Laughing Banana
Weeping Pickle
Not to mention "precision-timed dodges" can oft be hard to be pulled off during the 1st phase of NK's fight because of the goddamn camera spazzing out like a junkie.
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Dark Souls 3 v. Bloodborne: Which is more difficult?
- Thread starter ornery
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Not to mention "precision-timed dodges" can oft be hard to be pulled off during the 1st phase of NK's fight because of the goddamn camera spazzing out like a junkie.
I think DS3 is a lot easier than DS2
SuperStiltzkin
Member
Having not played any DLC for either game, I think Bloodborne is harder. Dark Souls 3 gives you more options to get through an area through items, spells, weapons, etc. Bloodborne has narrower options in that regard.
Why would you say that? I found DS2 to be the easiest overall.
Laughing Banana
Weeping Pickle
One might say that due to this the degree of you choosing the 'wrong' configuration to pass through a level is much greater in Dark Souls 3 then.
Also hmm, Bloodborne's main game I think was surprisingly easy, IMO, relative to the reputation it has.
texhnolyze
Banned
Not really. I had minimum problems in the beginning. The difficulty spike in the middle is what got me good.
Sword Of Doom
Member
Bloodborne is much easier if you use the saw cleaver and the holy blade. With something like the Cain whip, it can be pretty difficult at first
Havent finished DS3 But it does get pretty difficult towards the end where Im at
Havent finished DS3 But it does get pretty difficult towards the end where Im at
GKSilKamina
Member
That's a pretty tough call. I couldn't really pick one since they're each more difficult than the other in different ways.
For bosses, I had a WAY harder time with Dark Souls III. It had at least three bosses that halted my progress for hours. Hell, one of them remains the only boss in any of the Souls games that I was completely incapable of beating without summoning phantoms. The only things that came close in BB were the Defiled Chalice bosses and the Headless Bloodletting Beast.
As far as traversing the world, Bloodborne was the more difficult one. I don't know if it's due to the enemy placements, enemy types or traps, but I died a lot more trying to reach bosses in BB than I ever did in DSIII. Also fuck chalice dungeons.
For bosses, I had a WAY harder time with Dark Souls III. It had at least three bosses that halted my progress for hours. Hell, one of them remains the only boss in any of the Souls games that I was completely incapable of beating without summoning phantoms. The only things that came close in BB were the Defiled Chalice bosses and the Headless Bloodletting Beast.
As far as traversing the world, Bloodborne was the more difficult one. I don't know if it's due to the enemy placements, enemy types or traps, but I died a lot more trying to reach bosses in BB than I ever did in DSIII. Also fuck chalice dungeons.
DS3 toned down many DS2 elements after backlash from DS1 fans: crowd-combat, monster stamina, hitboxes, initial dodge iframes, cumulative total HP loss upon death, emergency HP gain due to slow lifestones, weapon durability, suicide bombers etc
Calamari41
41 > 38
Interesting, which part did you see as a difficulty spike? For me I think that once you get past Amelia, you "get it" and can glide from there.
I feel like part of this is just due to Sorcery and Miracles having really awkward progression pacing (Pyromancy on the other hand is pretty well paced). Any physical statted build is not going to have a 'wrong' configuration. You might have a wrong approach to a situation, but at the end of the day, Dark Souls 3 is made to be beaten either by rolling and swinging a sword or blocking and swinging a sword. The problem comes when you feel like you should be investing in Intelligence or Faith when your damage dealing Sorceries and Miracles will be incredibly limited until two thirds into the game.
Bloodborne has Arcane and Bloodtinge, but neither is presented as a viable option at the beginning of the game in the same way as Sorcery and Miracles are in Dark Souls 3.
SuperStiltzkin
Member
I wouldn't say there is any particular "wrong" configuration, but there are easier options. For example, a faith build would decimate most bosses with the Gnaw miracle that it almost feels like cheating. If you're having trouble meleeing your way through an area you can resort to items or a bow or spells.
Dark Souls 3 is more "play your way." Bloodborne is more "play our way" and demands that you master the dodge and stab playstyle because there is really no other option. And as someone who has never been good at the evade playstyle in souls games, Bloodborne was a huge challenge.
texhnolyze
Banned
Yahar'gul, after the moon
turns red.
roflwaffles
Member
I'd say the Ringed City was harder than Old Hunters.
Base game DS3 is harder than BB so I vote DS3.
BB has its share of extra hard bullshit though, I hate those well sharks with a passion.
Base game DS3 is harder than BB so I vote DS3.
