Which is your favorite Dark Souls or Souls-like game and why?

[Deleted member 17402]

My opinion of the Dark Souls series has changed over time and now I stand firm with the opinion that Dark Souls 2 is my favorite. Simply put, this game evokes the greatest sense of exploration and fantasy of the three games. It never gets tiring to transition into a new area and rediscover something you might have forgotten or still remember.

On the contrary I think Dark Souls 3 plays the best in the trilogy (not including Bloodborne, which if I am to include I'd consider the best playing Souls-like game). Despite that I don't think it or Dark Souls Remastered holds a candle to the awe Dark Souls 2 makes me feel.

Edit: Since everyone is ranking, I'll do so as well.

Dark Souls 2 > Bloodborne > Dark Souls 3 > Dark Souls > Demon's Souls

 

[janusff]

Bloody Bloody Bloodborne.

Was my first Souls game that I really dug. The bosses are incredible. Best combat ever maybe? The atmosphere. Game of the generation for me.

 

[Deleted member 4346]

As far as playability, Dark Souls 3. No question. It's the best-playing and most-balanced Souls/Souls-like.

 

[Shortsoptional]

Bloodborne

Trick weapons make the combat flow so great. Fast paced and amazing atmosphere. Still my game of the generation.

I don't dislike the other souls games, but I found them hard to go back to after Bloodborne.

 

[Whatislove]

For those I've played:
Bloodborne=Dark Souls 3>Nioh>Dark Souls>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Lords of the Fallen

 

[RandomDudeSTL]

I'm right there with you OP, and for the same reason - DS2 is definitely my favorite.

 

[Morrigan]

I love them all equally for various reasons.

 

[Orb]

Depends on what you count as a Souls-like, I guess. Some people would say Dead Cells or Hyper Light Drifter count. If you agree, it's probably HLD.

Out of the more traditional 3D Souls-like games, the one I've played the most is The Surge. But I also liked Lords of the Fallen a fair bit. I need to go back to it at some point.

Regarding actual FROM games, the only ones I've played are the original Dark Souls and Bloodborne, and I didn't like either.

 

[ScoutDave]

Demons Souls. The atmosphere. The music. The moment i played it i knew it was the start of something cool.

 

[Deleted member 12833]

Bloodborne. Best combat and world/lore/art direction.

I also like Chalice dungeons

 

[NuclearCake]

Bloodborne, the level design and aesthetics reached series peak here.

 

[Torpedo Vegas]

Demon's Souls was my favorite. It was a fresh new idea at that time. After 3 Dark Souls games, Bloodborne, Lords of the Fallen, Nioh, The Surge, Ashen, and any others that I'm missing they have run that style of game into the ground.

 

[mrmickfran]

Bloodborne is not only the best Souls-like, it's one of the best games of all time.

 

[Deleted member 2145]

honestly the first half of Dark Souls is still unmatched but overall for me it's Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3

 

[ffvorax]

Demon Souls has the best atmosphere, but Dark Souls is the real masterpiece. Great balance, great level design, great story, great chars, great expansions... everything is near perfect in that game for me.

Bloodborne is very near, but DS has a special place in my heart.

 

[Lant_War]

For those I've played:
Bloodborne=Dark Souls 3>Nioh>Dark Souls>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Lords of the Fallen

Click to shrink...

Not enough > signs. I got LotF for 5 bucks and still regretted the purchase.

 

[Slim]

Dark Souls. The interconnected world and atmosphere is unmatched.

 

[Prolepro]

Dark Souls 1

It was just magical at the time. Even though I think Bloodborne is the better game, feeling it all 'click' for the first time with the game's mechanics and interconnected world was a moment that is seldom found in games. You get those moments maybe one or two times in a gen.

 

[monmagman]

I've played Dark Souls Remastered and Bloodborne so far,of those two Bloodborne.The setting and lore is a big factor for me although I did enjoy the faster combat as well.Both are masterpieces of game design though.I want to play Dark Souls 3 this year.

