The Most Challenging SoulsBorne Games for Full Completion

Article Key Points

The Soulsborne games are known for their challenging gameplay and intricate level design, requiring players to understand enemy movesets and strategies.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

stands out with its posture-based combat system and challenging Gauntlet challenges that reward players with unique outfits.

Bloodborne

's Chalice Dungeons provide unique enemies and boss encounters, making it necessary to complete all dungeons for the full 100% completion.

The Soulsborne games in the gaming industry are known for their reputation of being highly challenging and unforgiving in terms of gameplay and combat. FromSoftware, the developer of these games, excels in creating intricate level designs where different areas are interconnected. The enemies and bosses encountered throughout these games are relentless, requiring players to thoroughly understand their movesets in order to defeat them.

The level of difficulty in these games also plays a significant role for those who aim to fully complete and explore every aspect of the game. This discussion focuses on the toughest games within the Soulsborne series, which demand significant time investment to fully explore, complete all quests, and more.

5. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Platform(s) PS4, PC, Xbox OneReleased March 22, 2019Developer(s) From SoftwareGenre(s) Action RPG

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice introduces a challenging and unique combat system compared to other SoulsBorne games. In this game, players must constantly attack enemies to break their posture, causing them to stagger and lose health. The gameplay heavily relies on parrying to avoid damage and deplete the enemy's posture bar.

Along with difficult boss encounters and two possible endings, the base game also includes Gauntlets of Strength. These are sequential challenges where players battle multiple bosses consecutively. The bosses in these Gauntlets have additional attacks, making them even tougher than those in the base game. Failing in the Gauntlet requires players to start over. Completion of these Gauntlets rewards players with outfits and other valuable items.

4. Demon's Souls

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a must-have on this list due to the grind involved in obtaining all skills from the Skill Tree, in addition to the challenging Gauntlets that await players even after completing the base game.

Demon's Souls

Platform: PS3

Release Date: October 6, 2009

Developer: From Software

Genre: Soulslike, Action RPG

Demon's Souls is a Soulsborne game that introduces the World Tendency system. Players have the ability to shift their Tendency towards White or Black depending on their actions. To achieve 100% completion, players must utilize this Tendency system in various areas to unlock potential questlines and encounter unique enemies or creatures. The game consists of multiple worlds, each with its own Tendency.

Aside from the Tendency system, the game offers multiple endings and NPC questlines that necessitate multiple playthroughs for completion. Some questlines within the game require players to seek out and engage with numerous other NPCs. Failing to complete a single step can significantly impact the outcome of these questlines and subsequently alter the associated rewards. In Demon's Souls, players are encouraged to explore hidden areas and paths at their own pace, leading them to valuable and rare loot.

3. Bloodborne

Bloodborne

Platform: PS4

Release Date: March 24, 2015

Developer: From Software

Genre: Action, RPG

What sets Bloodborne apart from other challenging games is not only the relentless boss encounters and unforgiving environments, but also the addition of the Chalice Dungeons. These randomly generated areas are filled with distinct enemies and multiple bosses on each floor. The Chalice Dungeons act as the main hubs for obtaining valuable rewards, including high-level Blood Gems that can be equipped onto the player's primary weapons.

Bloodborne features a vast array of Chalice Dungeons that are crucial to explore in order to achieve 100% completion. To fully accomplish this, players must conquer all of the dungeons available. It is important to note that some of the latter Chalices are particularly challenging, as they are cursed. These cursed Chalices not only decrease the player's health bar by half but also present more difficult areas to navigate. Engaging in battles against new and unique bosses within these cursed Chalices becomes even more perilous, as a single hit from them will result in the restart of the encounter.

2. Dark Souls 3

Dark Souls 3

Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC

Release Date: March 24, 2016

Developer: From Software

Genre: Action RPG

Dark Souls 3 poses a significant challenge for completionists due to its perplexing questlines with stringent prerequisites, as well as the hunt for Rare and elusive items. In order to progress, players must engage in specific quests for numerous non-playable characters, which must be tackled in a particular sequence. Furthermore, certain questlines may be prematurely terminated if players advance too far in the storyline or defeat a boss.

Dark Souls 3 takes the concept of grinding to the extreme. In order to obtain all Sorceries, Miracles, and more, players must find and offer Covenant items to the appropriate Covenants. These items can be acquired by engaging in successful PvP Invasions or defeating a specific enemy numerous times until the item is dropped. With multiple Covenants to cater to, expect to dedicate anywhere from 20 to 40 hours of gameplay to collecting the necessary 30 items for each Covenant, depending on your luck.

Additionally, the game features a multitude of Rings that players must collect. While most Rings can be obtained in the initial playthrough, acquiring the remaining ones requires delving into NG+ and NG++ playthroughs.

1. Elden Ring

Elden Ring

Platform(s) PS5, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PCReleased February 25, 2022Developer(s) From SoftwareGenre(s) RPG, Action

Elden Ring is considered one of the more accessible combat games on this list due to its smooth and seamless gameplay. While the bosses and worlds still present challenges, having a mount named Torrent allows players to easily navigate past many enemies and areas. Like the other games on this list, Elden Ring requires players to defeat both main story and side bosses. The game features a vast map filled with questlines, items, and resources that players must discover. Given its open-world nature, fully exploring every corner can take around 60 to 80 hours.

Elden Ring offers multiple endings that require multiple playthroughs. However, PlayStation and Xbox players have the option to save their progress on the Cloud or a USB storage device before reaching an ending. This allows players to reload their previous save and obtain all the ending trophies or achievements. One of the endings, known as Lord of Frenzied Flame, includes a challenging parkour section that players must successfully complete to achieve the ending.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I have a deep appreciation for challenging video games that test my skills and determination. The SoulsBorne series, known for its unforgiving gameplay and intricate level design, has captivated me and many others in my generation.

In my opinion, the most challenging SoulsBorne game for full completion is Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The game's posture-based combat system, which requires precise timing and parrying, presents a steep learning curve that can be daunting even for experienced gamers. The Gauntlets of Strength, which offer sequential boss battles with enhanced attacks, add an additional layer of difficulty and require immense skill and patience to overcome.

Moreover, the game's two endings and the grind involved in obtaining all skills from the Skill Tree contribute to the overall challenge of achieving 100% completion. Overall, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice demands a significant time investment and a willingness to master its unique combat mechanics, making it a true test of a player's skills and dedication.