BB has its share of extra hard bullshit though, I hate those well sharks with a passion.
Outside of blocking, not really. Dark Souls 3 funnels you really hard into either roll spam or blocking with a super high stability shield. Bosses have obscenely long combos of sweeping attacks you either have to I-frame or block with a high stability shield.
I actually find Dark Souls 3's beginning a bit of a chore to replay because every playthrough feels the same until at least midway through the game. I basically have to kill the Dancer early to make the game interesting.
SuperStiltzkin
Member
You still have spell options, ranged options, numerous items with status inducing effects and a wider variety of weapons. There are more ways to potentially find something that clicks with a player's playstyle/strategy than in Bloodborne.
texhnolyze
Banned
True. In 60 hours spent in Bloodborne so far, I use the same cane for 50 of which.
There's just not many weapon options (that are actually better) for a dex build that I could find.
Melchiah
Member
Bloodborne was my first proper Souls experience, and while it was often extremely hard for me I found it easier than DS3 due to the combat mechanics; parry & visceral combo, trick weapons, counter to heal, and dedicated healing button. It's also harder to overlevel your character in DS3.
I've beaten all the bosses in BB by myself, whereas in DS3 I had to rely on co-op help for several of them. Mostly the faster and more aggressive bosses, which would have been easier in BB. I also couldn't complete the second DLC.
I've beaten all the bosses in BB by myself, whereas in DS3 I had to rely on co-op help for several of them. Mostly the faster and more aggressive bosses, which would have been easier in BB. I also couldn't complete the second DLC.
jipewithin
Member
Bloodborne is harder, DS3 has just a few hard bosses.
Discussions about which Souls game is harder are always so varied and cobfusing for newcomers. For instance, I think Dark Souls 2 (SotFS) is by far the hardest Souls game.
Dark Souls 1 is hard, but can be cheesed fairly easy, Dark Souls 3 has many gameplay additions/alterations that make the game more streamlined and easier to play (for instance, you will probably never run out of Embers if you play smart).
Dark Souls 2 however is completely relentless. Almost every enemy has weird attack timings that even after 100 hours still caught me off-guard, there are a lot of mob fights, parrying requires much more precision than in Dark Souls 1 & 2 and if you die a lot and don't have Effigies on hand you're completely fucked thanks to the HP loss.
People are overselling Friede. Yeah she has 3 phases, but the first phase hardly counts once you understand her invisibility gimmick. She's like Nameless King in that there's a frustrating amount of time between attempts at the actual difficult phase, which can make them slow to learn, but neither boss felt to me like they were on the level of something like Midir, Soul of Cinder, Fume Knight, Ludwig, or OoK - especially on repeat playthroughs.
Melchiah
Member
All of these DS3 main game bosses were very hard for me...
Abyss Watchers, Old Demon King, Pontiff Sulyvahn, Champion Gundyr, Nameless King
I got most of the difficult bosses down in DS3 and DS2 SOTFS without embers/effigies. In fact in the end of DS2 I had around 50 effigies that I don't know what to do with. I'm not sure why it's difficult, but I basically went shield/rapier and bow the entire game. Cakewalk outside of fume knight. The main boss in DS2 is the goddamn terrain and incidental damage, which isn't fun at all. To be honest I really can't name a fight in DS2 that I had a lot of fun with. Even Sinh went down in the first go. Midir was a lot more fun.
Now this is my experience probably because I played BB, DS3 and SOTFS last.
I see. Personally I found most of that stuff to be more annoying than actually being difficult. It was more like "Here's an annoying thing you have to deal with because fuck you" to me. It didn't really teach you much about the game and the mechanics other than don't do that.
striferser
Huge Nickleback Fan
You don't need to fight the wolf at the bridge. Just run pas them.
And in Dark souls 3, you fight a boss 5 minutes in...
And in Dark souls 3, you fight a boss 5 minutes in...
Personally I think Bloodbourne is harder... Ludwig and Orphan gave me more trouble than anything in Dark Souls 3. I do like seeing how many different opinions there are due to everyone having a different set of hell bosses. I still think Pontiff is the hardest boss in DS3 and I almost never see anyone else list it.
Oh man where were you during the DS2 discussions like the Matthewmatosis analysis, they were described like gamebreakers and franchise destroyers.
I haven't tried the DLC for DS3, but I really struggled with Nameless King, since this was my first real exposure to Souls games. Bloodborne was an awesome challenge, but I think it felt easier since I already had my baptism by fire with DS3. Orphan of Kos and Rom kicked my ass to Yharnam and back.
