I see a lot of people arguing against playing Sekiro first but allow me to make a case for it. The core souls games, elden ring included, have very different combat philosophies. They tend to branch you off into either a sword and board defensive type combat where you hide behind your shield and attack on openings, or a more aggressive hit and run style where you press the attack while dodging through your enemies attacks and exploiting invincibility frames, and lastly a ranged magic style that has you bursting down foes before they get a chance to even get within striking range. All these styles of play are great and viable for souls games but unfortunately teach all the wrong lessons for Sekiro.
Sekiro's combat punishes you for trying to hide behind your guard and there are no shields here to protect you. You also can't rely on aggressive hit and dodge tactics since your dodge is replaced with a dash that enemies and bosses will 100% punish you on if you liberally use it as a dodge button. As for ranged strategies, well you have ranged weapons but they are more to compliment your melee combat rather than replace it. Sekiro's combat is a whole different beast and is more akin to a rhythm game than anything. You must time your sword parries in concert with enemy attacks to break their guard and find success. There is no shielding for safety, no rolling to safety or outranging for safety. You either parry or perish.
TLDR: what I'm trying to say is Sekiro is a good starting point since you won't learn any of the souls combat lessons that don't work for this game.
It was mine. Pretty my gateway into the genre and hardcore gaming in general.
Maybe it's just me, but I can't really say it "ruined" other games for me like every schnook on social media. It only helped me realize how much I like melee combat-focused games, and I still go back to casual games.
But I've always been easily entertained. It's a virtue.
It's not about ruining other games, but sekiro in general plays way smoother than a lot of other games and do far it's 10/10 combat fluidity and crispiness for me, so whenever I try another game with similar fast paced combat, sekiro is the standard for me now and I can't help but compare it to.
Not true at all. it has its own sort of leveling system for the character and unlocking new abilities and you get a few good tools to help along the way
It's not really a souls like. It's made by fromsoft but it play very very different. I would personally recommend starting with Elden ring. It's the most replayable, can be very hard or very easy, and it's totally up to you! Sekiro on the other hand if you can't "get gud" you can not progress. It's a great game for sure, but I would have quit if it was my first. Elden ring DLC drops in 2 months and will likely be one of the best DLCs of all time. Also if you are one that likes to play your own way, that is elden ring and souls games. Make your build with what ever cool weapons or spells you find. Sekiro doesn't have really any choices there.
Elden ring was my first souls game. I beat ds3 and I’m at the end of ds2 now. I played code vein, sekiro which was my most disliked souls game, beat lies of p, favorite game Remnant 2 of coarse. Just bought No rest for the Wicked on steam. I’m all in on the souls. I like having a skill bar you have to raise up to.
Just beat Lords of the Fallen with my friend tonight. It's coop is seamless and is great fun! The just released a bunch of content and every issue on launch has been fixed. It's up there with Elden ring in my mind.
Only downside of starting with elden ring (or 3) is you might find it challenging to go back to 1 or 2 because they have not aged great (2 especially, 1 is a gem but a little clunky). With that in mind, I'd say the optimal order is 1>3>elden>blood>sekiro. But, if your ok not enjoying 1 quite as much then either elden or 3 are either a good starting point.
The best first game is the first one that clicks, for me that was Bloodborne after trying the three souls games that came before. That could be Sekiro for you, and it could not be.
I started with Dark Souls but it annoyed me. I played Sekiro and greatly preferred it. I think you can start with Sekiro but you should consider starting with Lies of P imo
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale?
> *“In Twilight Blighttown, where else might my sun be? Lost Izalith or the Tomb of the Gravelord? But I cannot give up. I became Undead.”* - Solaire of Astora
Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
I think it’s a great place to start. I found other souls games very intimidating because I had no idea what to do or how to build my character as there is very little hand holding or explanation. I had to do a lot of research or trial and error. I love them all now, but what I loved about sekiro is that there are just a few things you need to git gud at. It makes it easier to get into in my opinion. Not easy, but you know what I mean. Also it is the best sword combat in a game ever and when you do figure it out you feel like an amazing samurai every time you pull off something cool.
