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Which is the Longest Dark Souls Game? Unraveling the Marathon

Figuring out which Dark Souls game takes the most time to complete is a surprisingly complex question. While player skill, playstyle, and exploration habits all greatly influence game length, we can delve into the available data and community consensus to determine the longest of the series. Based on various metrics including community playtimes, official data, and critical analysis, the consensus is clear: Dark Souls II is undeniably the longest game in the Dark Souls franchise. This holds true for both the original Dark Souls II and its enhanced version, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin. While exact playtime can fluctuate, Dark Souls II consistently offers the most content, larger areas to explore, and an abundance of bosses, making it the most time-consuming to fully complete.

Understanding the Metrics

Before diving deeper, it’s important to acknowledge the different metrics used to measure game length. The article primarily references data from HowLongToBeat, a website that gathers user-submitted playtime data. The ‘Main Story’ metric generally measures the time it takes to complete the game’s core narrative, excluding extensive side content. Other useful measurements include ‘Main + Extra,’ which includes most of the side content, and ‘Completionist,’ which captures the total playtime for players striving for 100% completion. Understanding these distinctions provides context for the playtime estimates discussed.

The Case for Dark Souls II

Multiple data points indicate that Dark Souls II surpasses the other titles in the series in terms of playtime. The initial provided article shows that Dark Souls II and Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin both have broad playtime ranges, with some completion times stretching over 100 hours. This is in contrast to Dark Souls, Dark Souls III, and Bloodborne, all of which have lower maximum playtime estimates. The consensus among the community, particularly within forums such as Reddit, echoes these findings. Players frequently highlight Dark Souls II’s sheer volume of content and map size as primary factors in its extended playtimes. It’s not unusual for a first playthrough of Dark Souls II to take nearly double the time compared to Dark Souls or Dark Souls III.

Why is Dark Souls II So Long?

Several factors contribute to Dark Souls II’s impressive length. Firstly, the game features a significantly larger map with more distinct areas to explore than other Souls titles. Secondly, it boasts the highest number of bosses in the series, offering more challenges to overcome. The inclusion of the Scholar of the First Sin edition adds even more content in the form of new enemy placements, items, and lore additions. While some criticize it for being the biggest and not necessarily the best, its length is what puts it over the other Dark Souls titles. Furthermore, a lot of players find the navigation and overall structure more obtuse in Dark Souls II, leading to longer playtimes.

Dark Souls and Dark Souls III: Comparing Length

While Dark Souls II reigns supreme in the length department, Dark Souls and Dark Souls III are also significant time investments. Dark Souls is often praised for its interconnected world and intricate level design, which encourages extensive exploration that increases total playtime. Dark Souls III, on the other hand, presents a more linear structure. However, it balances its approach with strong combat and memorable boss encounters, creating a compelling experience that still takes significant time to complete. While both are long games, they fall short of the playtime offered by Dark Souls II.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions related to the length of Dark Souls games, offering additional insight into the matter:

Which Dark Souls game is the shortest? Based on the provided data, Dark Souls III (and its Fire Fades edition) tend to have the shortest playtime ranges, often averaging less than the other main Dark Souls titles when considering a Main Story run.
Is Dark Souls: Remastered longer than the original? No, generally speaking, the Remastered version doesn’t add significantly to the core gameplay length compared to the original. Playtime differences are usually related to player skill, not version differences.
Does DLC affect the length of Dark Souls games? Yes, DLC expansions such as Artorias of the Abyss for Dark Souls or The Ringed City for Dark Souls III add significant content and extend playtime considerably. However, the base game length of Dark Souls II still exceeds that of other Dark Souls games even with their DLC taken into account.
Why does Dark Souls II feel so long compared to the others? Dark Souls II has a larger world, more bosses, and a different design philosophy that often requires more time to navigate and understand compared to other games in the series.
How long does it take to 100% complete a Dark Souls game? Times vary drastically, but completing all achievements in Dark Souls or Dark Souls III can add dozens of hours to the main playthrough times, and Dark Souls II is generally the longest to fully complete.
Is Elden Ring longer than any of the Dark Souls games? Yes, Elden Ring boasts a vast open-world environment, making it by far the longest FromSoftware souls-like title, surpassing even Dark Souls II in total playtime by a considerable margin.
Which Dark Souls game is considered the hardest? While opinions vary, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are often cited as among the most challenging titles from FromSoftware, though this doesn’t directly correlate to overall playtime.
Are FromSoftware games equally long to complete? No, there is significant variance. While all souls-like games are meant to take time and a player must get gud, generally, Elden Ring is the longest followed by Dark Souls II, and titles like Demon’s Souls tend to be shorter.
Is it true that Dark Souls 1 is the longest to explore? Although Dark Souls 1 has amazing map design and interconnectedness that invites exploration, Dark Souls II has more area in terms of raw size.
Does skill impact play time in Dark Souls games? Absolutely. Experienced players who know the optimal paths, enemy patterns, and boss strategies will complete the games much faster than first-time players.
How does co-op affect playtime? While co-op can make boss fights easier and speed up progress through certain areas, exploring new sections with others can also extend playtime due to more time spent in multiplayer sessions.
Is there a difference in length between Dark Souls II and Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin? Scholar of the First Sin adds new enemy placements, items, and lore, which can add additional playtime, making it usually the longest version of Dark Souls II.
What is the average first-timer’s playtime in Dark Souls II? First-time players often find themselves spending 50-100+ hours on a Dark Souls II playthrough, depending on their desire to explore the world fully and their level of skill.
Is Sekiro a longer game than Dark Souls? While Sekiro is not part of the Dark Souls series, its playtime is roughly similar to that of the shortest Dark Souls games (around 30 hours for a main playthrough) but less than the longer games like Dark Souls II.
Does the ‘git gud’ mindset influence play time? Indeed, as players become more experienced and better at the game, their play times reduce drastically. “Git Gud” directly impacts playtime as player skill is a major factor in how long a souls-like game will take to complete.

In conclusion, while all Dark Souls games demand a significant time investment, Dark Souls II, especially in its Scholar of the First Sin version, stands out as the longest entry in the series. Its sheer amount of content and broad world ensure that players will be kept busy for many hours. While the other games offer unique qualities, Dark Souls II is the clear winner in terms of overall length.

Which is the longest Dark Souls game?