Star Falcon
Member
Bloodborne had a real tough opening and the Defiled Chalice was really unforgiving too. I also found a couple select bosses like Logarius tough.
The princes of DS3 and Nameless King were both challenges but i don't think i found them too bad.
The boss i dread the most in the series is actually the Ancient Dragon of DS2 as the breath attack just feels too cheap and difficult to really gauge.
The princes of DS3 and Nameless King were both challenges but i don't think i found them too bad.
The boss i dread the most in the series is actually the Ancient Dragon of DS2 as the breath attack just feels too cheap and difficult to really gauge.
If you use the tower shield that gives 100% fire resist on block he's pretty ok. Just make sure you don't fatroll, dodge and that shield should enable you to survive the encounter.
Got both platinums. BB s harder overall. (havent played DS3 dlc)
Begginng of BB is harder but DS3 might be harder in second part if im honest. Maybe because its fresher.
Stuff which gave me trouble in DS3: Aldrich, Watchers and King because of stupid camera. Really enjoyed most of the fights, most varied in series, from Shawn Michaels to Princess.
But with additional content BB s way harder. Defilled amygdala(hardest boss for me), watchdog, Orphan, Ludwig, Laurence, those fat sharks (good God), Headless beast (had nightmare cause of this).
Also save points re closer in DS3, you can make combo with spells.
Now im really intrigued by DS3 dlc, should buy it.
Begginng of BB is harder but DS3 might be harder in second part if im honest. Maybe because its fresher.
Stuff which gave me trouble in DS3: Aldrich, Watchers and King because of stupid camera. Really enjoyed most of the fights, most varied in series, from Shawn Michaels to Princess.
But with additional content BB s way harder. Defilled amygdala(hardest boss for me), watchdog, Orphan, Ludwig, Laurence, those fat sharks (good God), Headless beast (had nightmare cause of this).
Also save points re closer in DS3, you can make combo with spells.
Now im really intrigued by DS3 dlc, should buy it.
Markitron
Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
I definitely found Dark Souls 3 more difficult, Rom was the only boss that gave me trouble in BB and that was probably because I'm terrified of Spiders, so I could only fight him when I was drunk. I found the very start of BB to be particularly difficult, but it could just be because I was new to the series at that point.
Neuro
Member
I'm really surprised people think DS3 is harder.
Nothing in DS3 comes close to some of the stuff in Chalice Dungeons. Plus DS3 has shields. I don't know how many of you used them but some while ago I decided to do a PT using greatshields...Let's just say I was surprised to how effective this shit is.
Nothing in DS3 comes close to some of the stuff in Chalice Dungeons. Plus DS3 has shields. I don't know how many of you used them but some while ago I decided to do a PT using greatshields...Let's just say I was surprised to how effective this shit is.
catashtrophe
Member
For the Vanilla games i'd say BB starts off hard then eases up as time goes on while DS3 starts off easy and slowly gets more difficult.
HOWEVER, The Old Hunters DLC sent me to hell and back and is harder than DS3 (with or without DLC).
Kos and Ludwig can go to the same hell they sent me to.
HOWEVER, The Old Hunters DLC sent me to hell and back and is harder than DS3 (with or without DLC).
Kos and Ludwig can go to the same hell they sent me to.
I thought BB was easier but I didn't do the DLC or the Chalice Dungeons so my opinion probably doesn't count for much.
I still don't agree with people saying DS3 is easier because of shields though. You get a nice little side-step/dodge in BB that makes up for that and the fact you get health back by attacking makes it so much easier to play the game in a very aggressive fashion.
I still don't agree with people saying DS3 is easier because of shields though. You get a nice little side-step/dodge in BB that makes up for that and the fact you get health back by attacking makes it so much easier to play the game in a very aggressive fashion.
GeordieMark
Member
I found DS3 to be the harder of the two. Bloodborne has a pretty tough starting area, but aside from that its fairly accessible. In my opinion DS3 was consistently tough throughout the whole game. Also, Bloodborne always gives you a second chance to recover when you take a hit, whereas DS3 is totally unforgiving.
Young Liar
Member
Dark Souls 3 was the first Souls game where I didn't get stuck on a non-DLC boss for hours.
I chalk that up to having played all the previous games multiple times with different builds on a couple of NG+ cycles.
