Best FromSoftware Souls Games Ranked 2026 – Ultimate Guide

After spending over 2,000 hours across every FromSoftware Souls game since Demon’s Souls launched in 2009, I’ve died thousands of times, conquered countless bosses, and experienced gaming moments that have fundamentally changed how I approach video games. The Souls series isn’t just a collection of difficult games – it’s a revolutionary approach to game design that has spawned an entire genre and influenced countless developers worldwide, earning recognition among the greatest games of all time.

In this comprehensive ranking, I’ll share my personal journey through all seven major FromSoftware Souls games, from the groundbreaking Demon’s Souls to the genre-defining Elden Ring. Whether you’re a veteran who’s memorized every boss pattern or a newcomer wondering where to start your Souls journey, I’ve crafted this guide to help you understand what makes each game unique and why they deserve their place in gaming history. If you’re serious about tackling these demanding games, you’ll want to ensure you have the right hardware – check out our guide to the best gaming laptops for demanding games to get optimal performance.

Game	Metacritic Score	My Difficulty Rating	Best For	Release Year
Elden Ring	96	7/10	Newcomers & Veterans	2022
Bloodborne	92	8/10	Aggressive Players	2015
Dark Souls II	91	6/10	Build Variety Lovers	2014
Sekiro	90	9/10	Action Fans	2019
Dark Souls	89	8/10	Purists	2011
Dark Souls III	89	7/10	Series Veterans	2016
Demon’s Souls	89	5/10	History Buffs	2009

My Ranking Methodology – What Makes a Great Souls Game

Before diving into the rankings, let me explain my approach. I’ve evaluated each game based on five critical factors that I believe define the Souls experience: combat innovation, world design, boss quality, difficulty balance, and that indefinable “magic” that keeps you coming back after your 50th death. My rankings consider both the games’ impact when they released and how they hold up in 2026, because a truly great Souls game should feel timeless.

I’ve also factored in accessibility – not in terms of difficulty reduction, but in how well each game teaches its mechanics and provides multiple paths to victory. After introducing dozens of friends to these games over the years, I’ve learned that the “best” Souls game varies dramatically based on what you’re looking for in your gaming experience. This approach mirrors how I analyze other comprehensive game series rankings – focusing on both historical impact and current relevance.

7. Demon’s Souls (PS5 Remake) – The Foundation That Started Everything

Starting with Demon’s Souls feels appropriate since it’s where my Souls journey began in 2009. The PS5 remake in 2020 brought this classic to a new generation with stunning visuals, but the core experience remains wonderfully archaic in the best possible way. What strikes me most about returning to Demon’s Souls is how experimental it feels – FromSoftware was clearly finding their footing with concepts that would later become genre staples.

The World Tendency system remains one of the most fascinating and frustrating mechanics in any Souls game. I remember spending hours manipulating tendency to access hidden areas and items, something that required actual community coordination before wikis documented everything. The hub-based structure of the Nexus feels quaint compared to the interconnected worlds we’d see later, but there’s something comforting about having a true safe haven between your deadly expeditions.

Why It’s Ranked Here: While historically significant, Demon’s Souls feels limited compared to its successors. The boss fights, while memorable in concept, often boil down to simple gimmicks once you understand them. The Maneater fight still gives me nightmares, but not for the right reasons – it’s more about camera issues than genuine challenge.

My Pro Tip: If you’re playing the remake, take advantage of the improved load times to practice speedrun routes. The Valley of Defilement becomes much more manageable when you know exactly where to sprint.

6. Dark Souls II – The Ambitious Black Sheep

Dark Souls II occupies a strange place in my heart. I’ve completed it four times across different versions, and each playthrough reveals both brilliant ideas and baffling decisions. The game’s director wasn’t Hidetaka Miyazaki, and you can feel the different creative vision throughout – sometimes for better, often for worse.

What I genuinely love about Dark Souls II is its willingness to experiment with build variety. Power stancing dual weapons remains my favorite combat mechanic that never returned to the series. The sheer number of viable builds I’ve created in this game exceeds any other Souls title – from hex-wielding warriors to dual-wielding caestus builds that could stunlock bosses into oblivion.

The Scholar of the First Sin edition fixed many of my initial complaints, but the world design still feels disconnected. That infamous elevator from Earthen Peak to Iron Keep that somehow goes up to a lava-filled castle in the sky? It still makes no spatial sense, and I’ve accepted that it never will.

