New to Souls-Like Games: Which One First?

[kkulifay]

I’ve never played a From Software game before, or any souls-like game. I took a leap of faith and bought the following:

 

-Bloodborne

-Dark Souls III

-Demons Souls Remake (PS5)

-Elden Ring

-Sekiro

-The Nioh Collection (PS5)

 

I have zero experience with these types of games. I know they are going to be difficult; but I’m ready to step up my game eventually and graduate to this next level.

 

Which one do I start to get my feet wet and why? Feel free to rank the order if you wish. Any input is appreciated from the community here. Thank you!

 

BTW reading about world tendencies in Demons Souls is slightly intimidating because it’s confusing and obscure to me. 

[Vern3r0z]

if you want the easiest time getting to know the mechanics and such i would probably start with elden ring out of those ones

[Maahniac]

I've only played Demon's Souls (both the PS3 and PS5 version), and would myself like to play more of the games in "the series", so I'd like suggestions as well (I'm thinking Bloodborne next, but supposedly it's the hardest?). I'm pretty sure Demon's Souls is regarded as the easiest of them all, so I'd probably recommend you to start with that. I found it to be an excellent introduction to these type of games, and it has made me hungry for more. It was very challenging at times, but never unfair.

[DrBloodmoney]

I'd say Demon's Souls is the obvious starting point - it's both the earliest of the Souls lineage, and modern enough to feel accessible given the excellent remake status.

 

While the Dark Souls games aren't direct narrative sequels, I would still recommend doing Dark Souls Remastered, then Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin before doing Dark Souls III - there aren't narrative hooks, but there is a lot of content that is clever nods and call backs that would be lost on you if you did Dark Souls III first.

 

Bloodborne and Sekiro are both excellent games, but both are at their most interesting if played after playing the more "Standard" souls games, as that is the best way to appreciate the ways in which those two games deviate from the regular formula - I'd also mention that while Bloodborne is on par with Dark Souls and Demon's Souls in terms of difficulty, Sekiro is a significant step up, so probably best worked up to, rather than going first!

 

Elden Ring is the Magnum Opus of the formula - it is easier, but it is also the best one, and again, I think best appreciated from the point of view of having some of the eariler games already under your belt. I think to fully appreciate what an achievement Elden Ring is, you really need to see the Souls formula in it's original form first. I'd also highly recommend at least getting to Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin before firing up Elden Ring, as Elden Ring feels a lot more like a sequel to that game than any of the other Soulsbourne games. (DSII:SotFS is my favourite FROM game aside form Elden Ring, BTW)

 

Nioh, I can't personally speak to, but for what it's worth, a few folks I know who are huge fans of Soulsborne games who have played Nioh have confirmed that while it is a great game, it isn't really similar to Soulsborne games, or even really a Souls-like - so really, that one could be done any time, I guess!

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by DrBloodmoney

[OTPYG]

Demon’s Souls is in my opinion the easiest of the lot. It’s quite linear, it’s got spells that can make it even easier (soul arrows), and it looks absolutely stunning. 

 

World tendency is unique to Demon’s Souls. It isn’t too complicated as long as you do one thing - stay in soul form, that way when you die you won’t shift the world tendency towards black. If you’re in human/body form, and you die (which you’ll be doing plenty of) then you push it towards black. By staying in soul form, your health will always be at half of what your max is though. It’s easy to get a world black. It takes a bit of a grind to get it back to white. If you’re going to go for the Plat then I’d recommend using a guide for when to push it towards black and for when to try to maintain white. This may sound a bit full on in text but will make sense when you’re playing the game. 

 

They’re all great games. You’ll find opinions range greatly on which is the most difficult, as they all have some different gameplay tweaks from each other. Many regard Sekiro to be the toughest, I found it to be one of the easier ones. It just plays differently from the more traditional Souls game. I struggled the most with Dark Souls 3. Bloodborne is probably my favourite game of all time, but of the whole list it’s also the one that would be showing its age the most. Could really do with a 60FPS patch!! Whatever you choose first good luck, and remember dying is part of the learning process so don’t take it out on your innocent controller!!

Edited November 6, 2022 by OTPYG

[Maxemole]

I've played all of them to completion aside from Bloodborne (waiting for the patch) and I'd recommend Demon's Souls first, then the Souls trilogy before branching into the rest.

 

Like others have said, at least get the Souls games in you as then you'll really be able to appreciate Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Sekiro for what they're worth.

 

I really love Nioh but it's much harder and more complex than the others. It's more of a 'game' in that there's hella loot management and other gamey mechanics like lots of cutscenes, movesets, and more of an arcade-like feel. Definitely one I'd recommend trying after seeing if you click with the Souls games, but I even know some fans of those that don't love Nioh.

