If you fell in love with Elden Ring this year and have been waiting to try the other FromSoftware games, now is the time! The Dark Souls franchise is finally on sale on Steam.
Elden Ring is by far the most successful FromSoftware game with sales reaching 25 million in the first two years since its release. The highly anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree DLC sold 5 million copies in the first week. Elden Ring's open world concept appeals to both souls fans and RPG fans alike.
If Elden Ring is your first FromSoftware game, you've only scratched the surface of the Dark Souls franchise. The original Dark Souls games are still so popular that they continue to retail for full price, even 8 to 10 years after their initial releases. With the DLC and seasonal pass, Dark Souls III is regularly over $80 on Steam with tax.
Once or twice a year, the Dark Souls games go on sale on Steam, and thankfully we've finally reached another Dark Souls sale on PC. Dark Souls Remastered, Dark Souls II, and Dark Souls III along with all the available DLCs are 50% off from September 27th to October 11th, 2024.
(Don't @ me because I have Demon Souls and Dark Souls Remastered for the PS5.) Unfortunately, this sale is only limited to the Dark Souls franchise. Other FromSoftware games, including Elden Ring and Sekiro, aren't included in the sale this time.
The original Dark Souls games are laid out very differently from Elden Ring. Instead of an open world map, the original Dark Souls games feature specific levels that players progress through. Without the option to run around and explore (and find all the golden seeds and Sacred Tears from the get-go), players can expect the original Dark Souls games to be more of a challenge.
If you follow Dark Souls meme pages and Reddit threads, you've probably seen that Dark Souls II is the black sheep in the franchise. The community is divided on whether Dark Souls II is a masterpiece or a mistake.
Dark Souls II was the first Souls game that I ever played back on the PlayStation 3, and I will always tell people to try it. Dark Souls II features several differences that makes the game harder than Dark Souls or Dark Souls III.
A single death in Dark Souls II strips players of their humanity, reducing their overall maximum health. This bottoms out at 50% health, and the only way players can restore their humanity is by consuming a Human Effigy, a fairly rare item. Dark Souls II also has the adaptability stat that thankfully was never used again. Adaptability increases the number of iframes you have when you dodge-roll, which means early gameplay can be a bit brutal.
Dark Souls II also introduced Power Stance, which unlocks a unique move set when equipping the same weapon in both hands. This mechanic was also used in Elden Ring and can be used to create powerful builds in both games. The game was also re-released on PC with the Scholar of the First Sin edition, that includes graphic updates, new characters, new weapons, and all of the DLCs.
With Halloween just around the corner, the PC Dark Souls sale comes at a perfect time. If Elden Ring is your first FromSoftware game, you should consider picking up one (or all three) of the original Dark Souls games! They are almost always selling at full price and only go on sale once or twice a year. The original Dark Souls games offer a unique challenge to new soulslike gamers. If you're a veteran Souls player, consider diving into a nostalgic game with a new build!
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