Souls trilogy and spiritual successor to Demon's Souls, Dark Souls elevated everything used in its predecessor to a new level and revolutionized the industry, serving as the new pillar of the Soulslike genre. The dark fantasy atmosphere, the brilliant level design with interconnected environments and unforgettable enemies, not to mention the incredible soundtrack.

The DLC, Artorias of the Abyss, is what elevates this game to another level of difficulty, with bosses like Knight Artorias and Manus, the Father of the Abyss, but the bosses in the base game are just as challenging. It's impossible to think of this game without remembering Ornstein and Smough (I myself lost many, many hours in that boss fight).

Dark Souls 3

The third Souls game is the pinnacle of the trilogy, not only in terms of lore, setting, and soundtrack, but also in terms of gameplay and difficulty.

Released in 2016, Dark Souls 3 offers smoother and better-developed gameplay compared to the previous two titles, drawing from the golden source that is Bloodborne. Here, there are cinematic battles, already showing what Elden Ring would become years later, with bosses so infernal that they still give us nightmares today. It's impossible not to place this game in this position when it's here that we experience the horror of facing Sister Friede and Gael, the Slave Knight, but the worst was yet to come.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Three years had passed since Dark Souls 3, and FromSoftware has gifted us with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a game that many don't consider to be a Soulslike, but which possesses all the elements of its formula. Challenging gameplay, cinematic bosses, and elegant design.

In Sekiro, we’re taken to the Sengoku Era Japan, playing as Wolf, in a world full of ninjas and samurai. Here, players' nerves are tested to the extreme in battles where dodging is no longer enough and parrying is the main mechanic.

The bosses remain diabolically difficult, and the gameplay is closer to what we see in Bloodborne, faster and more frenetic, but here you need to be meticulously precise, as the slightest mistake can be fatal.

This concludes another article. Leave your questions, suggestions, criticisms, and/or compliments in the comments. Thank you for reading, and until next time.