What Souls Game Should You Play First? A Veteran Player's Honest Take
What Souls Game Should I Play First?
Look, I still remember the first time I died in Dark Souls. Not some epic boss fight. Not even a trap. Nope — I literally fell off a cliff because I didn't know how to jump. That was 2011, and I was at my cousin’s place. He left the room for five minutes, came back, and I was already hollowed out and questioning my life choices.
Since then? I’ve played every Souls game to death. (Pun intended.) And honestly, the question I hear the most — at GameStop, on Reddit, from my cousin’s girlfriend’s little brother — is:
“Which Souls game should I start with?”
So here’s my take. No tier lists. No gatekeeping. Just one slightly addicted guy who wants to help you not hate yourself two hours in.
The Souls Series: A Beautiful, Brutal Mess
You know that feeling when a game doesn't tell you what to do, and you're just wandering, stressed, but kind of in love? Yeah, that's the Souls vibe.
Back in 2016, I spent three hours trying to beat the first Black Knight in Undead Burg. Thought he was a required boss. Turns out? Optional. I mean, who does that? Me. I did. And I learned.
Souls games don’t handhold. They're not fair — but they are consistent. And that’s kind of the magic.
If You're Just Starting: Play Dark Souls III
I know, I know — not Demon’s Souls, not the original Dark Souls, not even Elden Ring. But hear me out.
Dark Souls III is like the best onboarding ramp. It's faster-paced, the controls feel tighter (compared to the jank of DS1), and the boss design is chef’s kiss. Plus, the community is still super active. Summons, invasions, memes — it’s all happening.
Yeah, the story’s a bit of a mess if you’ve never played the others. But honestly? Who fully gets the lore anyway? You’ll still enjoy the cryptic NPCs and vague item descriptions without a PhD in VaatiVidya.
Unpopular take: Dark Souls I is not the best place to start. It’s iconic, sure. But the movement feels like you're piloting a fridge and Blighttown is still a nightmare on some PCs.
“What About Elden Ring?” Yeah, Let’s Talk.
Look, I love Elden Ring. Put 120 hours into it. Rode Torrent into the Lands Between like a cowboy with anxiety.
But as a first Souls game?
Maybe not.
It's huge. Like overwhelmingly huge. And the open world means you can wander into a deathtrap way too early, get stomped by a Tree Sentinel, and think you suck when really — you just went the wrong way.
It is more forgiving in some ways (stealth, summons, fast travel), but the sheer freedom? It’s a double-edged sword.
If you’re craving open-world, fine. Start there. But if you want that tight, claustrophobic "learn by dying" experience that made the series famous? DS3 is your guy.
Other Starting Points (If You're a Weirdo Like Me)
🩸 Bloodborne
Fast. Aggressive. Gothic horror on steroids. But it’s PS4 only, and that framerate… ugh. Still, the combat rewards aggression, which feels super fresh if you're used to turtling behind a shield. I hated it at first. Now? Top 3 of all time.
🛡️ Demon’s Souls (PS5 Remake)
It looks amazing. Like, stupidly good. But it’s clunky and weird in that "first draft" kind of way. There’s charm, sure. But if you die in the wrong place, you lose max health until you revive. Why? No clue.
🔥 Dark Souls I
The world design is god-tier. Everything connects in ways that’ll blow your mind. But — and I say this with love — it feels old. The menus? Jank. The movement? Sluggish. The remaster helps, but you’ll feel the age.
What You're Really In For (Let’s Set Expectations)
These games will mess you up. Emotionally. Mentally. Possibly spiritually.
You’ll get invaded by someone named “420_Xx_Goku_xX” and lose all your souls. You’ll accidentally kill an NPC and regret it for the rest of the playthrough. You’ll die to gravity more than any enemy.
But you’ll also beat a boss after three straight hours of suffering, throw your controller in the air, and feel like a god.
Here’s the thing: you don’t have to git gud overnight. Everyone sucks at first. And anyone who tells you otherwise is either lying or pretending they didn’t get parried by a Hollow 5 minutes in.
Oh, and pro tip: talk to NPCs more than once. Trust me.
TL;DR (But Not Really, Read the Whole Thing)
Start with Dark Souls III if you want the purest Souls experience without feeling like you’re fighting the game itself.
If you must go open-world, Elden Ring is fine — but just know what you’re signing up for.
Or go full hipster and start with Bloodborne or Demon’s Souls — I won’t stop you.
And hey, if you're still torn and just want the universe to decide, I made this dumb little tool called a Random Souls Game Picker. Hit the button, play what it gives you, and embrace the chaos.
See you in Lordran, Ashen One. Or Yharnam. Or the Lands Between. Or… you know what, you’ll figure it out.
Written by Jake, who once fell off a cliff in Dark Souls and never truly recovered.