 

[Whatislove]

Not enough > signs. I got LotF for 5 bucks and still regretted the purchase.

Click to shrink...

I paid full price >.<

 

[Gilver]

My favorite is DarkSouls 3 because it feels as good as Bloodborne but has more content including bosses, more environment variety and more builds/weapons than Bloodborne. DarkSouls 2 is by far the worst of the series so I dont understand people who love it at all (unless it was your first).

 

[GymWolf86]

Demon's souls from the original saga
The surge from the souls-like genre

 

[Unkindled]

Dark soul's and Bloodborne both.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

Dark Souls 3 is the best playing game in the Souls-serie. Best combat, best bosses, some of the best individual level design (Cathedral of the Deep is the best Souls level ever) and nothing as bad as Lost Izalith.

If we include games outside the Dark Souls series, it has to be Bloodborne. Nioh plays great as well, but it's lacking in many areas compared to Bloodborne.

 

[Bumrush]

Bloodborne has my favorite combat ever and oozes atmosphere. Additionally, it has the majority of my favorite bosses in Souls history with so many standouts (base game + DLC).

 

[TransEuropaExpress]

Dark Souls

Total magic, whatever that may mean broken down, but this one is total magic to me. I hadn't felt like that about a video game since I was a kid and it got me interested in playing again in general after not touching anything for like 4 or 5 years at that point.

Firelink Shrink and bonfire leveling etc. versus Demon's Souls hub was a strike of genius I think.

Bloodborne is right on par with it though I'll add and I felt the same giddy-child thing again there. DS2 and DS3 just don't capture my interest. DS3 is objectively a great game but more like a greatest hits compilation and I couldn't even finish it.

 

[dancingphlower]

I've grown to like Dark Souls 2 less and less over time. Scholar of the First Sin reinforced that feeling for me. Bloodborne is my favorite by far, one of the top ten games of all time, easy. Amazing atmosphere, wonderful world design, and carefully crafted combat. So good.

 

[Deleted member 12833]

I've grown to like Dark Souls 2 less and less over time. Scholar of the First Sin reinforced that feeling for me. Bloodborne is my favorite by far, one of the top ten games of all time, easy. Amazing atmosphere, wonderful world design, and carefully crafted combat. So good.

Click to shrink...

I still haven't beat DS2 after buying it twice. It's a damn slog and the bosses are trash

 

[The Living Tribunal]

Dark Souls 3 is the greatest Soulsborne game in my opinion. While I think the original DS and Bloodborne's integrated world design is superior, DS3 edges out in pretty much every other category: combat, build variety, bosses, multiplayer and individual level design.

I will never forget the first time I walked into the Cathedral of the Deep, staring at those massive walls, hearing the evangelists walking around with their great maces and almost immediately being demolished by that massive giant.
It was a very special moment for me as a gamer.

 

[Lulu]

Dark Souls 3, it just feels the best to play by far.

Also some of my favorite bosses.

 

[Ferrs]

Dark Souls. It's still the most balanced game. Have lower lows than the rest of the series but the highs are still really high, and the most important, it offers BY FAR (IMO) the best map of all the games, totally interconnected, clever, no warping to hub bullshit (Bloodborne being the worst in this), no level up waifu bullshit... it's perfect in that regard.

 

[NattyBo]

Gameplay wise Nioh is my favorite, atmosphere and lore wise Dark Souls 1

 

[Magic Mushroom]

I still haven't beat DS2 after buying it twice. It's a damn slog and the bosses are trash

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It's the worst of the three Souls games but the DLCs are awesome (and have some great bosses as well). Still worth a shot I feel.

 

[CozMick]

Bloodborne, once you have Cleric Beast you never go back.

 

[silva1991]

Dark Souls 1. Perfect level design and sense of adventure. It's also my favorite game of all time.

