DeaconOfTheDank
Gold Member
Congratulations on joining the club/cult! These games changed my taste in video games forever.
DS1 and DS3 are perfect to play back to back. DS1 might feel pretty dated, but the level design, atmosphere, and DLC knock it out of the park compared to some of the later titles. DS3 is the perfect "sequel" to DS1 and the DLCs have huge lore implications for the ending of the series.
DS2 feels markedly different from the other two, but not necessarily in a good way. I would say that this is probably one I would skip. It's still a good game in its own way, but it seems to lose touch with some of the fundamental design philosophies of the rest the series.
If you're looking to switch things up, Bloodborne is a revolution for Souls-style games. Gone is the way of hiding behind your shield and occasional pokes with your weapon. Pure aggression and well-timed step-dodges is the name of the game. Feels like a dexterity build's wet dream. The lore is also incredible, but I really don't want to spoil any of that.
Sekiro is my personal favorite and switches things up once again. It evolves on the pure aggression from Bloodborne, but has the additional requirement of mastering the deflect/parry mechanic. The boss fights in this game take on an entirely new level of engagement akin to a beautiful dance of moves and countermoves. People consider this the "hardest" game in FromSoftware's lineup, but I would argue the approach to combat is deliberately counter to Dark Soul's flow -- this is one of the main reasons why Souls veterans have so much trouble with it. Ironically, many people initially thought that Bloodborne was difficult because of how much it changed combat mechanics (I had some serious Deja Vu fighting Genichiro ~ Father Gascoigne). The music in Sekiro is also a breath of fresh air after the booming orchestras in Bloodborne + Souls games (which are still great).
However, I will note that if you've been rocking the dexterity build in all of the titles, the transition of Souls -> Bloodborne -> Sekiro feels like a natural evolution that caters to this style of play. I would speculate that Miyazaki himself mains a dex build.
Good luck, have fun, and git gud.
DS1 and DS3 are perfect to play back to back. DS1 might feel pretty dated, but the level design, atmosphere, and DLC knock it out of the park compared to some of the later titles. DS3 is the perfect "sequel" to DS1 and the DLCs have huge lore implications for the ending of the series.
DS2 feels markedly different from the other two, but not necessarily in a good way. I would say that this is probably one I would skip. It's still a good game in its own way, but it seems to lose touch with some of the fundamental design philosophies of the rest the series.
If you're looking to switch things up, Bloodborne is a revolution for Souls-style games. Gone is the way of hiding behind your shield and occasional pokes with your weapon. Pure aggression and well-timed step-dodges is the name of the game. Feels like a dexterity build's wet dream. The lore is also incredible, but I really don't want to spoil any of that.
Sekiro is my personal favorite and switches things up once again. It evolves on the pure aggression from Bloodborne, but has the additional requirement of mastering the deflect/parry mechanic. The boss fights in this game take on an entirely new level of engagement akin to a beautiful dance of moves and countermoves. People consider this the "hardest" game in FromSoftware's lineup, but I would argue the approach to combat is deliberately counter to Dark Soul's flow -- this is one of the main reasons why Souls veterans have so much trouble with it. Ironically, many people initially thought that Bloodborne was difficult because of how much it changed combat mechanics (I had some serious Deja Vu fighting Genichiro ~ Father Gascoigne). The music in Sekiro is also a breath of fresh air after the booming orchestras in Bloodborne + Souls games (which are still great).
However, I will note that if you've been rocking the dexterity build in all of the titles, the transition of Souls -> Bloodborne -> Sekiro feels like a natural evolution that caters to this style of play. I would speculate that Miyazaki himself mains a dex build.
Good luck, have fun, and git gud.
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