Do you want to face the ultimate challenge? In this article, we will rank the top 5 Soulsborne Games you can try in 2025.

Almost every gamer knows the name FromSoftware. They are one of the most successful studios in the gaming industry. They are considered innovators since they invented a genre of games with the release of their Demon’s Souls title in 2009 and changed the gaming landscape with their unique game design.
These games are called the Soulsborne games; they are notorious for their unforgiving gameplay and ambiguous story as well as their no-holding-back approach. Some people love challenges and obstacles to overcome, and these games aim to give you exactly that. From Demon’s Souls to Elden Ring, these games are vastly different regarding lore, world design, and characters. But they have one thing in common. All of these games do not hold the player’s hands. The tutorials in these games are bare bones.
The director, Miyazaki, prefers to drop the player right in the middle of the action at the start of the games and expects the players to learn the ropes on their own. Additionally, the Soulsborne games have no difficulty setting. You cannot change it, and you will have to play the game on its own terms. If you love a challenge, you’ll surely find a game according to your taste in this article.
5 Soulsborne Games You Should Try in 2025
We have seen quite a few Soulsborne games over the years. All of them have different settings, themes, stories, and lore. From games like Dark Souls, which evidently take place on a medieval European continent, to Sekiro, which is based on Japanese folklore, FromSoftware likes to diversify and create new titles rather than making sequels of the same IP.
There are only two sequels in the entire Soulsborne catalogue, and those two are part of the Dark Souls Trilogy. So we can understand that it might be a bit confusing for someone to decide which Soulsborne game to pick. With that in mind, we have made a list of the top 5 Soulsborne games you can play in 2025.
5. Dark Souls

Dark Souls is the first installment in the Dark Souls Trilogy, and many consider it to be a pillar of the genre. The game’s combat mechanics might be a little outdated and might not be as flashy as the newer entries in the genre, but it introduced a lot of elements that later became the standard for all the games that followed. The remastered version launched on May 25, 2018, for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
It is also the first game to receive an expansion pack; almost all Soulsborne games received DLCs after their release except for Sekiro. In hindsight, the rugged combat and healing mechanics add another layer to the unforgiving nature of the game. Dark Souls was such an important title for the entire genre that you can see its influence on Elden Ring as well.
Dark Souls is primarily a third-person RPG. But when it comes to the story, the game does not rely on the dialogue-heavy, exposition-based storytelling methods other RPGs have shown in the past. Dark Souls relies on its world and environment to convey its lore and story. It is mostly up for interpretation, but gamers can get some idea of the lore if they listen to the NPCs and read the numerous descriptions of every item they find. It is a very effective method, and players have described the process of paying attention to understand the world to be rewarding.
4. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro was an interesting title in the genre. The game deviated a lot from its predecessors in terms of gameplay and the progression system. The developer strayed away from the medieval European setting of the previous titles and based Sekiro in a Japanese folklore-inspired world.
While the previous Soulsborne games focused on stamina management and dodging as the core of their combat, Sekiro emphasized parrying and a stagger meter. The hardcore fans of the series were skeptical of this direction at first, but when the game came out, it was evident that most of the gaming community considered the combat to be one of the best in the series.
Soulsborne games were known for their blank protagonists and semi-open worlds. Usually, at the start of these games, players make their own characters. These characters did not have many voice lines and/or personalities. The idea was that the player was the main character of the game. However, Sekiro changed this approach as well. Sekiro was the first Soulsborne game that had a protagonist written specifically for the narrative. The Wolf is a fully voice-acted character with direct ties to the game’s story.
The game also introduced a skill tree. Players can now learn new abilities and skills instead of leveling up different stats for their character. This change, combined with the fact that Sekiro was a standalone game, simplified the game and made it accessible to a wider audience. Sekiro is also regarded as one of the hardest games in the Soulsborne genre. So if you want the ultimate challenge, this might be the game for you.
3. Dark Souls 3

Dark Souls 3 is regarded as the most iconic title in the Soulsborne genre, and it is the last entry in the Dark Souls Trilogy. The game refined the combat, graphics, and world design from the previous titles and is considered to be one of the best games released by FromSoftware. It is a beautiful ending to the story of the trilogy. The game was released worldwide on April 12, 2016.
The developers improved every aspect of the game, but the most notable improvement was the boss fights. The game has larger-than-life bosses with incredible character design and move sets. Additionally, the third entry also introduced more convenient options for the PvP mode. And there is a dedicated community for Dark Souls 3 PvP to this day.
The game also saw the return of the creator and director of the Soulsborne games, Hideo Miayazki who was absent from the development of the previous installment. Dark Souls 3 is the final game in the trilogy in more ways than one. Other than being the end of the story, the game is a product of the innovations and groundwork of the previous two titles. Dark Souls 3 is a good entry point for anyone who wants the absolute Dark Souls experience, and that earns it the third spot in our Top 5 Soulsborne Games list.
2. Bloodborne
Bloodborne is a PlayStation-exclusive game from the developer, FromSoftware. The game’s Gothic world design and atmosphere immediately stand out and contrast with the more fantastical setting of the Dark Souls game. It is the only exclusive game in the entire Soulsborne genre, which means not every player can get their hands on it.
There have been numerous requests for a PC port of the game, but Sony has remained silent regarding its development or release. The game originally came out in 2015 for the PS4. You can play it on PS5 as well, but the gameplay will be stuck on 30 fps since no 60 fps patch has been announced.
Bloodborne sets itself apart from its predecessors in more ways than one. The game has a more aggressive combat style and encourages players to always stay on the foot and push the enemy as much as possible. The developers also introduced a new mechanic in the game that allows players to regain lost health if they can land a hit on the enemy within a short amount of time, which creates a more high-risk, high-reward combat style. This takes a different route from the more patient approach of the previous games.
The entire story of the game takes place in a fictional city named Yharnam. An ancient evil has engulfed the city with a plague. The players play as a hunter, who must slay the numerous monsters that roam the streets and find a cure for the plague. Many consider Bloodborne to be Miyazaki’s best work, and fans have been asking for a sequel for a while.
1. Elden Ring

Elden Ring was one of the most anticipated games of recent years. It is the first open-world Soulsborne game, and it is considered to be a masterpiece by the fans. Famous fantasy author George R.R. Martin was also involved in the writing process of the lore. And understandably, that generated a lot of hype for the game’s release. Many were skeptical about the open-world aspect of the game and questioned whether the developers were straying too far from the essence of the Dark Souls games.
However, that concern was put to rest when the game was released on February 5, 2022. It was evident that Elden Ring was a step in the right direction for the series, and it represented a natural progression of the Soulsborne formula. The game is the perfect mixture of all of the games we have mentioned in this list. The gameplay feels inspired by Dark Souls but way more polished, and the combat, which allows a lot of different styles and builds, was like Bloodborne but with more variety, and the story of the game was as well written as Sekiro, if not better, but on a larger scale.
The game takes us to the Lands Between, where players will create their characters known as the tarnished. The game’s map is enormous, filled with monsters, caves, dungeons, and boss fights. The player must kill all the demi-gods known as the children of Marika to collect shards of the Elden Ring and become the Elden Lord.
Conclusion
So these are our picks for the Top 5 Soulsborne Games to play in 2025. Each game on this list offers something different to the players, and we hope you find a game that intrigues you in this article.
Looking For More?
Thank you for reading the article. We provide the latest news and create guides for Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, ARK Survival Ascended, and more. Also, watch Deltia play games on Twitch or visit his YouTube channel!