Followed by Bloodborne

 

[The Living Tribunal]

Dark Souls 3 is the best playing game in the Souls-serie. Best combat, best bosses, some of the best individual level design (Cathedral of the Deep is the best Souls level ever) and nothing as bad as Lost Izalith.

Click to shrink...

No lies detected.

 

[nachum00]

Dark Souls 1. It has one of the best interconnected levels I've ever played in any game. The atmosphere is also my favorite out of all of them and I like how combat is a bit slower than any other games in the franchise.

Dark Souls 3 is probably my least favorite. I still love it but out of all the games it feels like the safest entry.

 

[Deleted member 22750]

Bloodborne is my favorite. That atmosphere is unbelievable haunting. The story is more coherent than Dark souls.

But dark souls 1&3 are both right behind it.

 

[Deleted member 17402]

I still haven't beat DS2 after buying it twice. It's a damn slog and the bosses are trash

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Did you enjoy the bosses of the first game? If so, I wouldn't even say they're any worse than Dark Souls 2's, even if I do think 2 has the better bosses over all.

I'm right there with you OP, and for the same reason - DS2 is definitely my favorite.

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Hell yeah! I suspect we will be very lonely with this opinion, though. lol

 

[KaiLeng]

Bloodborne is the best. Atmosphere, style, design. everything just blends together so well.

Plus it plays like a dream - yes even better than DS3, much better. There is just this fluidity about combat that you can't find in DS games.

 

[Deleted member 13798]

Bloodborne.

The atmosphere, combat, pace, and overall design are so tight, consistent and exceptional. It's truly something special.

my second favorite is probably Demon Souls, with special shout-out to Nioh and The Surge As well for being a different take with some unique ideas even if it's a bit clumsy.

Of the Dark Souls Trilogy though, I actually think the third one is the best. Base game wise anyway.

 

[Deleted member 20297]

As far as playability, Dark Souls 3. No question. It's the best-playing and most-balanced Souls/Souls-like.

Click to shrink...

It is.

 

[Deleted member 37739]

Dark Souls 3 is the best playing game in the Souls-serie. Best combat, best bosses, some of the best individual level design (Cathedral of the Deep is the best Souls level ever) and nothing as bad as Lost Izalith.

Click to shrink...

Cathedral of the Deep was some of the least fun I've had in a Souls game... on topic: Bloodborne for me, though Dark Souls is a very solid second.

 

[Mr. Poolman]

Dark Souls 1 for lore and atmosphere.
Dark Souls 2 for build options and MP goodness.


Dark Souls 3 was such a floaty-lightweight dissapointment that I didn't bothered to even get the DLC.

 

[Deleted member 10726]

Demon's Souls. Love the nonlinear approach to clearing the game, since besides getting an Archdemon Soul for the latter parts of Boletaria, you're free to clear the stages in any order you see fit.

 

[Whatislove]

Cathedral of the Deep was some of the least fun I've had in a Souls game... on topic: Bloodborne for me, though Dark Souls is a very solid second.

Click to shrink...

I feel the same way. Cathedral always felt like a slog.

 

[SomeoneSomewhere]

Bloodborne > DS3 > DS1 > DeS> DS2 > Nioh

 

[Deleted member 28815]

Not quite done yet (just got to Aldrich), but DS3 is one of the best games I've ever played. They made it play so good that I'm struggling at staying interested in my simultaneous DS1 playthough.

 

[SweetBellic]

Dark Souls for best level design (interconnected world filled to the brim with shortcuts) and best shield/turtle gameplay.

Bloodborne gets an honorable mention for its sick atmosphere and trick weapons though.

 

[EndlessNever]

I'll be the outlier here along with OP and say my favourite Souls game by From is Dark Souls 2 (Scholar of the First Sin). I love them all so much, and Bloodborne is so damn close, but I've so many memories with #2.

As for Souls-like games, it's easily Nioh. That is an unbelievably fantastic game on all fronts, and even challenges From's own games at times.