When it comes to Soulslike experiences, players are often referred to either Souls series or Fire Ring – two massive franchises under the genre, but with completely different approaches. With Fire Ring being more of an open world experience, players can bask in the glory of defeating rather challenging minions and bosses while unlocking more locations and securing gear. Meanwhile, the more “limited” nature of Dark souls also got its fair share of audiences – especially those who love a good spatial challenge, as well as those who love the idea of taking full advantage of everything they've got to fight a boss.
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While both franchises have great title offerings, some gamers may be curious as to what could leave them with no choice to lean more towards Dark souls. Although both game series seem to have some similar circumstances, there are some differences that make a clear difference between the two titles, and some of these factors may sway players towards Dark souls as their favorite in the genre.
Perfect barometer for the soul-like experience
Nothing ever gets as intense as dark souls
Many fans believe Dark souls and Fire Ring as the perfect barometer for soullike experiences. Beginners may appreciate Fire Ring for its polished and overall approach to exploration and combat. The open world divided into “zones” is perfect for easing players into more challenging experiences when they feel comfortable. Not to mention, many builds available feel tailored to Arts of War and “bigger” skills, making fights more bearable for newcomers.
On the contrary Dark souls is the embodiment of “it's not a bug, it's a feature” among Soulslikes. The restrictive nature of the locations limits exploration, and fights with mobs take a turn for the worse much faster when players get careless. These are on top of sometimes nasty moves on the part of players, while bosses often have harsher moves. But players who make it through the difficulties offered by Dark souls may find most other Soulslikes tolerable (note: not necessarily easy) in comparison, having encountered some of what they may love and hate most about Soulslikes throughout the trilogy.
Linearity offers a more direct challenge
Fights become more focused, without the need to explore the burden
Open world games aren't everyone's cup of tea, but those who played Soulslike and want a change of pace will appreciate the freedom to enter fights and easily disengage from them, thanks to the open environments of Fire Ring. Sure, the detail i Fire Ring zones can draw players to explore them for both lore and shop items, but these ensure players aren't just playing the game for fights alone.
But players who want to get straight to the action will appreciate the level of linearity on offer Dark souls. Progression across areas is extremely straightforward in the trilogy, so it's ultimately just one area after another, with mobs and bosses of increasing complexity and difficulty. The focus then becomes on the fights, not necessarily exploration. There is no need to worry about missing an important item for a building in an area, such as Dark souls areas are easy to explore for both loot and fights.
Combat feels fair on both sides
Enemies often have larger attacks, but move in much the same way
Soulslike fans love Fire Ring to make them feel “bigger” in a world so desperate to eliminate them. Their bosses may have flashier attacks and faster movesets, though Fire Ring players can be equipped with impressive spells and intense combos of their own. Defeat can be common when these bosses start dishing out absurd combos, but the game gives players the opportunity to fight like hell before going down and trying again.
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On the contrary Dark souls generally provides a very “grounded” approach to combat, even with spells and especially boss fights. There is no spell “too big” for an area or a fight, and bosses don't feel “beyond” the game's physics. With the exception of size, unique attack animations, and larger areas of effect, bosses seem to interact with the world to the same degree as the player. This makes the battle feel “fair” to both sides, and the challenge more worth achieving.
PVP variety is more fun
PVP builds are distinct enough to make multiplayer showdowns exciting
Although both Dark souls and Fire Ring offer PVP by “going to” another player's world, each game's way of combat is very different. While Fire Ring has a plethora of attack options beyond the usual weapons and spells, many find PVP builds to be very art-centric – making spamming feel “cheaty” instead of challenging. Unique builds are forced to either counter or have some Arts element integrated into them to keep up with the meta.
On the contrary Dark souls builds offer different ways of cheesing damage, meaning there isn't a common set of “meta” points for players to achieve. Magic and melee builds are not the final classification of Dark souls builds, as some builds are about dishing out specific types of damage, using a specific set of spells, or securing the win through a precise combination of factors.
Take a step forward through every fight
State controlling enemies is not the only recommended strategy
Then Fire Ring zones have distinct themes and multiple bosses, it's reasonable to expect that they have a specific “gimmick” that players can exploit based on what items and gear they've built so far. Then Fire Ring is a Soulslike that tries to cater to a wider player base, a common way to deal with a challenging boss is to stat-check them – like finding out how the boss reacts to certain attacks and damage types and then dealing with them appropriately. This encourages players to explore builds to fight bosses with, ensuring that there is always a way to make the battles fresh.
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On the contrary Dark souls bosses have gimmicks that often revolve around a type of move, combo, counter, or attack. As long as players can find ways to adapt to these elements, they can wear whatever build they prefer throughout the games. This is not to say that a build can handle bosses as much, but rather players who prefer a specific playstyle can feel satisfied with the challenge the bosses provide, as no weapon type or combat method is ever “the most ideal” for them.
Limited resources force creativity in fights
Fewer items mean fighting bosses with more creativity
Don't just do it Fire Ring boast a larger area for exploration and combat, but the bosses also get more fluid movement. This isn't meant to make fights more challenging for no reason, but rather for players to maximize what weapons, armor, and skills they can find while exploring areas. Players are encouraged to find the heaviest playstyles based on what they are comfortable with, so they feel as powerful as the mobs and bosses in the location.
However, smaller areas and limited resources in Dark souls offer more challenging fights in how “crowded” things are. Not only do boss fights happen in a specific zone, but players only have access to the limited equipment they can build from. This means that players must advance to secure the advantage in each battle. Soul-like lovers may appreciate this approach, as they are forced to think outside the box – location bugs, boss blindspots, spammable combos now become part of the equation.
Faster overall game loop
Builds are much faster to create and test
Being a soul-like experience, it's no surprise Fire Ring also offers a wide variety of builds for players to create and experiment with. However, being set in an open world means acquiring each part of the build will inevitably enhance one's overall immersion in the game. Then Fire Ring regions have their own themes, bosses and intricacies, even a player's journey to complete an item set or a casual game walk can lead to the discovery of an area of interest or an obscure story. Casual gamers may appreciate this extra layer of storytelling, but action fans may find this a bit slow for their taste.
It is here Dark souls might be up their alley, as the more “linear” progression of the trilogy meant easier access to locations – thus creating sets and building much faster. Fans who want to experiment with new combinations or test their skills in multiplayer can “finish” their builds and do so in less time. In addition to creating builds, the linearity of the trilogy meant that players can replay their favorite Dark souls game much faster. This may mean a trade-off between immersion and a faster gameplay loop, but it may be worth it for fans who want to get straight to the action.
