Quick verdict: If you want a tighter, more focused world with punishing, interconnected level design, play Dark Souls first. If you want that same demanding combat wrapped in a massive open world with more build variety and a gentler entry point, play Elden Ring. Neither is objectively “better,” they’re built around different priorities, and this guide breaks down exactly where each one wins.
Elden Ring vs Dark Souls is one of the most searched comparisons in gaming, and for good reason: FromSoftware’s 2022 open-world epic and its 2011 genre-defining original share the same DNA, punishing combat, checkpoint bonfires, cryptic storytelling, but they’re genuinely different experiences built a decade apart. This guide compares them head to head across story, combat, difficulty, world design, and value, so you can decide which one fits what you’re actually looking for.
| Category | Elden Ring | Dark Souls (Remastered) |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | February 25, 2022 | 2011 (Remastered 2018) |
| Price on Steam | $59.99 | $39.99 |
| Developer | FromSoftware | FromSoftware |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco | Bandai Namco |
| Copies sold | Over 30 million (as of 2025) | Franchise total (1-3): over 37 million |
| World structure | Open world | Interconnected linear zones |
| Hardware demands | Modern mid-range PC recommended | Runs on almost any PC from the last decade or more |
| Best for | Genre newcomers, players who want build variety and flexibility | Series purists, players who want the tighter, more punishing original |
Story & Setting
Dark Souls tells its story almost entirely through item descriptions, environmental clues, and cryptic NPC dialogue, set in the crumbling kingdom of Lordran as the Age of Fire fades. There’s no map, no quest markers, and no hand-holding, you piece the world’s history together yourself, which is exactly what built its cult reputation for rewarding attentive players.
Elden Ring expands that same philosophy across a much larger canvas, the Lands Between, co-written with fantasy author George R.R. Martin. The scale is bigger and the cast of named characters is larger, but the core approach, environmental storytelling over cutscenes, stays intact. Edge: Elden Ring, simply for the added scope and Martin’s influence on the lore, though Dark Souls’ tighter narrative focus still has passionate defenders.
Combat & Core Gameplay
Both games share the same foundation: stamina-managed combat, deliberate attacks, and checkpoint bonfires that respawn enemies on death. Dark Souls keeps things grounded and methodical, no jumping in combat, no double-jumps, no mounted traversal, just careful positioning and patience.
Elden Ring adds real mechanical depth on top of that foundation: jump attacks, a mounted horse for traversal and combat, Ashes of War for customizing weapon skills, and spirit summons that can assist in tough fights. Edge: Elden Ring for sheer build variety and combat options, though some longtime fans argue Dark Souls’ simplicity makes every fight feel more purely skill-based.
Difficulty & Accessibility
Dark Souls earned its reputation as brutally unforgiving, in part because it offers no way to lower the difficulty and very few tools to sidestep a hard boss. If you’re stuck, you’re stuck until you improve.
Elden Ring is still genuinely difficult, but it’s meaningfully more accessible: spirit summons can tank hits for you, the open world lets you leave a hard boss and level up elsewhere before returning, and a wider range of viable builds means you’re rarely locked into one approach. Edge: Elden Ring for accessibility, Dark Souls for anyone who specifically wants the harsher, more uncompromising version of this formula.
World Design & Exploration
This is where the two games genuinely diverge as design philosophies. Dark Souls’ Lordran is legendary for how its zones interconnect, shortcuts loop back on themselves, elevators connect distant areas, and the whole map folds together into one continuous, walkable space that rewards memorization.
Elden Ring trades that tight interconnection for a genuinely open world: horseback exploration, optional dungeons scattered everywhere, and the freedom to approach the map in almost any order you want. Edge: a genuine tie, depending on whether you value a tightly engineered single space or open-world freedom more.
Visuals & Performance
Dark Souls Remastered brought the 2011 original up to 60fps with sharper textures, but it’s still visibly a game built over a decade ago, functional rather than a graphical showcase by current standards.
Elden Ring, released over a decade later, is a genuine current-generation visual upgrade, though it launched with real performance issues on PC that patches have since largely resolved. Edge: Elden Ring, simply by virtue of being the newer game.
Price & Value
Dark Souls Remastered costs $39.99 and includes the Artorias of the Abyss DLC. Elden Ring costs $59.99 base, with the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion sold separately. Per hour of content, both are strong values given how much replayability either game offers, but Dark Souls is the cheaper entry point if budget is the deciding factor.
Which One Should You Play First?
If you’re completely new to the soulslike genre and want the more welcoming entry point, start with Elden Ring. The open structure lets you retreat from anything too difficult, and the wider build variety means you’re less likely to get hard-stuck on one boss with no other options.
If you want to understand where the entire genre came from, and you don’t mind a steeper, less forgiving curve, start with Dark Souls. Its tightly interconnected world design remains one of the most celebrated in gaming, and playing it after Elden Ring can feel like discovering the blueprint everything else was built on.
Overall Verdict
Elden Ring and Dark Souls aren’t really competing for the same players, they’re the same design philosophy applied at two different scales, a decade apart. Dark Souls is the tighter, more punishing, more focused original that built the genre. Elden Ring is the open-world evolution of that same idea, with more accessibility and more room to build your own approach. Neither replaces the other, and most soulslike fans end up playing both eventually.
Get Both For Less
You don’t have to choose between them financially. We’ve covered legitimate ways to get each game without paying full price:
Both guides use the same legitimate Snakzy rewards method, so if you’re planning to play both eventually, you can work toward either one, or both, without spending anything upfront.
FAQs
Is Elden Ring better than Dark Souls?
Neither is objectively better, they’re built around different priorities. Elden Ring offers more accessibility, build variety, and open-world freedom, while Dark Souls offers a tighter, more punishing, and more tightly interconnected experience.
Should I play Dark Souls before Elden Ring?
Not necessarily. Elden Ring is the more accessible starting point for genre newcomers, while Dark Souls rewards players who want to understand the series’ roots. Playing either first works fine.
Is Elden Ring harder than Dark Souls?
Dark Souls is generally considered less forgiving, since it offers fewer tools to work around a difficult boss. Elden Ring is still demanding, but spirit summons and open-world flexibility make it meaningfully more approachable.
Which game is cheaper?
Dark Souls Remastered costs $39.99 on Steam, compared to Elden Ring’s $59.99 base price.
Can I get both games for free legitimately?
Yes, using the Snakzy rewards method covered in each game’s individual free guide, linked above.
