Ranking Every Souls Game Easiest to Hardest (Including Elden Ring)

Summary

In this video, the creator ranks every Soulsborne game from easiest to hardest, starting with Demon’s Souls and ending with Bloodborne. They analyze each game’s mechanics, enemy design, boss difficulty, and player tools, highlighting how factors like speed, level design, and available aids impact overall challenge. Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls 1 are considered more approachable, while Sekiro and Bloodborne demand precise timing, pattern recognition, and strategic thinking. Elden Ring’s open world and Spirit Ashes provide flexibility, making it easier for experienced players. The video offers a thoughtful, experience-based perspective on what makes each entry uniquely challenging within the series.

Takeaways

• 😀 Demon's Souls (Remake) is considered the easiest game in the Souls series, mainly due to exploitable mechanics like magic, shields, and dodge, as well as slow-paced combat and easy-to-understand boss mechanics.
• 😀 Dark Souls 1 is ranked second in ease, with slow combat and enemies that are manageable through parrying, backstabbing, and blocking. However, its level design and some boss fights, like Ornstein & Smough, can be challenging.
• 😀 Elden Ring is considered less difficult than many other Souls games, thanks to the open world design, the ability to leave tough bosses and return later, and powerful tools like spirit summons and overpowered weapons.
• 😀 Dark Souls 3 is balanced, with some tough bosses (like Nameless King) and difficult DLC content, but generous checkpoints and the ability to farm souls and level up make it easier overall.
• 😀 Dark Souls 2 is tough due to its level design and environmental hazards, like Shrine of Amana and the Frigid Outskirts. The game also includes mechanics like halved health, which adds an additional challenge.
• 😀 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is initially very hard due to its intricate combat system that requires mastering enemy patterns. It becomes easier once players get better at it, but early on, the game demands patience and precision.
• 😀 Bloodborne is ranked the hardest due to its aggressive combat and lack of shields, forcing players to rely on quick reactions and offensive strategies. The limited healing system and high damage output add to the difficulty.
• 😀 The pacing of Souls games plays a big role in determining their difficulty. Slower games like Dark Souls 1 and 2 give players more time to react and think, while faster-paced games like Sekiro and Bloodborne require quicker decision-making.
• 😀 Boss fights are a critical part of determining difficulty in the Souls series. Games like Dark Souls 1 and 3 have clear boss patterns, while Bloodborne and Sekiro feature more complex, multi-phase bosses that require precision and patience.
• 😀 One of the main features that makes certain Souls games easier is the accessibility of certain weapons, like overpowered katanas in Elden Ring or firecrackers in Sekiro, which can trivialize some encounters.

Q & A

Which Souls game does the narrator consider the easiest, and why?

The narrator considers Demon’s Souls the easiest game in the series, citing the combination of shields, magic, and the Crescent Falchion as making the game manageable. They also note that once boss gimmicks are discovered, most encounters become simpler.

What is a key factor that makes Dark Souls 1 feel easier than later entries?

Dark Souls 1 is considered easier due to slower enemy and boss speeds, which gives players more time to react and plan strategies. Additionally, enemies are generally easy to parry or backstab, and weapon variety allows flexible builds.

Why does the narrator rank Elden Ring as relatively easy despite its open-world nature?

Elden Ring is ranked as easy because the game offers Spirit Ashes, powerful weapons like Rivers of Blood and Moonveil, and the ability to leave and return to bosses, allowing players to tackle challenges at their own pace.

How does Dark Souls 3 balance difficulty for players?

Dark Souls 3 balances difficulty by having mostly manageable enemies and early bosses while allowing players to become overpowered through leveling, fast rolls, and numerous buffs. Checkpoints and fast travel also reduce the challenge compared to earlier games.

What are some of the main challenges in Dark Souls 2 according to the narrator?

The main challenges include large mobs, environmental hazards, and low stamina making blocking harder. Additionally, health is halved unless certain mechanics are used, making adaptability and strategic play crucial.

Why does Sekiro require more learning and practice compared to Souls games?

Sekiro emphasizes mastering combat patterns, timing, and patience. The boss fights are challenging, and dying is an essential part of learning movesets. The game also requires careful use of Prosthetics and stealth, making it harder to improve quickly in a single playthrough.

What factors make Bloodborne the hardest game in the series for the narrator?

Bloodborne’s difficulty comes from its consistent high challenge, lack of shields, fast-paced combat, complex level design, powerful enemies, and finite healing. Players must make quick decisions between attacking and retreating due to the aggressive rally system.

How does the narrator view the role of bosses in determining difficulty across the series?

Bosses significantly influence the perceived difficulty. While some games have easier early bosses, others, like Bloodborne and Sekiro, have consistently challenging bosses. Boss mechanics, speed, and damage output are key factors in difficulty.

What is the importance of game mechanics like Spirit Summons, Prosthetics, or Rally systems in this ranking?

These mechanics can simplify or complicate gameplay. Spirit Summons and strong weapons make Elden Ring easier, Prosthetics in Sekiro provide temporary advantages, and the Rally system in Bloodborne rewards aggressive combat while increasing risk, directly impacting difficulty perception.

How does familiarity with previous games influence the narrator’s ranking?

The narrator admits that prior experience with earlier Souls games makes later entries like Elden Ring feel easier, as they already understand core mechanics and strategies, reducing the learning curve.

What role do level design and environmental hazards play in determining difficulty?

Level design and hazards can either increase or decrease difficulty. Complex navigation, traps, and poison areas, like in Dark Souls 2, challenge players beyond combat, while open-world flexibility in Elden Ring allows players to avoid hard areas temporarily.