Elden Ring vs Dark Souls 3
One is the open-world colossus that made FromSoftware a household name. The other is the studio's tightest, fastest dark-fantasy gauntlet. Here's which to buy — and which one is genuinely easier to start with.
Newcomers: start with Elden Ring. Its open world is a built-in difficulty valve — stuck on a boss? Ride away, explore, level up, come back stronger. Dark Souls 3 offers no such mercy; its linear path means every wall must be climbed.
Veterans and purists: Dark Souls 3 remains the most concentrated dose of classic Souls design ever made, and it's dramatically cheaper on sale.
The Head-to-Head at a Glance
| Elden Ring | Dark Souls 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | February 2022 | April 2016 |
| Metacritic | 96 — 2022 Game of the Year | 89 |
| Structure | Massive open world (The Lands Between) | Linear, interconnected levels |
| Length | ~60 hours main path; 100+ with everything | ~30 hours; ~50 with DLC |
| MSRP | $59.99 (+ Shadow of the Erdtree DLC) | $59.99, but routinely ~$15 on sale |
| Difficulty relief | Explore elsewhere, Spirit Ash summons, co-op | Co-op summons only — no detours |
| Movement | Torrent (mount), jump button, stealth | On foot, no dedicated jump |
| DLC | Shadow of the Erdtree (2024, Metacritic 95) | Ashes of Ariandel + The Ringed City |
World Design: Freedom vs Focus
Elden Ring's Lands Between is the most acclaimed open world of its generation — a map with no quest markers and no filler, where every ruin, cave, and glowing horizon-thing hides something real. The freedom isn't just aesthetic; it's the game's difficulty system. Margit walling you at hour three isn't a stop sign, it's a suggestion to go be somewhere else getting stronger. That single design choice is why Elden Ring converted millions of players who'd bounced off Souls games for a decade.
Dark Souls 3 is the opposite pitch: a curated gauntlet. Every level is a dense, hand-wound knot of shortcuts and ambushes on a mostly linear path from Firelink Shrine to the end of the world. There's no skipping a wall — Pontiff Sulyvahn doesn't care that you'd rather be exploring — and that's precisely what its devotees love. It's FromSoftware at maximum concentration: the fastest combat of the original trilogy, zero downtime, and a boss lineup (Abyss Watchers, the Nameless King, Slave Knight Gael in the DLC) that many still rank as the studio's best run of fights, full stop.
Combat & Difficulty: Different Kinds of Hard
Elden Ring gives you more tools than any Souls game before it: a jump button, guard counters, stealth, a horse, craftable items, and — most importantly — Spirit Ashes, summonable allies that can meaningfully ease boss fights without another human's help. Its hardest bosses (Malenia, and much of Shadow of the Erdtree) exceed anything in DS3, but the floor is far more forgiving.
Dark Souls 3's challenge is steadier and stricter. Fewer tools, no mount, no spirit summons — just you, your build, and roll timing. It's the better teacher of pure Souls fundamentals, which is exactly why it feels punishing as an entry point and rewarding as a second game.
Value: DS3 Is the Steal
Elden Ring holds its price like the landmark it is, and the full experience with Shadow of the Erdtree pushes the investment further — justified, given 100+ hours of the best content FromSoftware has ever made. Dark Souls 3, a decade old, routinely collapses to around $15 in seasonal sales with its excellent DLC bundled cheap. Fifty hours of top-shelf FromSoftware for lunch money is one of gaming's most reliable bargains.
Which Should You Buy? Player-by-Player Verdicts
| You are... | Buy this one |
|---|---|
| Brand new to FromSoftware games | Elden Ring — the open world is your safety net |
| A lapsed Souls player returning | Elden Ring — it's the modern standard-bearer |
| Someone who finished Elden Ring wanting more | Dark Souls 3 — the natural next step |
| Short on time | Dark Souls 3 — half the length, zero padding |
| A boss-fight connoisseur | Either — DS3's lineup vs Erdtree's spectacle is a genuine debate |
| On a budget | Dark Souls 3 on sale — ~$15 for a masterpiece |
ELDEN RING ADVANTAGES
- Open world doubles as a built-in difficulty dial
- Spirit Ashes and co-op make bosses approachable
- Enormous content: 100+ hours plus a 95-rated DLC
- 2022 Game of the Year — FromSoft's most acclaimed game
- Modern movement: mount, jump, stealth
DARK SOULS 3 ADVANTAGES
- Tightest, most focused Souls experience
- Legendary boss lineup, especially in the DLC
- Half the time commitment — respect for your schedule
- Regularly ~$15 with DLC on sale
- The purest teacher of Souls fundamentals
For most players, Elden Ring is the buy. It's the more accommodating entry, the bigger adventure, and the consensus best game FromSoftware has made.
Dark Souls 3 is the follow-up, not the runner-up. Play it after Elden Ring and its focused design feels like a greatest-hits tour rather than a punishment. And at its perpetual sale price, it's the single best value in the entire Soulsborne catalog.
Get Elden Ring
Prices and availability change constantly — links open live search results so you always see current listings.
Get Dark Souls 3
Prices and availability change constantly — links open live search results so you always see current listings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Elden Ring harder than Dark Souls 3?
Its peaks are higher — Malenia and the Shadow of the Erdtree bosses exceed anything in DS3 — but its floor is friendlier. The open world, Spirit Ash summons, and over-leveling options mean a struggling player always has an out. DS3's linear design makes its difficulty less avoidable, so most players experience it as the harder game moment to moment.
Should I play Dark Souls 3 before Elden Ring?
Not necessary. The stories are unconnected (beyond shared themes and the Miyazaki flavor), and Elden Ring is the friendlier starting point. DS3 first is only the better path for players who specifically want to learn classic Souls structure before the open-world remix.
Which has better bosses?
The great pub debate. Dark Souls 3's lineup — Abyss Watchers, Nameless King, Sister Friede, Gael — is the most consistent in the original trilogy. Elden Ring counters with sheer scale and spectacle, especially in Shadow of the Erdtree. Consensus edge goes to DS3 for consistency, Elden Ring for highs.
Is Dark Souls 3 still worth playing in 2026?
Yes — it holds up beautifully, runs well on modern hardware, and its frequent ~$15 sale price (often with both DLCs) makes it the best value purchase in FromSoftware's catalog.
Do I need the DLC for either game?
Shadow of the Erdtree is essential for Elden Ring fans — it's near-universally rated among FromSoft's best work. DS3's The Ringed City contains several of the studio's most celebrated bosses and is usually bundled for pocket change. In both cases: yes, eventually.