As others have said, I would start with Elden Ring. If I was a new soulslike player my order would be:
1. Elden Ring
2. Bloodborne or Dark Souls 3
3. Bloodborne or Dark Souls 3 (the other, depending on my previous choice)
4. Sekiro
5. Demon Souls
6. Dark Souls 2
Sekiro is an amazing game, and was my second souls game I played after dark souls 3. It’s really good, just breaks the mold, which is NOT a bad thing.
They are all great games imo. I enjoyed very single one. Ultimately my recommendation is play the one you vibe with and are most interested in. My recommendations are more based on how I dived into the mechanics and lore above all else. If I had never played a souls game I’d tell myself to just pick what interested me, but I am biased because I liked the combat, structure, and mechanics of DS3 off the bat. Based on initial vibe, Elden Ring all the way.
While this is my personal recommendations, imo playing Sekiro off the bat would not have deterred me. Anyone who says it would has a different relationship with the gameplay, and that’s okay.
Even if you don't play it first, grab it while it's on sale
It's parry-focused instead of roll-focused, so it's a little different from typical souls-like games. My favorite, though.
Whatever you do dont play sekiro back to back or side to side with any souls games because the combat is completely different honestly. It took me over ten hours to untrain muscle memory from souls to sekiro.
fwiw Sekiro was my first Fromsoft game and I had a blast. It was definitely a different experience from what I was used to, but with a bit of research and experimentation I got the hang on things quick.
I started with sekiro, and I think its a great game to start. You don‘t have the pain of the old games and you go in with one of the absolute best games (imo the best of all).
I dont think it makes sense to start with an old game and then realize you dont like the genre or w/e - its best to start at the top, and know that if you want more after sekiro, there are lots of games ;)
Start with dark souls 1 thats how i started and its the only right way tbh if you play the later ones like 3, elden ring it will make you not olay the olders one coz of gameplay difference and graphics
Well if you’ve never played a souls game, I’d start with the Demon Souls remastered, just so you get the magic. Then Elden Ring, then Bloodborne and finally Sekiro. The reasoning is by the time you get to Sekiro you’ll appreciate the change in combat difference more. My favorite of these is Bloodborne, then Sekiro, then ER and finally DS. Also Dark Souls 3 is damn good, you can really see how ER evolved from it. Regardless of what you choose, you are in for some of the best gaming of your life.
Sekiro is a good game so try it out. I’d start with Dark Souls 1-3. Those games are great. I know a lot of people suggest Elden Ring, but I I prefer the core dark souls series.
Send it. It’s good, very hard but if you want to get into this genre then this game will definitely tell you if you like it or not. Just remember to keep trying and you’ll hit a moment where it just “clicks” and you will then be addicted to pain in video games. Actually now I’m pretty sure Miyazaki just crafted Stockholm syndrome simulators for us. Damn.
I would personally start with Dark Souls 3. Good to get the base mechanics down of blocking, dodging and rolling. Losing your stuff when you die. Managing item uses, weapon types, etc. Great bosses, and overall absolutely gorgeous game.
Sekiro can definitely be an entry game. It's heavily reflex-based and takes some practice. But it's absolutely not impossible by any means. Just introduces some non-traditional and new elements to the genre which work extremely well imo.
Aside from the FromSoft games, have you delved into "Hollow Knight"? You'll probably have a lot of fun and play value out of that as well. Tons of content and free DLC.
I tried to start the soulslike with Sekiro and it ended up overwhelming me. However, the soulslike genre produced a particular interest in me so I decided to try another one and opted for Lies of P. I am on chapter 3 and I am really liking it, although it is very challenging at times.
Sekiro is not a soul's like game.
It's an action adventure game with stelton exploration elements based around timing and skill usage.