Why It’s Ranked Here: Dark Souls II has the most content of any Souls game, but quantity doesn’t equal quality. The base game has 41 bosses, and honestly, I can only remember about half of them. Too many feel like regular enemies with bigger health bars. However, the DLC areas (Shulva, Brume Tower, and Eleum Loyce) contain some of the series’ best level design.

My Pro Tip: Level Adaptability to at least 20 early. This stat affects your invincibility frames during rolls, and the game never properly explains this. I suffered through my first playthrough with base Adaptability and wondered why I kept getting hit during rolls.

5. Dark Souls III – The Refined Farewell

Dark Souls III feels like FromSoftware’s greatest hits album – it takes the best elements from previous games and polishes them to near perfection. After the divisive Dark Souls II, this felt like a return to form, with Miyazaki back at the helm delivering a game that serves as both a celebration and conclusion to the Dark Souls trilogy.

My first playthrough of Dark Souls III was pure joy. The combat speed increase from Bloodborne’s influence created a perfect middle ground between Dark Souls’ methodical pacing and Bloodborne’s aggression. I’ll never forget my first encounter with the Dancer of the Boreal Valley – that haunting music, the otherworldly movement patterns, the way she seems to dance to a different rhythm than the soundtrack. It’s boss design at its finest.

The game’s biggest strength is its boss roster. Sister Friede, Slave Knight Gael, and Darkeater Midir represent some of the finest encounters FromSoftware has ever created. I’ve helped over 100 players beat these bosses through co-op, and each fight still gets my adrenaline pumping. For players interested in the cross-platform gaming scene, you might be curious about Dark Souls 3’s cross-platform capabilities for multiplayer sessions.

Why It’s Ranked Here: While exceptionally polished, Dark Souls III plays things too safe. It relies heavily on Dark Souls nostalgia without adding much new to the formula. The linear world design feels restrictive after the interconnected brilliance of the original, and the game sometimes feels more like “Dark Souls Greatest Hits” than its own experience.

My Pro Tip: Don’t neglect weapon arts. Coming from previous Souls games, I initially ignored them, but they add incredible depth to combat. The Farron Greatsword’s breakdancing moveset remains one of my favorite things in any Souls game.

4. Dark Souls – The Genre-Defining Masterpiece

The original Dark Souls is the game that turned a niche PlayStation exclusive into a global phenomenon. I remember importing it from Japan because I couldn’t wait for the Western release, stumbling through areas with no understanding of the text but completely absorbed by the world design. Even now in 2026, returning to Lordran feels like coming home.

The interconnected world design of Dark Souls remains unmatched in the series. That moment when you kick down the ladder from Undead Parish back to Firelink Shrine, suddenly understanding how the world fits together like a 3D puzzle, is gaming perfection. I’ve played through this game at least 20 times, and I still discover new connections and shortcuts.

What makes Dark Souls special is how it respects player intelligence. The game never holds your hand, but it teaches through subtle environmental storytelling and clever tutorial design. The Asylum Demon encounter teaches you that running away is sometimes the right choice. The Black Knight in Undead Burg shows you that some enemies are better avoided until later.

Why It’s Not Higher: The second half of Dark Souls shows signs of rushed development. Lost Izalith is genuinely terrible – copy-pasted dragon butts and a boss fight against The Bed of Chaos that’s more about platforming than combat. The PC port was also initially awful, requiring fan mods to be playable, though the Remastered edition fixed most technical issues.

My Pro Tip: Master the art of parrying against the Silver Knights in Anor Londo. Once you can consistently parry them, you’ve essentially learned the timing for most humanoid enemies in the game. This skill will transform your entire playthrough.

3. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – The Rebellious Masterwork

Sekiro isn’t technically a Souls game – it’s something entirely different that happens to be made by FromSoftware. But I’m including it because it represents the studio at their most confident and creative. This game nearly broke me. I died to Genichiro Ashina more times than I’d like to admit, and Lady Butterfly had me questioning my gaming abilities after 15 years of action games.

Then it clicked. That moment when Sekiro’s combat system finally makes sense is unlike anything else in gaming. You stop playing it like Dark Souls with a katana and start playing it like the rhythm game it secretly is. The deflection system turns every encounter into a deadly dance where both you and your opponent are one mistake away from death.

What I adore about Sekiro is its complete commitment to its vision. There’s no summoning help, no grinding levels to overcome difficulty, no magic build to cheese bosses. You either learn the combat system or you don’t progress. This inflexibility is simultaneously its greatest strength and biggest barrier to entry.

Why It’s This High: Sekiro has the tightest, most refined combat system FromSoftware has created. Every boss fight feels like a master class in game design. The final confrontation with Isshin, the Sword Saint remains my favorite boss fight in any video game – a four-phase marathon that tests everything you’ve learned.

