4 Soulslike Games That Are Officially Harder Than Dark Souls

Dark Souls is famous for being incredibly challenging, and it’s often credited with starting a new kind of game genre. It requires intense focus and really tests a player’s skills, punishing even small errors throughout the entire experience.

Although often seen as the ultimate difficult game, a few others actually present a greater challenge. Many come from the same studio, FromSoftware, but impressive Soulslike games are also being created by other developers, proving that exceptional difficulty isn’t exclusive to the original creators.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

The Premier Soulslike Challenge

Difficulty Rating: 4.49/5

Sekiro moves away from the combat style of Dark Souls, which relies on managing stamina. Instead, it focuses on quick, precise parries and fast-paced action. Winning isn’t about carefully choosing your attacks, but about deflecting enemy blows at just the right moment. Many players familiar with this type of game agree that Sekiro is incredibly challenging, even more so than other titles in the genre.

The game’s bosses are incredibly tough, requiring near-flawless skill to defeat. Healing is scarce, and dying means losing significant progress. It’s known as FromSoftware’s most challenging game because it only truly rewards perfect gameplay.

Dark Souls 2

Testing Patience More Than Ever

Difficulty Rating: 4.34/5

Often considered the odd one out in the series, *Dark Souls 2* expanded on the success of the first game with a bigger world, more enemies, and a large number of challenging bosses. What made it truly difficult wasn’t necessarily the bosses themselves, but the sheer number of enemies and how they were positioned, along with features like ‘hollowing’ that made dying even more punishing.

Dark Souls 2 is notoriously difficult, pushing players to overcome challenging fights and unpredictable gameplay in a way few other games do. Its large levels are packed with traps, enemies, and occasionally frustrating situations, making it a tough experience for both new and veteran players.

Nioh 2

A Rare Perfect Follow-up

Difficulty Rating: 4.30/5

Nioh 2 combines the challenging difficulty of Souls-like games with quick, intricate combat. To win, you’ll need fast reflexes and a good understanding of the game’s systems. Players switch between fighting styles, carefully manage stamina, and learn to use a huge variety of weapons as they battle terrifying demons in a dark and demanding world.

The game is incredibly challenging thanks to complex mechanics and powerful bosses. Even common enemies are dangerous and can quickly defeat players who aren’t ready, so constant vigilance is key. It demands a lot of dedication and is even more complex and intense than the notoriously difficult game, Dark Souls.

Dark Souls 3

Ending A Phenomenal Era

Difficulty Rating: 4.34/5

Dark Souls 3 is the most challenging game in the series yet. Combat is faster and more demanding, and bosses have incredibly complex movesets. Players need to react quickly and stay constantly alert, as there’s little time to recover from mistakes and enemies are unpredictable.

The bosses in Dark Souls 3 are notoriously difficult, linking attacks together with very little break in between. As you progress, the game throws one challenging enemy after another, requiring players to be both quick and accurate constantly. The level of focus it demands is almost unmatched in gaming. For many, Dark Souls 3 is the most challenging game in the series, exceeding even its predecessors in pure intensity, and providing a fitting, epic conclusion to a highly acclaimed trilogy.

2025-10-08 20:05