My first time through Demon's Souls was the toughest for the entire series. 1-1 took hours just to get to Phalanx. I stupidly spent hours in 5-1 after I beat 1-1 without even getting close to killing the Leechmonger there and deciding on just going to 2-1 instead. 4-1 was also a brick wall because of the flying manta rays and gold skeletons. Old Hero pummeled me for an hour. Maneaters embarrassed me for a day's worth of a gaming session.
Having gone back to it after I had beaten DS1, DS2:SOTFS, and BB multiple times, it's the easiest, unsurprisingly.
DS1 the first time was easier than DeS the first time. Still had a lot of trouble with Bed of Chaos, Manus, and Gwyn. I still get triggered at people saying Gwyn is a perfect "theme" boss because of how easy he is when you parry him. I didn't know about that strategy at all, and my god was he a relentless monster on that first playthrough! Took me more than an hour, but I eventually mastered dodging just about every single attack of his.
Played BB after DS1. First third of the game was rough. Just fighting my way through Central Yharnam was super humbling. Blood-starved Beast kept me up until 3am without me killing it. The game definitely got smoother later on though. The one roadblock in the main game that continues to be a challenge to this day is the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst. That one hunter may as well be a proper boss with a named lifebar.
Then I played the Old Hunters. Ludwig and Orphan are nightmares, even on replays. And yes, the two giant shark enemies in the well rank way up high as the toughest non-boss encounter in the series.
Chalice dungeon bosses weren't that bad. Didn't take too long for me to memorize the Watchdog's attack patterns in the Defiled dungeon either for a clean run.
DS2: SOFTS was child's play after Bloodborne. The only non-DLC bosses that gave me some trouble were Darklurker and the Ancient Dragon. I do think that if I never had to fight my way in that hellpit of an area just to get to Darklurker, the fight itself wouldn't have been so tough because I would have had way more estus. Ancient Dragon was just tedious because of its ridiculously large health pool. That dumb one-shot AOE flame breath attack also didn't help. One mistake in positioning, and it's over.
I actually didn't have too tough a time with the DS2 DLC bosses. Found traversing the levels to be more challenging actually! It was just the Lud and Zallen fight and the gank squad that took some time. Doing those battles solo required a loooooot of running and evading.
And going back to DS3, it was just the Nameless King that gave me trouble, but not to the extent that others talk about it. Never had any issues with the first phase either. Was pretty used to manipulating the camera by then.
Sister Friede x3 might be my favorite Souls boss battle period. It's not easy, that's for sure, but it never felt headbangingly difficult either. Like that one poster said, the first phase is trivial when you figure out she always jumps straight behind you when she goes invisible. Very easy to stunlock her to oblivion. Second phase, I found focusing on Ariandel to be the simplest way to get through it. Just backstab Friede when she tries to heal. That third phase for me is the only truly hard part on replays. Still super fun!
I thought the Demon Princes were going to eat me alive for a long time, but once I got into a rhythm with drawing aggro from the right bat at the right time, that phase went relatively quick. The second phase was still a problem the first time through the DLC, but not much so the second time.
Gael's got a flow to him that I can either ride to a smooth victory or get knocked off of for a quick defeat.
Midir is in the top 5 for toughest boss, because much like the Ancient Dragon, it has an insane amount of health and can easily one-shot you if you fuck up once no matter what your build. I think I read somewhere that it has the highest HP of all Souls bosses. Unlike Ancient Dragon though, I find Midir to be way more fun to fight. Also, holy shit does the Wolf Knight Greatsword fuck his face up real good. Took me by surprise how fast I killed him with it!
I chalk that up to having played all the previous games multiple times with different builds on a couple of NG+ cycles.
My first time through Demon's Souls was the toughest for the entire series. 1-1 took hours just to get to Phalanx. I stupidly spent hours in 5-1 after I beat 1-1 without even getting close to killing the Leechmonger there and deciding on just going to 2-1 instead. 4-1 was also a brick wall because of the flying manta rays and gold skeletons. Old Hero pummeled me for an hour. Maneaters embarrassed me for a day's worth of a gaming session.
Having gone back to it after I had beaten DS1, DS2:SOTFS, and BB multiple times, it's the easiest, unsurprisingly.
DS1 the first time was easier than DeS the first time. Still had a lot of trouble with Bed of Chaos, Manus, and Gwyn. I still get triggered at people saying Gwyn is a perfect "theme" boss because of how easy he is when you parry him. I didn't know about that strategy at all, and my god was he a relentless monster on that first playthrough! Took me more than an hour, but I eventually mastered dodging just about every single attack of his.
