Where to Start · Dark Souls / Soulsborne
Where to Start with Dark Souls / Soulsborne
The Soulsborne series is FromSoftware's interconnected family of action RPGs — Demon's Souls, the Dark Souls trilogy, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring. Each is a standalone game with its own world and story, but they share a design philosophy: no handholding, meaningful death, environmental storytelling, and combat that demands patience over aggression.
The series has a reputation for difficulty that is slightly overstated. These games are hard but fair. Every death is a lesson. Most players who stick with even one entry finish it.
If you only play one Soulsborne game
Play Elden Ring. It is the most accessible entry in the series — open world structure lets you walk away from difficult areas and come back stronger, the guidance system helps without spoiling, and the breadth of content means you rarely feel stuck with nowhere to go. It is also the largest and most recent, with the best production quality. If you finish Elden Ring and want more, every other game in the series will feel familiar and rewarding.
If you want to start at the beginning
Dark Souls (2011) is where the template was perfected. Demon's Souls (2009) came first and is excellent, but Dark Souls refined everything — interconnected world design, bonfire checkpointing, and the full expression of the formula. Dark Souls Remastered on PS4, Xbox, Switch, and PC is the practical way to play it today. Its world design, specifically how Firelink Shrine connects to every area, remains one of the greatest achievements in game design. Dark Souls II and III follow naturally and both stand on their own — DSII is the most unusual of the three, DSIII is the most cinematic and the best closing chapter to the trilogy.
Bloodborne — the best in the series
Bloodborne (2015) is widely considered the peak of FromSoftware's output. It trades shields and patience for aggression — you regain health by attacking immediately after taking damage, which forces forward momentum. The setting is Victorian gothic horror with Lovecraftian cosmic dread layered underneath. It is PS4 exclusive with no current-gen remaster as of 2026. A physical PS4 copy is the only way to play it. If you own a PS4 or PS5 with backward compatibility, Bloodborne is essential.
Sekiro — the odd one out
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019) is the most mechanically distinct game in the series. There is no character build, no stat allocation — combat is entirely skill-based parrying and posture management. It is arguably the hardest game in the series on first playthrough and the most rewarding once it clicks. Set in Sengoku-era Japan. If precise sword combat sounds appealing over RPG builds, Sekiro is exceptional.
What platforms you actually need in 2026
Demon's Souls — PS5 Remake (best version) or PS3 original. Dark Souls — Dark Souls Remastered on PS4/Xbox/Switch/PC. Dark Souls II — Scholar of the First Sin on PS4/Xbox/PC. Dark Souls III — PS4/Xbox/PC. Bloodborne — PS4 only, no remaster exists. Sekiro — PS4/Xbox/PC. Elden Ring — PS4/PS5/Xbox/PC.
Recommended order for new players
Elden Ring first if you want the most accessible entry. Dark Souls Remastered first if you want release order and the foundational experience. Either is valid. Avoid starting with Demon's Souls or Dark Souls II — both are excellent but neither is the best introduction. Save Bloodborne for after you're comfortable with the formula.
What to skip
Nothing in the Soulsborne series is worth skipping if you love the formula. Dark Souls II gets unfair criticism — it is genuinely good, just the most experimental of the trilogy. The only weak entry is Dark Souls II's base version, which Scholar of the First Sin corrects. Always play Scholar of the First Sin.