My Pro Tip: Forget everything you know from Souls games. Stop dodging, start deflecting. Hesitation is defeat isn’t just a catchphrase – it’s the core philosophy. Be aggressive, maintain pressure, and turn defense into offense through perfect deflections.

2. Bloodborne – The Gothic Horror Revolution

Bloodborne transformed me as a gamer. After three Dark Souls games of hiding behind shields and playing cautiously, Bloodborne forced me to abandon my comfort zone. Set in the Gothic horror city of Yharnam, this PlayStation exclusive took the Souls formula and injected it with aggression, speed, and cosmic horror that still haunts my dreams.

The Rally system, which lets you regain health by immediately counterattacking after taking damage, fundamentally changed how I approach these games. My first playthrough was rough – I kept trying to play it safe like Dark Souls. Once I embraced the aggression, dancing into attacks with quickstep dodges and transforming my Saw Cleaver mid-combo, the game transformed from frustrating to exhilarating.

The atmosphere in Bloodborne is unmatched. The way Yharnam transforms as the night progresses, revealing cosmic horrors beyond human comprehension, creates a sense of dread that no other FromSoftware game has replicated. The research hall in the DLC, with its twisted experiments and Lady Maria waiting at the top, represents environmental storytelling at its absolute peak.

Why It’s This High: Bloodborne perfected the art of aggressive combat while maintaining the Souls DNA. The trick weapons system, where every weapon has two forms, provides incredible variety despite having fewer total weapons. The Old Hunters DLC might be the best content FromSoftware has ever produced – the Orphan of Kos fight still gives me chills.

My Pro Tip: Learn to love the transformed L2 attacks. The Saw Cleaver’s transformed L2 into R2 combo does massive damage and can stagger most enemies. Also, use blood vials liberally – the game throws them at you for a reason.

1. Elden Ring – The Open-World Masterpiece That Changed Everything

Elden Ring is FromSoftware’s magnum opus, the culmination of everything they’ve learned across 13 years of Souls games. When I first stepped into the Lands Between in February 2022, I knew within hours that this would define gaming for years to come. After 300+ hours across multiple playthroughs, I’m still discovering new areas, quests, and secrets.

What makes Elden Ring special is how it solves the Souls series’ biggest barrier to entry without compromising difficulty. Stuck on Margit? Go explore Limgrave, level up, find better equipment, and return when you’re ready. The open world isn’t just bigger – it’s designed to let players create their own difficulty curve through exploration and preparation.

My favorite aspect is how Elden Ring rewards curiosity. Every time I thought I’d seen everything, I’d notice a ledge I could jump to, a catacomb hidden behind an illusory wall, or an entirely new underground area. Discovering Blackreach… I mean, Siofra River, for the first time and realizing there’s an entire underground world to explore was a gaming moment I’ll never forget.

The boss design reaches new heights with battles like Starscourge Radahn, where you summon an army of warriors for a festival of combat against a gravity-wielding demigod. Or Malenia, Blade of Miquella, who has never known defeat (as she’ll remind you repeatedly while destroying you with her Waterfowl Dance).

Why It’s Number One: Elden Ring doesn’t just perfect the Souls formula – it revolutionizes it. The addition of George R.R. Martin’s worldbuilding creates a richer narrative. Spirit Ash summons provide accessibility without compromising the core experience. The sheer variety of builds, from INT-scaling death sorceries to STR-based colossal weapons, ensures every playthrough feels unique.

My Pro Tip: Don’t rush the main path. The game’s best content is often hidden in optional areas. Explore every corner of the map, talk to every NPC multiple times, and don’t be afraid to use guides for NPC quests – FromSoftware made them deliberately obtuse.

Personal Recommendations for Different Player Types

After years of introducing friends to FromSoftware games, I’ve learned that the “best” starting point varies by player. Here are my personal recommendations based on gaming preferences and experience levels:

For Complete Newcomers: Start with Elden Ring. The open world provides natural difficulty adjustment, spirit summons offer optional assistance, and the sheer variety means you’ll find a playstyle that clicks. If you’re struggling, you can always explore elsewhere and return stronger. Just make sure you have gaming hardware capable of running it smoothly.

For Action Game Veterans: Jump straight into Sekiro. Your reflexes from other action games will transfer better here than to traditional Souls games. The lack of RPG elements means you can focus purely on mastering combat.

For RPG Lovers: Dark Souls III offers the most refined traditional Souls experience with excellent build variety. It’s polished, has an active online community, and strikes the best balance between accessibility and challenge.