Played BB after DS1. First third of the game was rough. Just fighting my way through Central Yharnam was super humbling. Blood-starved Beast kept me up until 3am without me killing it. The game definitely got smoother later on though. The one roadblock in the main game that continues to be a challenge to this day is the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst. That one hunter may as well be a proper boss with a named lifebar.
Then I played the Old Hunters. Ludwig and Orphan are nightmares, even on replays. And yes, the two giant shark enemies in the well rank way up high as the toughest non-boss encounter in the series.
Chalice dungeon bosses weren't that bad. Didn't take too long for me to memorize the Watchdog's attack patterns in the Defiled dungeon either for a clean run.
DS2: SOFTS was child's play after Bloodborne. The only non-DLC bosses that gave me some trouble were Darklurker and the Ancient Dragon. I do think that if I never had to fight my way in that hellpit of an area just to get to Darklurker, the fight itself wouldn't have been so tough because I would have had way more estus. Ancient Dragon was just tedious because of its ridiculously large health pool. That dumb one-shot AOE flame breath attack also didn't help. One mistake in positioning, and it's over.
I actually didn't have too tough a time with the DS2 DLC bosses. Found traversing the levels to be more challenging actually! It was just the Lud and Zallen fight and the gank squad that took some time. Doing those battles solo required a loooooot of running and evading.
And going back to DS3, it was just the Nameless King that gave me trouble, but not to the extent that others talk about it. Never had any issues with the first phase either. Was pretty used to manipulating the camera by then.
Sister Friede x3 might be my favorite Souls boss battle period. It's not easy, that's for sure, but it never felt headbangingly difficult either. Like that one poster said, the first phase is trivial when you figure out she always jumps straight behind you when she goes invisible. Very easy to stunlock her to oblivion. Second phase, I found focusing on Ariandel to be the simplest way to get through it. Just backstab Friede when she tries to heal. That third phase for me is the only truly hard part on replays. Still super fun!
I thought the Demon Princes were going to eat me alive for a long time, but once I got into a rhythm with drawing aggro from the right bat at the right time, that phase went relatively quick. The second phase was still a problem the first time through the DLC, but not much so the second time.
Gael's got a flow to him that I can either ride to a smooth victory or get knocked off of for a quick defeat.
Midir is in the top 5 for toughest boss, because much like the Ancient Dragon, it has an insane amount of health and can easily one-shot you if you fuck up once no matter what your build. I think I read somewhere that it has the highest HP of all Souls bosses. Unlike Ancient Dragon though, I find Midir to be way more fun to fight. Also, holy shit does the Wolf Knight Greatsword fuck his face up real good. Took me by surprise how fast I killed him with it!
Ventilaator
Banned
Cool how people's experiences can be so completely different. People saying Bloodborne like it isn't even a competition, meanwhile Dark Souls 3 was by far the most difficult Souls game for me.
Like, the entire series is challenging in a fun way, except DS3, which I probably won't ever replay because I immediately remember about 50 different things in it that I never want to do ever again. But every other Souls game I could start replaying right now, no problem.
Like, the entire series is challenging in a fun way, except DS3, which I probably won't ever replay because I immediately remember about 50 different things in it that I never want to do ever again. But every other Souls game I could start replaying right now, no problem.
Horsemama1956
Member
I would have to say DS3, because by the time I got to the Hunters DLC I found the BB boring and gave up. I would say BB is way cheaper though, in the heavy archers from DS1 on the bridge kind of way.
Edsmells12345
Member
Dark Souls 3 has shields.
Bloodborne is the harder game.
Bloodborne is the harder game.
Thrillhou2
Member
I found Dark Souls 3 harder (with the dlc) but I had infinitely more fun with Bloodborne. It is a better game in every aspect imo.
DrROBschiz
Member
Bloodborne is weird since its difficulty can vary wildly based on playstyle and strategy
I mean... certain bosses just straight need to to break your own bad habits or embrace a different mindset altogether
Some bosses require straight up skills and maybe a bit of luck
Dark Souls 3 is also hard but i feel like there is more room for exploitation? Hard to say
I mean... certain bosses just straight need to to break your own bad habits or embrace a different mindset altogether
Some bosses require straight up skills and maybe a bit of luck
Dark Souls 3 is also hard but i feel like there is more room for exploitation? Hard to say
RoadHazard
Gold Member
DEFINITELY Bloodborne.
I've played them all, and DkS3 was the easiest except for perhaps DeS.
I've played them all, and DkS3 was the easiest except for perhaps DeS.
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