FromSoftware has been responsible for many of the century’s most transcendental and unique video games, which is why it’s always difficult to talk about which is its best work.
Speaking as someone who has tattooed at least one symbol from most of the company’s releases, the discussion about which is its most notable creation is always complex becauseeach project excels at something different.
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FromSoftware is brilliant at making you believe you’ve finally won when, in reality, the worst is yet to come.
I have my subjective favorites depending on the topic under consideration, but pitting theSoulsborne gamesagainst each other is always a great exercise in exploring their greatness and thusvaluing them more accurately.
Therefore, for the sake of establishing a healthy comparison between two of the past decade’s best interactive experiences, it’s time to ask: betweenDark SoulsandBloodborne, which is the best?
Bloodborne
While I know it may be an unpopular opinion, I’ve always thoughtDark SoulsandBloodborne’s bosses aren’t that high in quality if we don’t consider the DLC.
In retrospect, the former has many simple enemies that require the same tactics to defeat, and the latter features multiple encounters where patience is more important than skill, which contradicts its core gameplay.
However, I can’t deny that both have some of themost iconic bossesin video game history, butBloodbornehas a head start because it leverages the lessons learned fromDark Soulsto further empower its designs.
Gwyn,Ornstein & Smough, andSifare unbelievable bosses, butGehrman,Gascoigne, andthe Shadows of Yharnamare among the best FromSoftware has ever done in each category, which is why I thinkBloodborneis superior when both are at their best.
9Level Design
As with the bosses,Bloodbornebuilds on Dark Souls' foundation to offer some of the best level design ever seen in video game history.
While the 2011 game laid unparalleled groundwork that shaped the gaming industry, the campaign’s second half falls considerably flat, losing the interconnectivity of the levels andpresenting more uninspired areas after you finish the unforgettable Anor Londo.
In contrast,Bloodborneconstantly grows, connecting areas that one would think impossible without any quality drops. Either individually or as a whole, epicenters likeYharnam Cathedralor supernatural spaces likeYahar’gul, Unseen Villageare incredibly fascinating.
IfDark Soulswere able to maintain the quality of its level design from the first half, it would be impossible to compete with. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, soBloodborneprevails thanks to its consistency.
8Characters
Dark Souls
The characters in Soulsborne games have always been a vital part of the player’s experience, especially in setting the tone for their adventures.
WithBloodborne, each figure helps to represent the collective succumbing to the blood curse,reflecting it from their respective backgrounds to help us fully understand the affliction Yharnam suffers.
Similarly,Dark Soulspursues the same goal regarding the curse of the undead, but it manages to tell more iconic and emotional stories than its counterpart, despite having nearly twice the number of NPCs.
Solaire,Siegmeyer,Lautrec,Logan,Quelana,Petrus… UnlikeBloodborne, which has some forgettable characters, almost every conscious being inDark Soulshas a sensational questline. Virtually impossible to complete without guides, but sensational nonetheless.
Dark Soulsfeatures one of the best medieval settings of all time, whileBloodbornehas the best Lovecraftian setting ever created.
Both spatial configurations are superb, with two incredibly robust mythologies that have sustained millions of people debating their symbols, meanings, and stories for over a decade.
Yet, whenDark Soulsfalters and gives you a lava pit with many undead dragon legs,Bloodborneintroduces you to dreamlike realms where you witness cosmic gods, so the scale makes a difference.
Although I often prefer Lordran’s oppressive and mundane feel, Yharnam’s extraordinary andtragicpresence directly representsthe best setting FromSoftware has in its entire catalog.
We all know FromSoftware’s stories are more powerful for their narratives than their scripts, althoughBloodborneis an exceptional case.
Ultimately,Dark Soulsremains a medieval construction with a clear structure from beginning to end that’s more attached to a mortal experience, whileBloodborneregularly subverts expectations,never letting you know how the story will unfold.
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If you want to get into FromSoftware’s work and don’t know which sequence to follow, this is your place.