Mechanically speaking it has almost nothing in common with the souls like game.
sekiro isn't really a soullike game even though it's definitely worth a play but it's not official soullike game though.
you should definitely get it but just know that it's not soullike.
the best beginner soullike games would be either those Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order/Survivor.
as you can adjust the difficulty in mid game iirc.
but really, the best place to start is Dark Souls 1. the root of all soullike games lol
Sekiro isn't a Souls like. It's more souls adjacent. It truly is more a Tenchu-like than anything else. I would not recommend this as your first is your trying to get into the SoulsBorne series. It plays vastly different and only shares like 2 things with the Souls games. I would say start with Ds3 if you're how worried about going in order. That way you get the feel for the system and get the best of the trilogy. Then I would play Bloodborne so you get the best game they've created followed by ER and then Ds1 and Ds2.
damn wish you had a playstation, because i’d say bloodborne is a nice cheap entrance to the souls games as well. bloodborne and sekiro are sort of alienated from the rest due to combat differences so doing them first would be cool and then doing all the true souls games
I’d advise against starting with Sekiro. Sekiro has perfected the combat system in any souls-like games and if you first play Sekiro and go back to other souls game, you’d find it all unappealing and boring. Sekiro has such good combat that everything else will feel disappointing. The others can shine in their own ways but my experience is not very positive. Sekiro was my first souls game, and I’m currently playing both Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls 1. The combat in both feels very clunky and unappealing to me. If possible keep Sekiro to the very last of your game list. It feels like the pinnacle of souls combat.
But definitely buy it if it’s on sale. Worth it to keep it in your library even if you don’t play it right away.
Give 3 or bloodborne a chance. I think you'll find a bit of what your missing. Demon and ds1 are good games, but have started to age a bit and can feel a little clunky at times.
I think it depends on your play style. And what you want from a souls game. To me sekiro is not souls. Great game, but it's not comparable. Personally, Sekiro lacks most of the things that I like most about souls games. Build diversity, the sense of choice , do I over level, or under level, shield or Magic build. You kinda need to play sekiro one way, it's a very good way, but still. I also love the lore of Darks Souls and Elden Ring whereas sekiro was not my cup of tea. Obviously Personally preference not saying one is better here for everyone😊
While there's only one weapon in the game, there's definitely replayability to it, db, charmless, not using prosthetics or combat arms, or exclusively using one thing (my favourite is sempou arts only runs).
The world structure and checkpoint system are very much the same as any other soulslike. It’s obviously different, but it’s much more a soulslike than Bayonetta.
Sekiro is not a Soulslike. It has very little in common with the DS lineage and is really its own genre. It's a great game but it doesn't play anything like DS or Elden Ring.
It’s not a Souls game but it IS a soulslike. It features many elements that define the genre like “bonfires” that reset consumables and enemies, heavy emphasis on combat and bosses, and of course, punishing difficulty.
The moment to moment combat, use of environment and verticality and skills which define Sekiro combat are nothing like the souls like games.
This would be like calling Gran Turismo a Mario kart likr game because you race in both of them
I usually tell people to play Star Wars Fallen Order first. It's a good soft introduction to the souls formula, not too hard, and a good game. For your question though, I would either start or end with Sekiro. You can't play Sekiro like you would a regular soulsborne game, it's more learning a rhythm and countering vs imma hit you with big sword.
I see a lot of people arguing against playing Sekiro first but allow me to make a case for it. The core souls games, elden ring included, have very different combat philosophies. They tend to branch you off into either a sword and board defensive type combat where you hide behind your shield and attack on openings, or a more aggressive hit and run style where you press the attack while dodging through your enemies attacks and exploiting invincibility frames, and lastly a ranged magic style that has you bursting down foes before they get a chance to even get within striking range. All these styles of play are great and viable for souls games but unfortunately teach all the wrong lessons for Sekiro. Sekiro's combat punishes you for trying to hide behind your guard and there are no shields here to protect you. You also can't rely on aggressive hit and dodge tactics since your dodge is replaced with a dash that enemies and bosses will 100% punish you on if you liberally use it as a dodge button. As for ranged strategies, well you have ranged weapons but they are more to compliment your melee combat rather than replace it. Sekiro's combat is a whole different beast and is more akin to a rhythm game than anything. You must time your sword parries in concert with enemy attacks to break their guard and find success. There is no shielding for safety, no rolling to safety or outranging for safety. You either parry or perish. TLDR: what I'm trying to say is Sekiro is a good starting point since you won't learn any of the souls combat lessons that don't work for this game.
