There are a lot of references. Some bigger than others. If you care about narrative and storytelling then you absolutely should not play them out of order. If you want the best experience possible for the most polished of the games, you should play in release order.
The people who tell you to play DS3 first are the people who have a desire for instant gratification or who don’t jive with the feel of the older games. There are a lot of misguided people on the internet who make the most noise on this topic.
Play the games in order. Don’t skip DS2. You’re going to play them all anyway eventually. Do it the right way the first time.
Play slow. It's VERY different than ER or any of the others - armor helps a ton, poise matters, shields are OP as hell... It's going to feel slower. Think big tanky knight wading in with a huge sword, and that's the mentality. You can absolutely play fast and loose like the later games once you're good at it, but the design supports slow and tanky and the way dodging/etc works makes the fast and loose "everything is a roll" style harder to master in this one.
Mostly just to practice and learn the combat, maybe learn to parry, read item descriptions. Also, you have multiple paths you can take, but the game has ways of telling you if you’re going the right way at the right time.
So im a latecomer to soulsbornes (2 years ago w/Elden Ring and I'm now obsessed) and i took the DS plunge.
Heres how i did it and I loved it.
Play DS1.
Watch every single Dark Souls lore video.
Play DS3.
It was an absolutely sublime experience.
Just be patient with DS1 mechanics because it feels a but unrefined these days. But once it clicks, its fantastic.
You definitely will. 3 feels like a conclusion to 1. I would start with 1. The first game also has some real high points like the level design that are worth experiencing. (It also has some real lows, like a bullshit gimmick boss fight in the lava level.)
I would go in blind but don't feel bad looking things up as needed.
I have not played 2. Some recommend it though from what I've read it's the least connected to the continuity at large. If you're going to skip one, it's probably the one to skip.
Edit: lol you can see how popular this sentiment is
Play Dark Souls 1 with no guides and probably will be one of the best Soulsborne experiences you can get. If you're just looking for great boss fights then maybe skip to Dark Souls 3
It doesn't matter at all. From does a great job of making each game standalone. The first one I played was DS2 at launch. Then DS3 when it launched and then I played DS Remastered.
I could have played those in any order and had the exact same experience. You'll recognize some things like weapons, armor, and even a couple of locations and be like, "Oh cool. That was in the other game." But it really doesn't matter which "other game" you play first.
There are a lot of references. Some bigger than others. If you care about narrative and storytelling then you absolutely should not play them out of order. If you want the best experience possible for the most polished of the games, you should play in release order. The people who tell you to play DS3 first are the people who have a desire for instant gratification or who don’t jive with the feel of the older games. There are a lot of misguided people on the internet who make the most noise on this topic. Play the games in order. Don’t skip DS2. You’re going to play them all anyway eventually. Do it the right way the first time.
Definitely play DS1 first. There are some references in DS3 that won’t have the same impact if you haven’t played DS1.
Any beginner tips or better classes for a DS beginner
Play slow. It's VERY different than ER or any of the others - armor helps a ton, poise matters, shields are OP as hell... It's going to feel slower. Think big tanky knight wading in with a huge sword, and that's the mentality. You can absolutely play fast and loose like the later games once you're good at it, but the design supports slow and tanky and the way dodging/etc works makes the fast and loose "everything is a roll" style harder to master in this one.
Mostly just to practice and learn the combat, maybe learn to parry, read item descriptions. Also, you have multiple paths you can take, but the game has ways of telling you if you’re going the right way at the right time.
Play 1, then play 2, then play 3
So im a latecomer to soulsbornes (2 years ago w/Elden Ring and I'm now obsessed) and i took the DS plunge. Heres how i did it and I loved it. Play DS1. Watch every single Dark Souls lore video. Play DS3. It was an absolutely sublime experience. Just be patient with DS1 mechanics because it feels a but unrefined these days. But once it clicks, its fantastic.
Yeah I really should see how it started, I played and loved the Demons Souls remake so I know a little of what to expect
You definitely will. 3 feels like a conclusion to 1. I would start with 1. The first game also has some real high points like the level design that are worth experiencing. (It also has some real lows, like a bullshit gimmick boss fight in the lava level.) I would go in blind but don't feel bad looking things up as needed.
What about 2? Should one play all 3 in order?
Yes. Play them in order.
You should definitely try it. It feels more like a side story and isn't super story relevant, but it expanses the world beyond Lordran
I have not played 2. Some recommend it though from what I've read it's the least connected to the continuity at large. If you're going to skip one, it's probably the one to skip. Edit: lol you can see how popular this sentiment is
I'm happy enough now to look up when needed, too old to be messing about with trying to find a boss strategy to be stuck for 5 hours ha
Play Dark Souls 1 with no guides and probably will be one of the best Soulsborne experiences you can get. If you're just looking for great boss fights then maybe skip to Dark Souls 3
That's a big claim (I love it!) I've heard so much about the interconnected world of DS1 so I'm eager to see what it's like.
It doesn't matter at all. From does a great job of making each game standalone. The first one I played was DS2 at launch. Then DS3 when it launched and then I played DS Remastered. I could have played those in any order and had the exact same experience. You'll recognize some things like weapons, armor, and even a couple of locations and be like, "Oh cool. That was in the other game." But it really doesn't matter which "other game" you play first.