Steven Wright

Gaming

Every game in the Souls series, ranked

And yes, we mean all of them.

From the progenitor Demon’s Souls to stylish offshoots like Bloodborne, FromSoftware has delivered a lot of classics over the years. But which ones are the best? Here’s our take.

Bandai Namco

6.

'Dark Souls 2'

Bandai Namco

Dark Souls 2 is a great game in its own right. However, it suffers from many minor flaws, including questionable encounter design, confusing world-building, and the simple fact that it’s too damn long. That said, you should still play it. (Especially the DLCs!)

5.

'Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice'

Yeah, this is a spicy placement, but hear us out.

While Sekiro has amazing combat — possibly the best in a video game ever — its lore and storytelling aren’t as refined as FromSoftware’s previous games. Its environments are a bit same-y and it lacks the replayability of the other Souls games. That said, we still love it.

4.

'Demon’s Souls'

While it’s a bit retrograde by modern standards, Demon’s Souls is a uniquely experimental (and downright weird) game that will still surprise you in 2022. The PS5 remaster might have some questionable artistic choices, but it’s still a great way to play this classic.

3.

Dark Souls 1

Dark Souls 1 is one of the most important games of all time. Its popularity ushered in a second life for difficult games, as well as birthing a whole new genre. But is it the best? Well... that’s a matter of taste.

Dark Souls 1’s brilliantly interconnected world design may never be matched. However, the second half of the game is blatantly unfinished, and pales in comparison to even Dark Souls 2. Some die-hards may disagree, but its influence arguably outstrips its quality.

Plus, there’s this lady. Nobody likes her.

2.

'Dark Souls 3'

Often unfairly dismissed as a retread, Dark Souls 3 is a sequel that eviscerates the very concept of video game franchises. It also has the best bosses in the series, too.

While it certainly doesn’t win points for originality, it’s overall the most consistent game in the Souls series, and one of the most thematically-engrossing, too.

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1.

'Bloodborne'

Though it lacks the build depth of true Souls games, Bloodborne excels at everything we love about FromSoftware games: intriguing lore, an amazing world, memorable bosses, and frenetic combat.

Though Elden Ring is a masterpiece in its own right, I don’t know if any game will ever match the highs of Bloodborne for me. FromSoftware’s next games will certainly try.

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