From Software Dark Souls is very easy

[Suicidal]

Classics such as Ninja Gaiden Black and DMC3 were substantially easier.

I found DMC3 on Dante must Die mode a lot harder than Dark Souls. On other difficulties it is easier, though, so I'll give you that.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

If you want FromSoftware's take on action give Otogi a try (emulator), cool game and harder than DaS imo. Has some bs "protect" levels though

 

[Somberlain]

Souls games are designed in a way that if you just rush forward and mash the awesome button, like how most modern games teach you to play, you get killed all the time. But if you proceed carefully and pay attention to your surroundings, it's not that hard at all, even to people who aren't Hardcore Gamers©

 

[Neanderthal]

It's gotta be mentioned that practice makes perfect an all, I haven't spent more than ten minutes in a Souls game but i've got hundreds of hours in Severance and went from frustration and getting my arse kicked a couple of decades ago to finding the game pathetically easy now.

Gotta account for the virgin and the learning curve, though perhaps that mentality has gone too far now. You learn through failure and adaptation, not having everything handed to you.

 

[agentorange]

So which action games are actually harder or is it just that "this does not compare to Ghost & Goblins and Contra"?
I think that Dark Souls does have a somewhat exaggerated reputation for difficulty but I've played a considerable amount of games in the genre and I can't immediately think of any that I'd put ahead of Soulsborne games in difficulty. Classics such as Ninja Gaiden Black and DMC3 were substantially easier.

I would certainly put something like Ninja Gaiden Black, and other such action games, above Souls games, if only for the difference in how saving and reloading operates in the two. Games like Ninja Gaiden that have a static save point system (you die and you have to reload) present a far more costly setback than the bonfire system in Souls games; essentially there is no penalty to dying in a Souls game, other than the backtracking (which other than in Demon's Souls was usually a pretty short distance), because you get to keep any gear that you find, any changes that are made to the level, and even get a second chance to recover however many souls you lost (and really after a few hours of playing you realize that losing your souls is hardly traumatic, since bosses give you enough for multiple level ups anyway and there's almost never a chance to lose your souls after said boss fights). It's funny how Souls games got this reputation as being rogue-like like or rogue-lite or souls-lite or whatever the fuck when they present the exact opposite of that type of punishing death system.

 

[RoSoDude]

Ornstein and smough

Five tries.

Pshhh, three tries over here
...Bell Gargoyles took me twenty though

 

[Parabalus]

I'm not sure if playing Dark Souls 3 first ruined me for any previous installments, or if it's the Black Knight's sword that I got very early on and kept using/upgrading, but most enemies in the game are very easy to kill, and that includes bosses. I have yet to see a single "so hard it makes me want to kill myself" encounter in the game. I don't think I've killed a single boss more than after the third attempt (excluding the dumb wolf with a sword who took about five), and as a matter of fact, I've had more problems with some basic enemies than the bosses. They don't even switch to a different phase once you take away half of their health, what the fuck?

To be fair, I've only made it as far as Anor Londo so far. Does Dark Souls actually ever get actually difficult, or was its difficulty hyped up by invalids?

The Black Knight Sword from the burg ruins the game, had it drop for me (backstabbed the knight off a ledge) and it trivializes everything upto the DLC level wise.

DS3 is also harder from my limited playtime.

 

[SpoilVictor]

Dark Souls isn't really that hard, sure game punishes player if he screw up and often sets some nasty stuff (like those archers in Londo or those poision fucktards in Blighttown).

Thing is DS it is a lot harder than mainstream games and some "elitists" turned beating DS into some kind of Badge Of Honor bullshit.
On the other hand I remember reading or watching review of Risen (it was IGN, Gamespot or GameTrailers) and reviewer complained that after brief tutorial on beach, player is left with no guidance whatsoever so if that was a problem then maybe I'm wrong and DS is hardest game ever.

 

[TheHeroOfTime]

If you are a beginner then the Bell gargoyles can be a real pain in the ass, a harder boss than others from the game. Even harder than O&S. The main reason is the scenario. You must mind your steps against the gargoyles since you can fall off from the roofs. And one of the gargoyles has an attack that affects the whole area, forcing you to go back (The fire breath). In the Ornstein and Smough fight the scenario is in your favor since you can take advantage of the pillars basements to split the duo as you want.

This is why I consider the Maneaters from Demon's souls a tougher boss than Ornstein and Smough. Because the scenario. In this case is a bridge with no walls, with a more open area at the center, and in both bridge parts you can fall just by side rolling too far.

 

[Deflowerer]

Maneater was there to finally ram it up your ass that you shouldn't use lock on camera.