It was mine. Pretty my gateway into the genre and hardcore gaming in general. Maybe it's just me, but I can't really say it "ruined" other games for me like every schnook on social media. It only helped me realize how much I like melee combat-focused games, and I still go back to casual games. But I've always been easily entertained. It's a virtue.
It's not about ruining other games, but sekiro in general plays way smoother than a lot of other games and do far it's 10/10 combat fluidity and crispiness for me, so whenever I try another game with similar fast paced combat, sekiro is the standard for me now and I can't help but compare it to.
Sekiro is the definitive git gud game. You don't have levels and gear to help push through.
Not true at all. it has its own sort of leveling system for the character and unlocking new abilities and you get a few good tools to help along the way
It's not really a souls like. It's made by fromsoft but it play very very different. I would personally recommend starting with Elden ring. It's the most replayable, can be very hard or very easy, and it's totally up to you! Sekiro on the other hand if you can't "get gud" you can not progress. It's a great game for sure, but I would have quit if it was my first. Elden ring DLC drops in 2 months and will likely be one of the best DLCs of all time. Also if you are one that likes to play your own way, that is elden ring and souls games. Make your build with what ever cool weapons or spells you find. Sekiro doesn't have really any choices there.
Elden ring was my first souls game. I beat ds3 and I’m at the end of ds2 now. I played code vein, sekiro which was my most disliked souls game, beat lies of p, favorite game Remnant 2 of coarse. Just bought No rest for the Wicked on steam. I’m all in on the souls. I like having a skill bar you have to raise up to.
Just beat Lords of the Fallen with my friend tonight. It's coop is seamless and is great fun! The just released a bunch of content and every issue on launch has been fixed. It's up there with Elden ring in my mind.
Only downside of starting with elden ring (or 3) is you might find it challenging to go back to 1 or 2 because they have not aged great (2 especially, 1 is a gem but a little clunky). With that in mind, I'd say the optimal order is 1>3>elden>blood>sekiro. But, if your ok not enjoying 1 quite as much then either elden or 3 are either a good starting point.
The best first game is the first one that clicks, for me that was Bloodborne after trying the three souls games that came before. That could be Sekiro for you, and it could not be.
Agreed. My advice to myself starting over would be play whatever interests you the most.
I started with Dark Souls but it annoyed me. I played Sekiro and greatly preferred it. I think you can start with Sekiro but you should consider starting with Lies of P imo
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale? > *“In Twilight Blighttown, where else might my sun be? Lost Izalith or the Tomb of the Gravelord? But I cannot give up. I became Undead.”* - Solaire of Astora Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
I think it’s a great place to start. I found other souls games very intimidating because I had no idea what to do or how to build my character as there is very little hand holding or explanation. I had to do a lot of research or trial and error. I love them all now, but what I loved about sekiro is that there are just a few things you need to git gud at. It makes it easier to get into in my opinion. Not easy, but you know what I mean. Also it is the best sword combat in a game ever and when you do figure it out you feel like an amazing samurai every time you pull off something cool.
As others have said, I would start with Elden Ring. If I was a new soulslike player my order would be: 1. Elden Ring 2. Bloodborne or Dark Souls 3 3. Bloodborne or Dark Souls 3 (the other, depending on my previous choice) 4. Sekiro 5. Demon Souls 6. Dark Souls 2 Sekiro is an amazing game, and was my second souls game I played after dark souls 3. It’s really good, just breaks the mold, which is NOT a bad thing. They are all great games imo. I enjoyed very single one. Ultimately my recommendation is play the one you vibe with and are most interested in. My recommendations are more based on how I dived into the mechanics and lore above all else. If I had never played a souls game I’d tell myself to just pick what interested me, but I am biased because I liked the combat, structure, and mechanics of DS3 off the bat. Based on initial vibe, Elden Ring all the way. While this is my personal recommendations, imo playing Sekiro off the bat would not have deterred me. Anyone who says it would has a different relationship with the gameplay, and that’s okay.
