The Most Difficult Dark Souls Game, Ranked

Ranking factors for difficult game

1. Enemy difficulty
   The strength, abilities, and behavioral patterns of the enemies and bosses in the game play a significant role in determining difficulty. This includes the damage output, health, and diversity of enemies encountered.
2. Level design
   The complexity and layout of the game world can affect difficulty, as players need to navigate through it and overcome environmental hazards. This includes the placement of bonfires, shortcuts, and checkpoints, as well as the overall size and interconnectedness of the game world.
3. Balance between risk and reward
   The effectiveness of the player's equipment, abilities, and leveling up should be considered in terms of the challenges they must overcome. This includes the availability of powerful weapons, efficient healing items, and meaningful character progression systems.
4. Learning curve
   The ease with which players can understand and master gameplay mechanics, including combat, movement, and interactions with NPCs, will impact difficulty. A steep learning curve may frustrate newcomers or those unfamiliar with the Dark Souls series.
5. Accessibility to information and guidance
   The amount of in-game instruction and guidance available to the player can affect the difficulty. Dark Souls games often have cryptic or minimalistic storytelling, which can make it difficult for players to understand objectives or strategies.
6. PvP and online features
   The difficulty of player-versus-player (PvP) encounters and the extent to which they are a part of the core game experience should be taken into account. Additionally, any benefits brought by the online features, such as co-op gameplay, player messages, or invasions, can impact difficulty.
7. Amount of content
   The total amount of content in the game, including optional areas and bosses, should be considered when determining difficulty. A more extensive game with many optional challenges can be considered harder than a shorter one with fewer optional routes.
8. Variety in gameplay styles
   The ability to adapt to different playstyles, such as using different weapons or magic abilities, can affect the difficulty. Games that allow players to explore various playstyles can be considered more accessible than those that force players into a specific, challenging playstyle.
9. New Game+ and optional difficulty modifiers
   The presence and difficulty scaling of New Game+ can influence the overall difficulty. Similarly, any optional difficulty modifiers that the player can choose to activate (e.g., the Company of Champions covenant in Dark Souls II) should be considered.
10. Punishment for failure
    The severity of the consequences for dying or failing in the game should be taken into account. This includes the loss of experience points or progress upon death, the cost of revival items, and the duration of debuffs or penalties applied to the player.