Is Elden Ring the Hardest Dark Souls? Untangling the Web of Difficulty

The answer, as with most things in the sprawling Lands Between, is complex. No, Elden Ring is not the hardest Dark Souls game in a pure, distilled, “git gud” sense. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a cakewalk. Elden Ring presents a unique kind of difficulty that diverges significantly from the core Dark Souls formula, making direct comparisons fraught with nuance. It’s a sprawling tapestry woven with threads of brutal bosses, vast open-world exploration, and unprecedented player agency. While some argue that the accessibility offered by Elden Ring’s open world and powerful tools make it easier to become overpowered, others find its sheer scale and relentless enemy encounters more challenging than any previous FromSoftware title. So, let’s dive deep.

Understanding the Nuances of Difficulty

The term “difficulty” in Soulsborne games (a term combining the Souls series with Bloodborne) is multifaceted. It’s not just about the raw damage output of enemies or the complexity of their attack patterns. It encompasses:

• Enemy Design: The variety, placement, and aggressiveness of enemies.
• Boss Encounters: The complexity of boss movesets, their health pools, and the arena layout.
• Resource Management: Balancing health, stamina, and item usage.
• Exploration: Navigating dangerous environments and uncovering hidden threats.
• Player Agency: The options available to the player for overcoming challenges, including build customization, summons, and exploration.

Why Elden Ring Feels Different

Elden Ring departs from the linear structure of previous Dark Souls games in favor of a vast, open world. This changes the dynamic significantly. You’re no longer funneled through meticulously crafted corridors filled with specific challenges. Instead, you’re presented with a massive playground where you can choose your battles and chart your own course.

This freedom leads to several key differences:

• Overleveling: You can easily grind levels and acquire powerful equipment early on, making subsequent encounters significantly easier.
• Spirit Ashes: The introduction of Spirit Ashes allows you to summon powerful allies to assist in boss fights and challenging areas. This mechanic can drastically reduce the difficulty of many encounters.
• Weapon Variety and Ashes of War: Elden Ring features a massive arsenal of weapons, each with unique Ashes of War that allow for extensive customization. This provides players with a wide range of options for tailoring their build to suit their playstyle and exploit enemy weaknesses.
• Open-World Distractions: The open world offers countless distractions and opportunities for exploration, allowing you to temporarily bypass challenging areas and return later when you’re better equipped.

Arguments for Elden Ring Being Easier

• Overpowered Builds: The combination of powerful weapons, Spirit Ashes, and readily available upgrade materials makes it relatively easy to create a character that can obliterate enemies with ease.
• Open-World Farming: The ability to repeatedly farm specific enemies or areas allows you to amass runes (experience points) quickly, leading to significant stat increases.
• Summoning Assistance: The online multiplayer component allows you to summon other players to help you overcome challenging bosses or areas.

Arguments for Elden Ring Being Harder

• Boss Variety and Aggression: While some bosses are pushovers, others are relentlessly aggressive and feature complex attack patterns that require precise timing and execution.
• Open-World Traps: The open world is riddled with traps and ambushes that can catch unsuspecting players off guard.
• Enemy Density: Some areas of the open world are densely populated with enemies, making traversal a constant challenge.
• Length of the Game: Elden Ring is significantly longer than previous Dark Souls games, meaning you’ll be facing challenging encounters for a much longer period of time.

The Verdict: It’s a Different Kind of Hard

Elden Ring isn’t necessarily harder than Dark Souls in the classic sense. The availability of powerful tools and the open-world structure often give you an edge. However, Elden Ring’s difficulty lies in its sheer scope and the relentless barrage of challenges it throws your way. It’s a game that demands patience, exploration, and a willingness to adapt to its unique mechanics. While Dark Souls might test your skills in tightly controlled environments, Elden Ring tests your ability to navigate a vast and unforgiving world, adapt to unexpected threats, and ultimately, become the Elden Lord.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Elden Ring’s Difficulty

1. Is Elden Ring harder than Dark Souls 1?

This is subjective. Dark Souls 1 has a certain unforgiving nature due to its limited fast travel early on and interconnected world. However, Elden Ring’s bosses, particularly in the late game, are often considered more mechanically demanding.