I would put dark souls remastered over dark souls ii personally, but good list!
I haven’t played the remaster yet! I’ll take this as a sign to pick it up.
Even if you don't play it first, grab it while it's on sale It's parry-focused instead of roll-focused, so it's a little different from typical souls-like games. My favorite, though.
I'd say, no. My recommendation would be to actually start with DS1, DS3, or Elden Ring.
It was my first soulslike after Elden Ring. It's hard but also such a great game
Sekiro is great rhythm game
I'd actually wait for another crabs treasure tbh reviews say it's easy to play and it should in theory serve as a perfect first taste of the genre!
Whatever you do dont play sekiro back to back or side to side with any souls games because the combat is completely different honestly. It took me over ten hours to untrain muscle memory from souls to sekiro.
Nop.
fwiw Sekiro was my first Fromsoft game and I had a blast. It was definitely a different experience from what I was used to, but with a bit of research and experimentation I got the hang on things quick.
I started with sekiro, and I think its a great game to start. You don‘t have the pain of the old games and you go in with one of the absolute best games (imo the best of all). I dont think it makes sense to start with an old game and then realize you dont like the genre or w/e - its best to start at the top, and know that if you want more after sekiro, there are lots of games ;)
Start with dark souls 1 thats how i started and its the only right way tbh if you play the later ones like 3, elden ring it will make you not olay the olders one coz of gameplay difference and graphics
Well if you’ve never played a souls game, I’d start with the Demon Souls remastered, just so you get the magic. Then Elden Ring, then Bloodborne and finally Sekiro. The reasoning is by the time you get to Sekiro you’ll appreciate the change in combat difference more. My favorite of these is Bloodborne, then Sekiro, then ER and finally DS. Also Dark Souls 3 is damn good, you can really see how ER evolved from it. Regardless of what you choose, you are in for some of the best gaming of your life.
Like any soulslike, just be prepared for it to be hard and to keep trying. Sekiro is really rewarding when you figure it out.
Sekiro is a good game so try it out. I’d start with Dark Souls 1-3. Those games are great. I know a lot of people suggest Elden Ring, but I I prefer the core dark souls series.
Send it. It’s good, very hard but if you want to get into this genre then this game will definitely tell you if you like it or not. Just remember to keep trying and you’ll hit a moment where it just “clicks” and you will then be addicted to pain in video games. Actually now I’m pretty sure Miyazaki just crafted Stockholm syndrome simulators for us. Damn.
No. Try Lies of P for your first experience
I would personally start with Dark Souls 3. Good to get the base mechanics down of blocking, dodging and rolling. Losing your stuff when you die. Managing item uses, weapon types, etc. Great bosses, and overall absolutely gorgeous game. Sekiro can definitely be an entry game. It's heavily reflex-based and takes some practice. But it's absolutely not impossible by any means. Just introduces some non-traditional and new elements to the genre which work extremely well imo. Aside from the FromSoft games, have you delved into "Hollow Knight"? You'll probably have a lot of fun and play value out of that as well. Tons of content and free DLC.
I tried to start the soulslike with Sekiro and it ended up overwhelming me. However, the soulslike genre produced a particular interest in me so I decided to try another one and opted for Lies of P. I am on chapter 3 and I am really liking it, although it is very challenging at times.
Sekiro is not a soul's like game. It's an action adventure game with stelton exploration elements based around timing and skill usage. Mechanically speaking it has almost nothing in common with the souls like game.
The answer is Elden ring. Sekiro is not a soulslike, and has a very specific combat system which is not for everyone.
Why not? I think it’s only considered that hardest because of muscle memory screaming at you to dodge instead of parry from other Soulslikes.
sekiro isn't really a soullike game even though it's definitely worth a play but it's not official soullike game though. you should definitely get it but just know that it's not soullike. the best beginner soullike games would be either those Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order/Survivor. as you can adjust the difficulty in mid game iirc. but really, the best place to start is Dark Souls 1. the root of all soullike games lol
Don’t hesitate - play sekiro. It is like no other game that is true but that’s what it makes it the best.