 

[sser]

Is Dark Souls 1 worth checking out again if I got to the part where Ornstein guy is? I was in and around that area - I think I kept dying at a part where you're walking on ivory rafters. Don't remember where else I went. I beat the spider lava lady and the dragon vagina. I didn't go into the catacombs cause I couldn't see fuck all. Not sure how much else of the game was left.

 

[Grimlorn]

yeah you're probably only about half way through the game and that's not including the expansion.

 

[luj1]

Hardest games I have ever played

 

[janior]

Is Dark Souls 1 worth checking out again if I got to the part where Ornstein guy is? I was in and around that area - I think I kept dying at a part where you're walking on ivory rafters. Don't remember where else I went. I beat the spider lava lady and the dragon vagina. I didn't go into the catacombs cause I couldn't see fuck all. Not sure how much else of the game was left.

DLC area has the coolest bosses

 

[Puteo]

So which action games are actually harder or is it just that "this does not compare to Ghost & Goblins and Contra"?
I think that Dark Souls does have a somewhat exaggerated reputation for difficulty but I've played a considerable amount of games in the genre and I can't immediately think of any that I'd put ahead of Soulsborne games in difficulty. Classics such as Ninja Gaiden Black and DMC3 were substantially easier.

God Hand.

It's the pinnacle of the fighting game genre and is unique in that in spite of being very hard, it's also the fairest fighting game; there's no anor londo archer bullshit, skeletons hidden behind a ledge waiting to kick you off a cliff, crappy cameras getting stuck on scenery, or bosses that suddenly fire off a 20 meter 360 degree instakill AOE.

Famous for being given a 3/10 by IGN because the reviewer couldn't beat the first level.

 

[sser]

Wasn't there a helicopter that would instakill you in God Hand?

Anyway, felt that game was way too far ahead of its time. Kinda like the precursor to Mirror's Edge which simplified it into mostly running mechanics.

Is Dark Souls 1 worth checking out again if I got to the part where Ornstein guy is? I was in and around that area - I think I kept dying at a part where you're walking on ivory rafters. Don't remember where else I went. I beat the spider lava lady and the dragon vagina. I didn't go into the catacombs cause I couldn't see fuck all. Not sure how much else of the game was left.

DLC area has the coolest bosses

I got the Remastered version now for the Switch which I'm assuming has DLC. I've not a clue what is on the DLC so that should be good.

I don't remember Dark Souls being too hard with the exception of the Capra Demon which just ripped my ass to shreds.

 

[agentorange]

Wasn't there a helicopter that would instakill you in God Hand?

Anyway, felt that game was way too far ahead of its time. Kinda like the precursor to Mirror's Edge which simplified it into mostly running mechanics.

Pretty sure you are thinking of a different game here...

 

[The_Mask]

I don't remember Dark Souls being too hard with the exception of the Capra Demon which just ripped my ass to shreds.

There is a reason why you find a mage which sells magic that can reinforce your shields' stability. And there's a reason why the whole area favours blocking.

I've not a clue what is on the DLC so that should be good.

You will enjoy it very much, especially if you've read Berserk. And for extra useful/lore information remember that on the cover you could see a knight depicted with a sword in his left hand.



Have fun! Tell us what you thought of the DLC.

 

[sser]

Wasn't there a helicopter that would instakill you in God Hand?

Anyway, felt that game was way too far ahead of its time. Kinda like the precursor to Mirror's Edge which simplified it into mostly running mechanics.

Pretty sure you are thinking of a different game here...

I was, turns out it's Breakdown,

 

[agentorange]

That's funny, I actually thought that might the game you were thinking of but figured it was too far fetched. That was a really cool game, first person vomiting and all.

 

[Generic-Giant-Spider]

Souls series is viewed as hard/difficult because Demons Souls and later on Dark Souls were released in a time when so many games for console players were overly linear and focused heavily on cinematic experiences. It was in that era of quick time events being everywhere. So Demons Souls/Dark Souls comes out and blindsides most people which lead to its "holy shit this game is soooo hard" reputation.

For people that grew up with at least an NES, Dark Souls isn't shit. Even the PS2 had its share of difficult games. The original, black label cut of DMC3 is much more difficult than all of the Souls series. Not that "Special Edition" bullshit that Capcom neutered the game with, I'm talking vanilla DMC3. I'm pretty sure the SE DMC3 has completely erased the OG DMC3 from existence with all the re-releases and remasters so it's a memory lost in time at this point.

 

[Doktor Best]

Huge amounts of flexing in this thread.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

dark souls is cat mario for retards

 

[Astral Rag]

Your mum is very easy.

 

[Jarmaro]

Most of Dark Souls difficulty reputation comes from bullshit hitbox.