They share themes such as power structures' cycles and their perpetuation over time, and both even coincide in how to hide their true meanings behind layers and layers of magnificent lore. Yet, the major events are more impactful in The Hunter’s Dream thanks to their cosmic scale.
Dark SoulsandBloodbornerecreate the same trope differently, and while both are excellent at storytelling,I believe Yharnam leaves a much stronger mark in terms of its main plot by avoiding leaving much of it to be contextual narrative.
I’ve never been a fan of online modes, and while I greatly appreciate their meaning and design in Soulsborne games, I still enjoy these titles much more when playing solo.
That said, I’ve tried every multiplayer in the formula, and honestly,just becauseDark Souls’online mode actually works,it’s the clear winner for me in this department.
Over the years, to say I’ve managed to get intoBloodborne’s multiplayer mode more than a couple of times is probably a stretch, asthe system was inconsistent, and I rarely had the patience to endure the wait times.
Instead, with both the original and its remaster,Dark Souls' online experience always felt more effective and even fitting, especially in fulfilling the theme of the undead as a collective fighting together to endure the curse.
4Difficulty
Gauging the difficulty of FromSoftware’s titles is tricky becausethe first one is always going to be the most challenging, and in my case, that’sDark Souls.
And, yes,Bloodbornechanges the core gameplay completely, forcing you to discard your shield in favor of much faster and more visceral combat, but the experience is still much more fluid and accessible.
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FromSoftware really knows how to close an adventure.
Not only because the base game’s bosses are weak and have simple attack patterns, but becausethe parry is particularly broken, and you just need good timing to destroy everything in your path.
On the other hand,Dark Soulshas more limited and clunky gameplay, with a greater role-playing component that requires you to know which weapons are good and which aren’t. And then you haveBloodborne, whichgives you the game’s most powerful cleaver right from the start.
So,I’ve always felt thatDark Soulshas a more balanced and escalating challenge, whileBloodbornehas sporadicdifficulty spikeswhere the common experience is beating everything on the first try, making it less satisfying.
Just because it’s relatively easier doesn’t mean it’s less entertaining, asBloodborne’s combat is, aside fromSekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the most special and fun in the entire series.
I absolutely love to replayDark Souls, and I think it features an impressive gameplay system, especially for its time and the genre’s standards, butBloodborneis on another level.
I’ve read a lot online that a good parry mechanic can take a video game far, and I agree. Yet,Bloodbornenot only has the most iconic parry ever, given it also features trick weapons, arcane artifacts, and the rally system to create aperfect gameplay loop.
It’s fair to miss the ability to build different classes fromDark Souls, where you could be anything from a Barbarian to a Pyromancer, but I thinkBloodbornemakes up for the change with unparalleled combat mechanics.
2Soundtrack
It’s difficult to put a game in second place with songs likeGwyn, Lord of CinderandNameless Songin its repertoire, so believe me when I say it pains me.
Regardless,Bloodborne’s soundtrack could easily be considered an anthology of a symphony orchestra, featuring pieces of music so glorious that it makes you want to never beat the bosses just to hear them until the end of time.
From the tune that plays when you first reach the Hunter’s Dream to Gehrman’s theme as you face the final battle, every song inBloodborneis a love letter to art that’s impossible to ignore.
Dark Souls' soundtrack is also a masterpiece, and there’s really no reason it couldn’t be superior toBloodborne’s, so I think it’s a purely subjective matter that, in my case, leans toward the latter.
I always sayDark Soulsis my favorite game, and I truly believe it is, but in direct comparison,I inevitably findBloodbornesuperior.
FromSoftware implemented everything it learned from the title’s spiritual predecessors to create an experience that, even with itsimperfections, will go down in history as one of the most special video games.
That statement can be made about virtually all the studio’s creations of the last 15 years, but it becomes especially true when we talk about what isperhaps the most outstanding exclusive in the PlayStation catalog.
And all of that without considering its DLC, sinceThe Old Huntersisamong the best expansions of all time, which confirms with even more confidence thatBloodborneis and will always be a game to remember.
