FromSoftware (or FromSoft) is the Japanese video game development company behind popular video game titles such as Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne, all known for their notorious difficulty. Players jumping into any FromSoft game for the first time are likely to find themselves facing a rapid succession of death screens, and even veterans of these titles are likely to struggle with many of the more challenging bosses and segments. From Demon’s Souls onward, many FromSoft games have adhered to certain elements that have led these titles to be known as Soulsborne games. Although all are difficult, listing Soulsborne games ranked by difficulty reveals that some are harder than others.
All Soulsborne games share certain similarities in their approach to difficulty, asking for mastery of combat against enemies with complex attack patterns paced throughout worlds with set checkpoints. Other challenging elements, however, can vary from game to game. Some players might rank Fromsoft Soulsborne games that are heavy on traps as more frustrating, while others might balk at the aggression of enemies in others. Although these games are notorious, they’re equally beloved. The lore within the games runs deep as the setting for these soulslike games is always gritty and dark yet stunning, totally fitting the aesthetic of the difficulty, making them rewarding to play.
7 Demon’s Souls (2009)
Demon’s Souls is what started it all. It is the beginning of the franchise and the first of any Soulsborne games. It was released originally in 2009 and this shows in some ways, featuring some issues with AI that make combat slow and arguably lackluster compared to later FromSoft titles.
Demon’s Souls was recently remade and released in 2021 with a new focus on graphics that inspired Elden Ring to up its game, giving fans of the game old and new an exciting new way to take it on. The combat is just as brutal, but Demon’s Souls is still easier compared to some of the newer games due to that slow-moving combat. Uneven difficulty spikes, however, can provide rude awakenings if fans are expecting to handle everything with relative ease.
6 Dark Souls (2011)
Similar to Demon’s Souls, the combat in Dark Souls is slower in pace. The original game was released in 2011 and has been considered one of the greatest video games of all time. This game rewards players for exploring and punishes players for slow reaction speeds.
While some may feel that Dark Souls is too unforgiving, that is the exact reason why so many players have been drawn to this series. Bonfires are scattered around the world and serve as checkpoints for the players. But each time one is used, all the enemies respawn, a feature that has proven to be a staple of Soulsborne games.
5 Dark Souls 3 (2016)
Dark Souls 3 is a much faster-paced game compared to the rest of the Souls games, which makes it a particularly tough title in certain ways. This game was released in 2016 on a number of different platforms and continues and finishes the Dark Souls series, leaving the path open for FromSoft to take different directions with the challenging Soulsborne games since.
The enemies in the game move quickly, giving players little time to react compared to the other Souls games as it borrowed some of the gameplay choices from Bloodborne. While the game closely follows the gameplay mechanics of Dark Souls 2, it also introduces two different attacks for each weapon similar to Bloodborne.
4 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019)
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a very different Souls-like game released by FromSoft in 2019. This game isn’t easy by any means, but it brought in plenty of new players to the Soulslike genre. Sekiro’s boss fights outdo Elden Ring for some players, offering white-knuckle thrills for even the most experienced.
Sekiro is set in Japan, where the main character must fight his way through bosses of Japanese mythology while also focusing on stealth. The enemies are fast in this game, which may list it on the harder end for some, but once players figure out the rhythm of combat in this game it becomes a bit more bearable. The removal of the traditional leveling system can make this more difficult for players that rely on grinding in Soulsborne games, but easier for some others.
3 Dark Souls 2 (2014)
Many fans consider Dark Souls II to be one of the hardest Soulsborne games and the hardest in the Dark Souls series. The bosses are rather difficult while the level designs are also wildly hazardous, so players will need to be wary of both their enemies and the environment.
Healing and general use items are also a lot slower acting in this game, making for intense situations with the rapid attacks of some enemies. Losing health each time players die compounds this issue, doubling down on a Demon’s Souls mechanic in a game that’s more frustrating in general. This game also has some of the most difficult DLCs out of all the Souls games, with even harder bosses than in the main game.
2 Bloodborne (2015)
The combat in Bloodborne is faster than in the Souls games, but so are the enemies, which can turn a simple fight against an ogre into a nightmarish battle. Bloodborne was released in between Dark Souls II and Dark Souls III and inspired much of the combat for the latter game as well as inspiring the fast-paced action in Sekiro.
The enemies in this game are super quick and aggressive, not to mention downright terrifying. Bloodborne remains the best FromSoft game for some fans, with a unique atmosphere, story, and gameplay. Heavily based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Bram Stroker, Bloodborne is infused with monstrous and eldritch horror which fits in with its gothic Victorian-era aesthetic.
1 Elden Ring (2022)
FromSoft made its epic return in 2022 with Elden Ring. Essentially, this is their way of replacing Dark Souls as it plays very similarly but with significant changes, transitioning to an open-world structure. Elden Ring is a uniquely immersive RPG with no indicators of what path players must follow, allowing players to happily wander into places that they are not strong enough for yet.
Although Elden Ring offers a lot of potential in the way of overpowered builds, it also offers many of the most devious challenges Fromsoft has yet devised. There are a plethora of encounters to take on as well as dungeons filled with some of the hardest Souls-like bosses that FromSoft has made. Elden Ring offers more player power than ever, but the obstacles that it tasks players with overcoming secure its place as the hardest Soulsborne game.