[KCF392]

I would say start with Elden Ring. I had played a little Dark Souls 1, Dark Souls 3, and Sekiro before and found it a bit of challenge (possibly because of control schemes being a little different than I was used to).  Playing Elden Ring I found was a great way to really grasp game mechanics, control schemes, and manage difficulty.  Compared to the more linear setting of the majority of the other games listed, Elden Ring being open-world allowed for "I'll leave and come back to this enemy later" and changes in scenery or enemies, plus(!) you can also quickly go to the location of equipment to help your desired build.  

 

Because of Elden Ring I was inspired to go back and actually do the rest, and just finished DS1 last night.

 

The biggest advice I can give to anyone though is to do an hour or two of homework first.  Before opening the game, have an introspective moment and ask yourself some questions: "Do I tend to be an up-close-and-personal type of fighter, a mid-range melee fighter, a distance fighter, or a combination?" "Am I capable of living with a build with set limits (mana, arrows, etc.)?"  Those answers should frame what kind of build you want to do and the type of gear you want to go for, and it should help out a lot.

[BlazzingWind]

I will echo a bit of what has been said here.

 

I would start with Demons Souls to get a feel for the combat of Souls-like games. Yes it will be slower all around then some of the more recent entries. But getting used to looking for cues and knowing when to dodge is a life saving skill to learn when moving toward the fastee games like DS3, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring.

 

Each of the games past Demons Souls took a mechanic and made it their foundation, while Elden Ring mashed everything together in a rather fun way.

 

I personally found Bloodborn to be the hardest (havent played Sekiro or Nioh yet) as the concept of being aggressive and immediately counter-attacking to reclaim lost health can and will get you killed in DS.

 

tl:dr let Demons Souls be an appetizer, the other games be side courses to test out what mechanics you enjoy and click with. While Elden Ring is the awesome main course.

[Boorish]

I've only played Sekiro and Elden Ring to completion. I never really had any interest in the Souls games, because I never really much cared for a medieval setting. They always looked very ugly to me so I never bothered.

 

I'd say whatever looks the most appealing to you. I started with Sekiro and I don't regret it. I loved the aesthetics of the game, so I gave it a shot. There is a steep learning to it, but I was very interested in it so I put in the time to get better.

 

Elden Ring is also a very pretty game. It has sections which looks like the old souls game and I wasn't too repulsed by it. I though the first few areas of the game were fantastic and a 10/10 experience. Didn't like it very much past a point due to other reasons. I am not a big fan of the game, but I am interested enough to give the other souls games a try now.

 

I gave Bloodborne a try and have a couple of hours in it. I couldn't vibe with it (don't like horror/spooky games), but I do want to go back and see if anything changes.

 

So in conclusion, watch a few trailers, see which one interests you the most.

 

EDIT: Would also like to add that difficulty in these games is extremely exaggerated. I think it comes from the fact that it was once branded as a "prepare to die" thing. Death is an integral part of these games. You'll eventually embrace it. Difficulty is implemented differently in these games. It's more so a part of the world and the gameplay. That is something I really appreciate.

Edited November 6, 2022 by boorish_brute

[Ninjise]

Like the majority have said, Demon Souls might be the best game to start Imo, being the first and also one the easiest games, it's a great game to learn the playstyle and how the mechanics works in these games.

 

Bloodborn is also a very good choice, similar from the souls games in terms of gameplay with a couple of changes, and having a different setting on a lovecraftian horror rather than  a medieval fantasy.

 

Nioh games are completely different, they follow more Ninja Gaiden Hack N Slash gameplay rather the slow and patience oriented gamestyle of Souls Games, I would say for these ones you can pick between the Souls games to have breath of fresh hair. All of those games you bought are incredible, I recommend watching some videos, trailers, reviews and pick the one that fascinates you the most. 

Edited November 6, 2022 by Ninjise

[Tsundokuist]

I’d start with one of the newest games (Demons Souls Remake or Elden Ring), they’re the most refined versions of the formula so you are going to see the experience in it’s best light and not have  to look beyond more archaic visuals and mechanics.

 

Personally, of those two, I’d recommend Demon’s Souls on PS5 (I came at it from the perspective of loving Bluepoint‘s Shadow of the Colossus Remake rather than having any interest in Soulslikes) it didn’t leave me wanting any more FromSoft games but at the very least it is super fun, relatively short and possibly the best looking game made by anyone to date.

[steel6burgh]

4 hours ago, kkulifay said:

I’ve never played a From Software game before, or any souls-like game. I took a leap of faith and bought the following:

 

-Bloodborne

-Dark Souls III

-Demons Souls Remake (PS5)

-Elden Ring

-Sekiro

-The Nioh Collection (PS5)

 

I have zero experience with these types of games. I know they are going to be difficult; but I’m ready to step up my game eventually and graduate to this next level.

 

Which one do I start to get my feet wet and why? Feel free to rank the order if you wish. Any input is appreciated from the community here. Thank you!