For Horror Fans: Bloodborne is your game. The cosmic horror atmosphere, aggressive combat, and incredible art design create an experience unlike anything else. Just be prepared for a steep initial learning curve.

For Gaming Historians: Play them in release order starting with Demon’s Souls. You’ll appreciate how each game builds on previous innovations and understand references that later games make to earlier entries.

Essential Gaming Setup for FromSoftware Games

Having the right gaming setup can make the difference between victory and crushing defeat in Souls games. From my experience across thousands of hours, here’s what matters most:

Controller Preference: While PC players can use keyboard and mouse, I strongly recommend a controller for the precise analog movement these games demand. The Xbox controller’s D-pad is particularly excellent for menu navigation and item management.

Display Considerations: A monitor with low input lag is crucial for timing-based combat, especially in Sekiro. I’ve noticed significant improvements in my parrying consistency after upgrading to a gaming monitor with 1ms response time.

Audio Setup: These games rely heavily on audio cues for telegraphing attacks and environmental awareness. Quality headphones or speakers can literally save your life by letting you hear enemies approaching from behind.

The Evolution of Difficulty Design Across the Series

One aspect that fascinates me about FromSoftware’s evolution is how they’ve refined their approach to difficulty. Each game teaches challenge differently:

Demon’s Souls: Raw, unforgiving difficulty that sometimes felt unfair. Learning through pure trial and error.

Dark Souls: Introduced “tough but fair” philosophy. Every death teaches you something specific.

Dark Souls II: Experimented with quantity-based difficulty – throwing multiple enemies at once rather than perfecting individual encounters.

Bloodborne: Shifted from defensive to aggressive difficulty – healing through attacking rather than hiding.

Dark Souls III: Refined and polished all previous approaches into a cohesive experience.

Sekiro: Focused entirely on timing and rhythm – difficulty through precision rather than stats.

Elden Ring: Player-controlled difficulty through exploration and optional content.

Community and Multiplayer Evolution

The Souls series pioneered unique multiplayer integration that feels organic rather than tacked on. From leaving helpful (and misleading) messages to summoning strangers for boss fights, the community aspect enhances single-player experiences without forcing social interaction.

Each game refined these systems: Demon’s Souls introduced the basics, Dark Souls perfected the formula, and Elden Ring expanded it to accommodate the open world. The way these games create shared experiences through asynchronous multiplayer remains unmatched in gaming. For those interested in how modern games handle cross-platform play, our analysis of current cross-platform capabilities shows how the industry has evolved.

The Future of FromSoftware and Souls Games

As I write this in March 2026, FromSoftware continues to support Elden Ring with updates while working on future projects. The massive success of Elden Ring (over 20 million copies sold) ensures we’ll see more from this legendary developer. Whether it’s Elden Ring DLC, a Bloodborne sequel (please, Sony!), or something entirely new, I’ll be there day one, controller in hand, ready to die repeatedly and love every minute of it.

The Souls series has fundamentally changed not just how I play games, but how I approach challenges in life. These games teach patience, perseverance, and the value of learning from failure. Every death is a lesson, every victory earned through genuine skill improvement. That’s the true magic of FromSoftware’s games – they don’t just entertain, they transform you as a player.

Whether you agree with my rankings or think I’m completely wrong (Dark Souls II fans, I see you), the beauty of FromSoftware’s catalog is that every game offers something unique. There’s no wrong answer to which is “best” – only which resonates most with your personal gaming philosophy. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with Malenia for attempt number 147. Wish me luck, fellow Tarnished.

Frequently Asked Questions About FromSoftware Souls Games

Q: Which Souls game should I play first as a complete beginner?
A: Elden Ring is the best starting point for newcomers. Its open-world design allows you to explore and level up when stuck, and Spirit Ash summons provide optional assistance without compromising the core experience.

Q: What’s the hardest FromSoftware Souls game?
A: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the most challenging due to its inflexible combat system. There’s no way to overlevel or summon help – you must master the deflection system to progress.

Q: Can I play these games in any order?
A: Yes, each game tells its own story. However, playing Dark Souls I-III in order provides the best narrative experience, while starting with newer games like Elden Ring offers more modern quality-of-life improvements.

Q: Are FromSoftware games really as difficult as people say?
A: They’re challenging but fair. Most difficulty comes from learning enemy patterns and game mechanics. Once you understand the systems, they become much more manageable.

Q: Which game has the best boss fights?
A: Bloodborne and Elden Ring feature the most consistently excellent boss encounters, though Dark Souls III’s DLC bosses are among the series’ finest individual fights.