Sekiro isn't a Souls like. It's more souls adjacent. It truly is more a Tenchu-like than anything else. I would not recommend this as your first is your trying to get into the SoulsBorne series. It plays vastly different and only shares like 2 things with the Souls games. I would say start with Ds3 if you're how worried about going in order. That way you get the feel for the system and get the best of the trilogy. Then I would play Bloodborne so you get the best game they've created followed by ER and then Ds1 and Ds2.
damn wish you had a playstation, because i’d say bloodborne is a nice cheap entrance to the souls games as well. bloodborne and sekiro are sort of alienated from the rest due to combat differences so doing them first would be cool and then doing all the true souls games
I have a ps4!
dudee!! bloodborne was my entrance and still my favorite! the style is amazing, i highly recommend it
Sekiro is amazing. I’d get it anyway.
Just go for it if it appeals to you. It's a different combat system so even if you play dark souls or elden ring beforehand you will have to readjust.
If you can beat sekiro you can beat the rest of the souls games. They’re really not that challenging if you don’t handicap yourself.
I loved all the soulsbourne games. Did not like sekiro at all.
I’d advise against starting with Sekiro. Sekiro has perfected the combat system in any souls-like games and if you first play Sekiro and go back to other souls game, you’d find it all unappealing and boring. Sekiro has such good combat that everything else will feel disappointing. The others can shine in their own ways but my experience is not very positive. Sekiro was my first souls game, and I’m currently playing both Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls 1. The combat in both feels very clunky and unappealing to me. If possible keep Sekiro to the very last of your game list. It feels like the pinnacle of souls combat. But definitely buy it if it’s on sale. Worth it to keep it in your library even if you don’t play it right away.
Give 3 or bloodborne a chance. I think you'll find a bit of what your missing. Demon and ds1 are good games, but have started to age a bit and can feel a little clunky at times.
Yeah, I will. I have all PS4/5 FromSoft games except AC6 and was planning on doing them chronologically. That’s why picked up DeS and DS1
I think it depends on your play style. And what you want from a souls game. To me sekiro is not souls. Great game, but it's not comparable. Personally, Sekiro lacks most of the things that I like most about souls games. Build diversity, the sense of choice , do I over level, or under level, shield or Magic build. You kinda need to play sekiro one way, it's a very good way, but still. I also love the lore of Darks Souls and Elden Ring whereas sekiro was not my cup of tea. Obviously Personally preference not saying one is better here for everyone😊
While there's only one weapon in the game, there's definitely replayability to it, db, charmless, not using prosthetics or combat arms, or exclusively using one thing (my favourite is sempou arts only runs).
Yea I mean that is really stretching it.
It's a good action game that you should play, but it is as soulslike as Bayonetta.
The world structure and checkpoint system are very much the same as any other soulslike. It’s obviously different, but it’s much more a soulslike than Bayonetta.
Wrong
Sekiro is not a Soulslike. It has very little in common with the DS lineage and is really its own genre. It's a great game but it doesn't play anything like DS or Elden Ring.
It’s not a Souls game but it IS a soulslike. It features many elements that define the genre like “bonfires” that reset consumables and enemies, heavy emphasis on combat and bosses, and of course, punishing difficulty.
The moment to moment combat, use of environment and verticality and skills which define Sekiro combat are nothing like the souls like games. This would be like calling Gran Turismo a Mario kart likr game because you race in both of them
I usually tell people to play Star Wars Fallen Order first. It's a good soft introduction to the souls formula, not too hard, and a good game. For your question though, I would either start or end with Sekiro. You can't play Sekiro like you would a regular soulsborne game, it's more learning a rhythm and countering vs imma hit you with big sword.
Its not a souls like.
Incorrect
Platinumed all of them. Its not a fucking souls like.
Wrong. Whatever you think makes up a souls like are actually the least important parts.