 

BTW reading about world tendencies in Demons Souls is slightly intimidating because it’s confusing and obscure to me. 

wow you're in for an amazing time!

 

You could play demon souls and nioh and switch back and forth.  keep in mind though some are easier than others so if you want to start slow start Elden Ring.   of course it's one of the best as well.  my 1st was Bloodborne and it's not a bad starting point as well.

[MD_91]

1 hour ago, boorish_brute said:

I've only played Sekiro and Elden Ring to completion. I never really had any interest in the Souls games, because I never really much cared for a medieval setting. They always looked very ugly to me so I never bothered.

 

I'd say whatever looks the most appealing to you. I started with Sekiro and I don't regret it. I loved the aesthetics of the game, so I gave it a shot. There is a steep learning to it, but I was very interested in it so I put in the time to get better.

 

Sekiro is the only one that appeals to me also for aesthetic reasons so this is good to hear

[Bloke]

Demon's souls PS5 as Royalty is basically the easiest class to run through the game with. As with all souls games, your first will generally be the hardest, however as Royalty, it makes Demon's Souls trivial. If you want to increase the difficulty you can playthrough as a different class.

 

As for the other souls titles, DS1-3 play similar to DeS, with Bloodborne coming in close. Sekiro is an entirely different game to the Souls games, basing game mechanics around accurate parry and posture. 

Edited November 6, 2022 by TriadThunder-X

[SuchRemorse]

6 hours ago, Vern3r0z said:

if you want the easiest time getting to know the mechanics and such i would probably start with elden ring out of those ones

Definitely not! Elden Ring is the longest and requires the most dedication. I would start with Demon's souls. It is the shortest game out of all of them and it's also the first. So you can start and see where it all began. I would also say it's probably the easiest too... Best to start there. 

[Helyx]

6 hours ago, Maahniac said:

Demon's Souls (both the PS3 and PS5 version)

 

6 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

I'd say Demon's Souls is the obvious starting point

 

6 hours ago, OTPYG said:

Demon’s Souls

 

5 hours ago, Maxemole said:

I'd recommend Demon's Souls first

 

4 hours ago, BlazzingWind said:

I would start with Demons Souls

 

3 hours ago, Ninjise said:

Demon Souls might be the best game

 

2 hours ago, steel6burgh said:

You could play demon souls

 

You've got a heart of gold. Don't let them take it from you.

Edited November 6, 2022 by Helyx

[the1andonly654]

They are all kinda similar. I haven't played Sekiro and Elden Ring yet, but having played the rest of them - it's not like one is clearly the hardest and one's the easiest. They're all demanding and they're all fair. They don't need godlike reflexes or some mystical knowledge to beat, they just require paying attention. 

 

The Nioh series is very different from the original Souls games though. The core concept is the same, but they're not mindless clones, they're doing their own thing in a way, and they're amazing at it. I would start with Bloodborne personally. Well, I actually started with it, but here's the reason - Bloodborne was focused on a more aggressive approach. Dodging and punishing. This pretty much carried me through every Soulslike game I've played to some extent. I feel like I would've had a harder time adjusting to different games in the genre if I started with a game that focuses more on blocking or being more defensive and then tried Bloodborne or Nioh. 

But that's just me. I stick to something I enjoy, but you might have more fun with experimenting with different builds and ways to play. 

 

Also, maybe it's just me but Demon's Souls remake feels... I don't know, dated? I'm not really sure why honestly. It's a great game but after playing the others, it definitely felt like an older game. I was kinda disappointed with it. Had fun, but I had that "nah, that's not entirely it" feeling all the time for some reason. So maybe don't leave it for last, you might get a bit disappointed as well. 

 

 

[kkulifay]

Thanks to all that have contributed so far. A lot of good material for me to reconcile. Either way, I’m looking forward to all of these titles!

[You]

9 hours ago, Maxemole said:

I've played all of them to completion aside from Bloodborne (waiting for the patch)

 

Patch to what? 60fps?

[wackt1]

11 hours ago, kkulifay said:

I’ve never played a From Software game before, or any souls-like game. I took a leap of faith and bought the following:

 

-Bloodborne

-Dark Souls III

-Demons Souls Remake (PS5)

-Elden Ring

-Sekiro

-The Nioh Collection (PS5)

 

I have zero experience with these types of games. I know they are going to be difficult; but I’m ready to step up my game eventually and graduate to this next level.

 

Which one do I start to get my feet wet and why? Feel free to rank the order if you wish. Any input is appreciated from the community here. Thank you!

 

BTW reading about world tendencies in Demons Souls is slightly intimidating because it’s confusing and obscure to me. 

Demon's souls world tendency is basically a karma systems with tangible in world effects. Killing bosses and black phantoms (both player and NPC) will shift the world and character tendency to white while dying in body form and killing friendly NPCs will shift to black world tendency. 

