FromSoftware stands at the forefront of modern gaming, delivering some of the most innovative and transcendent video experiences of the century. This makes it challenging to pinpoint their best title.
As a devoted fan who has tattooed designs from almost every game the company has launched, I find the debate over their most remarkable work fascinating and complex. This complexity arises because each title shines in its own way.
While I have personal favorites based on specific criteria, comparing the Soulsborne series provides a rewarding opportunity to dissect their unique strengths. Thus, the burning question remains: which game reigns supreme—Dark Souls or Bloodborne?
10 Bosses
Bloodborne
It’s a controversial view, but I believe the bosses in Dark Souls and Bloodborne are not as remarkable without considering their DLC expansions. Looking back, Dark Souls offers several straightforward encounters that require a repetitive approach, while Bloodborne often prioritizes patience over pure skill, somewhat undermining its own gameplay principles.
Nonetheless, both games feature some of the most iconic bosses in gaming history. However, Bloodborne benefits from lessons learned during the creation of Dark Souls, enhancing its boss design significantly. Characters like Gehrman, Gascoigne, and the Shadows of Yharnam are quintessential exemplars of FromSoftware’s mastery, leading me to argue in favor of Bloodborne’s superiority in boss encounters.
9 Level Design
Bloodborne
Like its bosses, Bloodborne’s level design improves significantly upon the groundwork laid by Dark Souls. While the latter set a high bar for the industry with its interconnected environments, the latter half of Dark Souls struggles with a loss of that interconnectedness and a few uninspired zones following the memorable Anor Londo.
In contrast, Bloodborne excels in maintaining a sense of growth throughout its world, seamlessly linking many imaginative areas—from Yharnam Cathedral to the eerie Yahar’gul, Unseen Village—without compromising quality.
If Dark Souls had sustained its initial level design excellence, it might have claimed the top spot. However, Bloodborne’s consistency allows it to edge ahead in this category.
8 Characters
Dark Souls
Characters play a pivotal role in Soulsborne titles, enhancing the player’s overall journey and setting a poignant tone along the adventure. Bloodborne’s characters illustrate the collective descent into the blood curse, conveying their individual stories while showcasing Yharnam’s suffering.
Conversely, Dark Souls shares similar themes revolving around the undead’s curse but manages to deliver deeper emotional narratives despite featuring nearly twice the number of NPCs.
Characters like Solaire, Siegmeyer, and Lautrec engage players with compelling questlines, making Dark Souls’ character development stand out, especially compared to some less memorable figures from Bloodborne.
7 Setting
Bloodborne
While Dark Souls showcases an exemplary medieval setting, Bloodborne ultimately creates the finest Lovecraftian atmosphere in gaming history.
Both games boast rich mythologies that spark vibrant discussions about their symbols and narratives. However, whereas Dark Souls occasionally leads players into uninspiring environments like lava pits with dragon corpses, Bloodborne transports them to surreal landscapes inhabited by cosmic entities, which elevates the experience.
Although I lean toward the oppressive realism of Lordran, Yharnam’s captivating and tragic nature arguably ranks it as FromSoftware’s best setting.
6 Story
Bloodborne
FromSoftware’s narratives often eclipse their dialogue through their immersive storytelling—a quality that shines in Bloodborne.
While Dark Souls offers a more traditional medieval tale with straightforward progression, Bloodborne constantly subverts expectations, keeping players guessing about the story’s twists and turns.
Despite both games sharing themes about the cycles of power, Bloodborne’s main events resonate more profoundly, largely due to their cosmic significance.
Dark Souls may present intricate lore wrapped in layers of narrative, but Yharnam’s haunting tale leaves a more lasting impact through its exploration of existential dread.
5 Online
Dark Souls
While I’m not a fan of multiplayer modes, I value their design and implications in the Soulsborne experience. Yet, I find the titles far more enjoyable when played solo.
Having engaged with the multiplayer features across both games, it’s clear that Dark Souls offers a significantly better online experience, smoothly accommodating players in its world.
My encounters with Bloodborne’s multiplayer have been sporadic at best; its inconsistent matchmaking and lengthy wait times have often deterred me from fully embracing it.Dark Souls’ online feature, on the other hand, feels cohesive, embodying the theme of the undead community working together to overcome adversity.
4 Difficulty
Dark Souls
Assessing the difficulty levels of FromSoftware’s games can be convoluted, as the original Dark Souls is often regarded as the most challenging.
Bloodborne alters the gameplay significantly by promoting faster, more aggressive combat while discouraging shield use, resulting in a smoother and more accessible experience overall.
While the bosses in Bloodborne may initially seem easier due to more predictable attack patterns and a powerful parry system, Dark Souls demands a more strategized approach with its intricate role-playing elements and weapon selection.
3 Combat
Bloodborne
Despite its relative ease, Bloodborne’s combat system is exhilarating and ranks among the best in the series, surpassed only by Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
I deeply enjoy replaying Dark Souls, appreciating its gameplay mechanics given its historical context, yet Bloodborne elevates combat to an entirely new echelon.
Many agree that a solid parrying mechanism can enhance gameplay, and Bloodborne takes that concept to new heights with its trick weapons, arcane elements, and unique rally system, resulting in an exceptionally engaging gameplay loop.
While the lack of class diversity seen in Dark Souls may be disappointing, Bloodborne compensates with unmatched combat mechanics that bring fresh excitement to each encounter.
2 Soundtrack
Bloodborne
It’s difficult to compare a game that boasts tracks like Gwyn, Lord of Cinder and Nameless Song against others. It genuinely pains me to place such an exceptional soundtrack in second.
Conversely, Bloodborne’s musical score resonates like a symphonic masterpiece, with tracks so breathtaking they compel players to prolong battles just to enjoy the music longer.
From the soothing notes heard upon entering the Hunter’s Dream to the intensity of Gehrman’s final encounter, every piece of Bloodborne’s soundtrack is a tribute to the power of art.
Even though Dark Souls’ score is also a stunning work of art, the appeal boils down to personal taste, leading my preference subtly towards Bloodborne.
1 Winner
Bloodborne
I consistently declare Dark Souls as my all-time favorite game, yet in a head-to-head matchup, I have to concede that Bloodborne takes the crown.
This title exemplifies everything FromSoftware learned from its forerunners, establishing an experience that, despite its imperfections, will be etched into the annals of gaming history.
This assertion holds true for many of the studio’s creations from the past 15 years, but particularly when discussing one of the standout exclusives in the PlayStation library.
All of this is before considering the phenomenal DLC, The Old Hunters, which is one of the greatest expansions ever, further solidifying the claim that Bloodborne is and will remain an unforgettable gaming experience.
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