Top 10 Souls Games Ranked By Difficulty

28 Mar, 2025

5 min read

The Souls series, known for campaign and brutal combat games has gained immense commercial success over the years. With Elden Ring selling more than 20 million copies and Dark Souls III more than 10 million. When it comes to creative gameplay and visual games like Bloodborne and Sekiro have received great praise and recognition.

The series includes interconnected worlds, a stamina system, and high-risk death mechanics that add to its difficult gameplay.

Its impact on other video games has given rise to the “Souls-like” descriptor, and an active fanbase continues to speedrun and discuss its lore. Praised for its gothic aesthetic, the series has also started to add accessibility features, opening it up to a wider audience without losing its standing as difficult.

The Soulsborne series is well known for difficult gameplay, unusual mechanics, and legendary boss battles. These multiplayer games are created mostly by FromSoftware and push the patience, strategy, and skills of a player to their limit. FromSoftware adds new mechanics with every title that make either the game simpler or even tougher.

We will talk about the ten most difficult Souls games, taking into account the boss fights, general gameplay, enemy AI, and combat complexity. This guide will help you choose the perfect console game if you want to push yourself.

10 Souls Games Ranked by Difficulty – Ultimate Challenge List!

10 Souls Games Ranked by Difficulty - Ultimate Challenge List!

1. Elden Ring

Elden Ring is an amazing open-world game that retains the fundamental challenge of a Souls game but provides greater freedom in exploration. In contrast to earlier games in the series, players have several tools at their disposal, including spirit summons, horseback fighting, and a deep leveling system.

Nonetheless, the game has some of the toughest bosses out there, including Malenia, and Blade of Miquella. Players who venture into the optional regions of the PC game will have some of the hardest experiences FromSoftware has to offer. Yet, the open-world setup is such that it provides an opportunity for grinding and preparation, hence being less punitive compared to the other Souls games.

2. Dark Souls III

While the challenge level is high, it is better balanced than with previous entries. Some bosses like the Nameless King challenge the players to the limit, yet the co-op summoning provides a way of making the game easier. All in all, it is demanding but justifiable, lower in the difficulty column.

3. Demon’s Souls

Demon’s Souls was the original, and it still is a brutal experience, particularly for new players. Each level has its traps, ambushes, and areas that keep players on their toes every time. The World Tendency system which is the most unique and toughest element of the game varies depending on what the player does.

The game does not have elegant mechanics compared to later Souls games. Gimmick mechanics have made initial or some bosses comparatively easier, but characters like Flamelurker do put on a challenging fight.

4. Dark Souls II

Dark Souls II added several mechanics that set it apart in terms of difficulty. The most prominent is the health penalty when dying, which reduces a player’s maximum HP with each successive death. This encourages players to be careful, as repeated deaths can put them at a significant disadvantage.

The game also has random enemy positions and too many enemies in certain places. Boss battles have mixed levels of difficulty, ranging from easy to Fume Knight, which challenges the endurance of players. The game lacks complex combat mechanics causing dodging and movement to become harder.

5. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

The unique aspect of Sekiro is that it does not provide the leverage of experience points or call for assistance, unlike other Souls games. Mastery of parries and timing is required, hence making it one of the toughest experiences FromSoftware has put together.

There is no conventional RPG system to level up damage or health. The players have to simply use skill. Bosses like Genichiro Ashina and the final boss, Sword Saint Isshin, demand perfect precision. If you don’t master the mechanics, advancement is impossible. Although the game pays dividends to mastery, it doesn’t permit easy bypasses, hence making this one of the most challenging games in the series.

6. Bloodborne

Bloodborne is also included in the list of Souls games ranked by difficulty. It diverges from the more defensive, slow combat of Dark Souls and substitutes for an aggressive style of play. Players are prompted to remain in an attacking mindset, as the rally mechanic of the game enables them to recoup lost health by harming enemies the moment they sustain damage.

Although this makes fighting thrilling, it also raises the stakes. Shields are nearly ineffective, and players must dodge and counterattack. The Lovecraftian horror theme of the game brings grotesque enemies that are relentless and quick. Some bosses, like Orphan of Kos, are some of the most violent encounters in any Souls games ranked by difficulty. The speed, aggression, and difficult encounters combined make Bloodborne one of the most challenging games on this list.

Read More: Best Zombie Survival Games

7. Dark Souls

The first Dark Souls remains a landmark game in the series. The game’s combat requires patience and careful execution.

For new players, Dark Souls is a very difficult game because of its complicated mechanics and high attention to detail. Players must simultaneously consider several aspects such as stamina, study enemy attack patterns, and look out for instant-kill traps. Battling bosses like Ornstein and Smough require careful movement and timing of the attacks.

Furthermore, design-wise, the levels are harsh, with areas such as Blighttown testing patience with its poisonous swamps and framerate volatility in the original game.

8. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin

This reissue of Dark Souls II ramps up the difficulty a few notches. Enemy locations are entirely overhauled, frequently making locations much more difficult to navigate. The game spurs enemy aggression, and certain enemies will even pursue players long distances.

The Adaptability stat is also very important, as it influences dodge speed and invincibility frames. Most players get frustrated with it because dodging early on feels pointless. Boss battles like Sir Alonne and the Burnt Ivory King test players’ limits. The higher number of enemies and punishing mechanics put this iteration of Dark Souls II on the list of the most challenging entries.

9. Bloodborne: The Old Hunters DLC

The Old Hunter’s expansion pushes Bloodborne’s challenge to a new height. The bosses of this DLC are some of the most relentless and aggressive in the series.

Ludwig, the Accursed is a quick and violent foe with wild attack patterns. Laurence, the First Vicar, is a fire-breathing nightmare with area-of-effect attacks that can be deadly. The last boss, Orphan of Kos, is arguably one of the toughest bosses in FromSoftware history because of its unpredictable movements and high-speed attacks.

Compared to its previous sequels, The Old Hunters DLC is considered 10 times harder making it one of the hardest Soulsborne series 3D games.

10. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

The Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a fan favourite on the list of Souls games ranked by difficulty for various considerable reasons. While other games allow for the summoning of assistance or grinding to become powerful, Sekiro requires skill alone.

Perfecting deflects and counters are the foundation of the combat system in the game. Tanking is impossible and stat boosts can never be an option. All enemy battles are a real challenge to reaction time and accuracy.

The last boss, Sword Saint Isshin, is regarded as the most challenging battle in gaming history. His phases, swift strikes, and unstable movement patterns turn him into hell to conquer. Sekiro is a title in which skills are the sole predictors of success, and as such, it’s the most challenging Soulsborne title.

Constructing Next-Generation Gaming Solutions with Cubix

Cubix Nextgen Gaming Solutions

As the Soulsborne series tests players with tough, delicate mechanics to master, Cubix also challenges game development with advanced technology. With advanced expertise in AI-enemy behavior, rich 3D worlds, and fluid game mechanisms, Cubix assists developers in creating next-gen gaming experiences. Be it creating a tough action RPG game or a novel open-world game, Cubix offers customized solutions to take your game to the next level.