Ranking EVERY SoulsBorne Game From Worst To Best
Is Sekiro their best work to date?
The Soulsborne term is not an official moniker, but a fan-created name for the recent run of action games created by FromSoftware, which have been creating ripples in the games industry for the last decade.
Sure, there's a very loose connection of lore subtly linking the games with one another, but what's more telling as a common trait is third-person gameplay and controller-smashing difficulty.
These games are tough. Really, really damn tough.
Therein lies the main hook; an old-school level of challenge, accompanied by a relentlessly obtuse take on storytelling. Yet, with those large obstacles, comes the adrenaline-fuelled thrill of victory for those that persevere.
When FromSoft launched Demon's Souls in 2009, it was a refreshing experience in an era where games held your hand from the get-go. Since then, the team has pushed forward to massive success, iterating and evolving that original formula.
The latest example, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, shakes everything up more than ever, becoming a radical subversion of the blueprint, while also an acknowledged expansion too. It's both a Soulsborne game, but also something altogether more action-focused.
If that sounds abstract, it goes with the territory. Nothing is easy with this franchise, but let's see how this new challenger ranks with his granite-strong brethren.
6. Dark Souls 2
Dark Souls 2 is the clear-cut runt of the litter when it comes to Soulsborne games. It's hardly a bad game - in fact, it's a pretty decent one - but messy level design, generic lore and unimaginative bosses really make this entry shrivel in the shadow of its peers.
With series overseer Hidetaka Miyazaki absent as game director, his personal touch is evidently missing, with this feeling more like a rushed production made by committee, then a passion project helmed by the Soulsborne guru.
Still, PvP was a great step forward, and the revamped version, Scholar Of The First Sin, did a decent job of improving on the original's flaws. Yet, that was more a case of glossing over potholes than an overall ground-up revamp that makes the entry recommendable no matter what.
Despite the negatives, Dark Souls 2 still manages to be a decent time, but also a highly forgettable and inferior one compared to other titles that carry the Soulsborne badge of honour.