FromSoftware's Night Souls is well-known for its difficulty, only there are a few games that provide a more hard experience for gamers. Difficulty in video games has always been a hot topic, with debate over whether difficult games gatekeep some people from enjoying them. This argument hasn't stopped developers from creating challenging games for the markets they appeal to, still, and few have quite the reputation ofNighttime Souls.

The Dark Souls series has long been regarded for its difficulty. Programmer FromSoftware moved abroad from the common mitt-holding of many games at the time, instead offering something with a anarchistic approach to storytelling and memorably hard (and sometimes obtuse) gameplay. Gainsay encounters were challenging, with each expanse of Dark Souls culminating in a boss fight that took all of the player'southward skills to survive.

While the difficulty has oftentimes been overblown, Dark Souls'influence on the industry can however be felt today. Many more difficult games have begun to spring up in response, and plenty of them are harder than theDark Soulsgames - including afterward offerings out of FromSoftware. Here are five games that eclipsed the difficulty ofDark Souls.

Bloodborne

A Gothic horror/Lovecraftian take on theDark Soulsformula, FromSoftware'sBloodborne is more than difficult than theSoulsseries. Enemies are more than aggressive in combat scenarios, and Claret Vials (healing items) accept to exist found/purchased throughout the game instead being automatically refilled upon expiry similarDark Souls'Estus Flasks.Bloodbornetoo has some of the hardest boss fights FromSoftware has created, especially in its DLC expansion, The Sometime Hunters. Fiends like the Orphan of Kos and Laurence, the Outset Vicar have proven to be a far greater claiming than a majority ofDark Soulsbosses.

Cuphead

While Cuphead's 1930s cartoon fine art style initially made waves, the game quickly developed a reputation for being an extremely difficult side-scrolling gamble every bit well. The game is largely a boss rush with a few run-and-gun levels scattered throughout, and these boss fights will give even the near seasonedDark Soulsveteran a run for their money. Players must constantly dodge projectiles and other enemy attacks while dealing impairment to the multi-phase bosses, all while managing the limited 3 lives they have before defeat. This makesCupheada truly challenging feel.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis another game made by the same developer asDark Souls, and FromSoftware definitely exceeded the difficulty of their prior games here. WhileDark Soulslets players create grapheme builds that fit their preferred playstyle,Sekirois solely focused on sword-based gainsay combined with Combat Arts that have to be mastered to get past challenges. Gainsay is fast-paced and leaves little room for error as players parry, dodge, and attack to survive a variety of enemies. Bosses and sub-bosses inSekiroare especially challenging, requiring a cracking deal of practice and precision to overcome.

Nioh/Nioh 2

TheNiohfranchise was designed by Team Ninja to be a more accessible entry into theSoulslikegenre, with a more than cohesive story and the earth being broken down into levels with a natural progression. Nonetheless, gainsay and gameplay mechanics make the series a much tougher feel thanDark Souls.Early game enemies take high wellness pools that take patience to whittle down, and many enemies can one-shot players who aren't staying on their toes. Nioh'senemies are also often faster than those inDark Souls,with the Demons and Yokai regularly getting multiple attacks in if players are boring to react. Having to determine which combat stance to use and managing the Ki organisation while fighting these hard enemies can besides be overwhelming, making theNiohgames by and large more difficult thanDark Souls.

The Witness

While non a combat-focused RPG similarDark Souls,The Witnessmakes this list for being ane of the nearly hard puzzle games ever made, one that shares the Dark Souls ideal of asking players to figure things out for themselves.The Witnesshas players solve puzzles on an open-world island, with each puzzle opening upwardly new areas on the map to explore. Its puzzles tin exist highly complex, and its story even takes theDark Souls arroyo of explicitly telling players well-nigh cipher. It's a very different challenge compared to Dark Souls,but one that demands a similar rigor in its mental gymnastics.

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About The Writer

Bricklayer Teague (150 Articles Published)

Mason is a freelance Game Features Writer for Screen Rant with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Mass Media from Wingate Academy. Beingness involved in video game journalism has always been a goal of Mason's, and being able to contribute his gaming noesis to Screen Rant is a dream come up true. Working out of North Carolina, Stonemason spends his gratis fourth dimension trying to catch up on his backlog of games or finishing one of the 10 TV shows he's currently watching.

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