White world tendency will cause enemies to be weaker and attacks made in soul form stronger while black world tendency causes enemies to be stronger, increased drop rate, decreased health, and black phantom NPCs will appear.

I do suggest keeping world tendency to white, however there is an NPC that you need to kill: Yurt, the silent chief. It is because he will start to kill the merchants in the nexus unless you stop him. 

As for which game to start with, it is Dark souls 3, it is by far the easiest out of the souls game (I do have experience since I do have plats for OG demon's souls, 1,2,3, bloodborne, sekiro, and nioh 1). It has lot's of bonfires and tools to use and the co-op system is not too shabby. Then play Demon's souls, it has a couple different mechanics, such as hyper armor in place of a poise system, a slightly different healing mechanic and the world tendency and by far some of the easier bosses barring flame lurker.

Bloodborne is by far probably one of the most difficult games for new souls player considering how you fight is different from dark souls. It's really really fast pace and there is a lack of shields and in place you have trick weapons and guns. I do suggest finding some help if you're going to do this. In addition, if you're planning to do the Old hunters DLC, find someone to help you, it contains some of the hardest bosses in the entire game. 

Sekiro is in a similar boat to bloodborne except now you have verticality, stealth, and ninja tools. It is also quite difficult and it is a single player game, so you wont be able to summon players. If you play the game, learn the parry system because it will help you tremendously in the later bosses. 

Elden ring is the pinnical of From Software and probably the most accesible, it has around 165 bosses but you wont have to fight them all. 

Now for Nioh 1 and 2,  I have not played 2 but I have played 1. It has a steep difficulty curve in the shape of a mountain and not a mainline souls game. It operates more like a RPG with a loot system and souls elements. You go through a level and fight a boss at the end, sometimes 3 to 5 bosses. Oh and in certain missions, you cannot summon allies.  It is by far the most difficult souls game I have played.

Now for ranking of your list to play in order:
1.) Dark souls 3
2.) Demon's souls remake
3.) Elden Ring
4.) BloodBorne
5.) Sekiro
6.) Nioh 1 
7.) Nioh 2

[Wuthg21]

42 minutes ago, enaysoft said:

 

Patch to what? 60fps?

I was just thinking the same, i'm pretty sure they won't bring that out

[You]

1 minute ago, Colin said:

I was just thinking the same, i'm pretty sure they won't bring that out

 

Yeah, well considering Bloodborne is borderline an "old" game now.

 

As far as I know it's a finished and stable game without any gamebreaking bugs, no future DLC that stop you from playing it. I have no idea what a patch could entail.

[ChibsSoA]

Demon's Souls is IMO the worst of the souls games (excluding Sekiro). That doesn't make it a bad game - even a bad Zelda game is still a great game. It just has the most dated gameplay (even the PS5 version). The bosses are pretty stale and the environments aren't all that mindblowing. Fancy graphics aside it just didn't grip me either on PS3 or PS5, and I'm a huge Souls fan. I'd say Elden Ring, Bloodborne and Dark Souls 1 are far better games. The platinum on Demon's Souls is also the most pain in the ass IMO.

 

Elden Ring is the best game overall, but has the steepest curve early on to get past. For me, it had one of the weaker stories. Relatively easy platinum too.

Bloodborne has the best environments and soundtrack, and is borderline horror-ish if you're looking for something more grittier. It's the best experience in terms of just straight up aesthetics.

Dark Souls 1 has the best boss designs/fights and to me is the most memorable of any of them. Has the best story and NPC characters.

 

I would say this is my ranking of how I would recommend someone prioritize the series

 

Dark Souls -> Elden Ring -> Bloodborne -> Dark Souls 3 -> Dark Souls 2 -> Demons Souls -> Nioh 2 -> Sekiro -> Nioh

Edited November 7, 2022 by ChibsSoA

[Kefka1986]

I was in the same situation a few months ago, wanting to start playing soul games but without a clue of where to start from.

 

I finally decided on bloodborne, as I already got it for free through psplus, and it was an amazing experience. Frustrating sometimes, the game had a tendency to throw me, from time to time, into little caves with giant monsters and the camera would focus only in their ass without letting me dodge ? but that game was very rewarding, you can learn from your mistakes and, by the end of the game, you can feel you are the best hunter out there. Highly recommended!

 

As for the others, I will start with dark souls I and we’ll see where to go from there. I don’t have a ps5 yet, so demons soul will have to wait, and I think that, if I decided to start from the newer games, the moment I continue with older games they would feel outdated. So Elden Ring will be the final step in my journey.
 

Whatever you decide, don’t forget to tell us of your adventures!!!

[Maxemole]

21 hours ago, enaysoft said:

 

Patch to what? 60fps?

Yup! It's totally gonna happen