2. Is Elden Ring harder than Dark Souls 3?

Again, it depends on your playstyle. Dark Souls 3 is more linear and has generally faster-paced combat. Elden Ring offers more build variety and ways to circumvent difficulty, but its open-world challenges can be overwhelming. Many players consider some Elden Ring bosses, like Malenia, Blade of Miquella, to be significantly harder than any in Dark Souls 3.

3. Is Elden Ring harder than Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice?

These games have vastly different combat systems. Sekiro relies heavily on parrying and posture breaking, while Elden Ring offers more traditional RPG combat with dodging, blocking, and weapon arts. Sekiro is often considered harder due to its demanding parry-focused gameplay, but Elden Ring’s sheer size and diverse challenges make it a long and arduous journey.

4. Is Elden Ring harder than Bloodborne?

Bloodborne is known for its aggressive, fast-paced combat and intricate level design. Elden Ring offers more freedom and build variety. The difficulty is comparable, but Bloodborne’s relentless aggression might be more challenging for some players.

5. Is Elden Ring harder than Demon’s Souls?

Demon’s Souls is often considered the “easiest” of the Soulsborne games due to its slower pace and relatively forgiving level design (though still very challenging). Elden Ring is significantly more challenging in terms of boss variety, enemy aggression, and overall game length.

6. Can Spirit Ashes make Elden Ring too easy?

Yes, Spirit Ashes can significantly reduce the difficulty of many encounters. However, some bosses are still challenging even with Spirit Ashes, and relying on them too heavily can hinder your ability to learn enemy attack patterns and improve your combat skills.

7. What are the hardest bosses in Elden Ring?

Malenia, Blade of Miquella, is widely considered the hardest boss in Elden Ring due to her aggressive attacks, self-healing, and difficult-to-dodge Waterfowl Dance. Other notoriously difficult bosses include Malekith, the Black Blade, and Dragonlord Placidusax.

8. Does Elden Ring have difficulty settings?

No, Elden Ring does not have difficulty settings. The game is designed to be challenging, and the developers believe that providing different difficulty options would compromise the intended experience.

9. Is Elden Ring more accessible than previous Dark Souls games?

Yes, Elden Ring is generally considered more accessible due to its open-world structure, Spirit Ashes, and greater build variety. These features allow players to tailor the game to their playstyle and overcome challenges in different ways.

10. How long does it take to beat Elden Ring?

On average, it takes around 50-60 hours to beat Elden Ring’s main story. Completionists can easily spend over 100 hours exploring the open world and completing all side quests.

11. What’s the best class to start with in Elden Ring for beginners?

The Vagabond is often recommended for beginners due to its balanced stats, strong starting equipment, and focus on melee combat. However, any class can be viable with the right build and playstyle.

12. Is it possible to cheese bosses in Elden Ring?

Yes, there are numerous strategies and exploits that can be used to “cheese” bosses in Elden Ring. However, using these methods can detract from the intended experience and may not be as satisfying as defeating bosses through skill and strategy.

13. Does Elden Ring’s open world make it easier or harder?

The open world can make the game both easier and harder. It provides opportunities to overlevel and acquire powerful equipment, but it also presents numerous dangers and challenges that can catch unsuspecting players off guard.

14. Is Elden Ring the hardest game ever made?

No, Elden Ring is not the hardest game ever made. Games like Contra, Super Meat Boy, and Ninja Gaiden are often cited as being significantly more difficult due to their demanding platforming, relentless enemy encounters, and limited margin for error.

15. Will Elden Ring 2 be even harder?

That remains to be seen! FromSoftware is known for iterating and innovating on their formula. A potential Elden Ring sequel could introduce new mechanics, enemy types, and challenges that push players to their limits in new and exciting ways. Only time will tell!