I loved Sekiro and Bloodborne but don't enjoy any of the Souls games. Why might that be?

[PlanetSmasher]

Maybe you just don't like medieval fantasy settings?

I vastly prefer Bloodborne's horror Victorian setting over ruined castles and crumbling knights, though I do still enjoy Dark Souls.

 

[Deleted member 36578]

I think you already answered your own question op. The graphics, setting and atmosphere are absolutely crucial factors as to why Bloodbourne and Sekiro won you over. Its partially why I like them more than the Souls games myself.

 

[Deleted member 29682]

It's a petty reason, but I much prefer standing dodges to dodge-rolling. I find the latter weirdly unsatisfying in any game, for some reason.

 

[danmaku]

I have a similar opinion, except I only played Nioh and Bloodborne and only liked Nioh. Nioh has an amazing combati system and if you have a light armor it's the closest you can get to a new Ninja Gaiden. I'm not a fan of the loot system but it doesn't ruin the game. Bloodborne has an amazing setting and atmosphere but the combat feels way too slow and simple. I don't like when you have so few options. Since everyone was saying that Bloodborne is fast (!) compared to DS, I kept my distance (even though I have the first DS on Steam). I have Sekiro in my wish list and from what you're saying it sounds like the best of both worlds: great combat, great setting and no fucking loot.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

It's a petty reason, but I much prefer standing dodges to dodge-rolling. I find the latter weirdly unsatisfying in any game, for some reason.

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I get this. Dodge rolls always look kind of silly, especially when you're playing a character in heavy armor with a weapon the size of a compact sedan.

 

[Kalik]

the Souls games require more attention to details as far as scaling, weapons, armor etc...Sekiro and Bloodborne are severely lacking in that regard

 

[closer]

yeah it sounds like it's mainly the aesthetics that are drawing you in. the souls series has this sense of listlessness tied to it in a way that the others don't, very ephemeral feeling and kind of loose. bloodborne and sekiro both go for that too, but they are also heavily defined by their respective settings in a way the souls series isnt imo

tho it's hard for me to imagine being into some of these games but not feeling the other ones, they are all of the same ilk i feel

 

[XrossExam]

It's funny because Sekiro strangely didn't click with me. I wanted to really love it, but it was too much of a shock gameplay wise and I felt the idea of a set protagonist kind of ruined it for me. I loved Bloodborne however (probably my favorite FromSoftware title), but the Demon's Souls and Dark Souls are better games to me if you can look past some of the jank.

 

[RumbleHumble]

I'm with you OP. I enjoyed Dark Souls and Dark Souls 3 ok, but have never understood the adoration. Bloodborne and Sekiro are some of my favorite games of all time.

Many have pointed to speed being a significant factor, but I'd also note that Bloodborne and Sekiro are designed with a much smaller build variety. In my perspective, the limited build variety actually improves the combat because FROM can better hone the mechanics and encounter design with a smaller set of options in mind. I dunno if it's the same for you, but I found the more "curated" experience preferable.

 

[Waffle-Stomper]

Maybe you just don't like medieval fantasy settings?

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it's probably this

but to be honest with you I'm quite the opposite. I've been a fan of the souls series since the demon's souls asian version, and while I loved bloodborne, I'm not sure I liked sekiro at all. the weapon variety being in the form of prosthetics didn't really help make the combat varied enough for my playthrough. when I was getting bored of using the same weapon the only way to change the combat was through your "sub" weapon. I was stuck using the same sword the entire game. The parry timing didn't feel great to me, and it felt much better in games like mgs:r. parrying didn't have to play a role in souls games if you didn't want to use it, although using it does benefit you. there was much more variety in how you tackle obstacles in the other souls games. I'm not a fan of the feudal japan theme.

Don't get me wrong, there are definite moments and fights that I enjoyed. But by the time I beat my first playthrough I couldn't tell if I actually had fun playing it. Maybe it's because I had so much fun with devil may cry 5 with all the variety/combat styles I got out of that? but I don't plan on going back to replay sekiro like I have with other titles.

 

[ghibli99]

I think you said it yourself... you prefer the settings/atmosphere of Bloodborne and Sekiro more than Souls and you have problems staying interested in them if you aren't feeling those aspects. That's totally fine.

The order in which I played the games were Bloodborne, Dark Souls PtDE, Demon's Souls, Scholar, DkS3+DLC, Dark Souls Remastered, Sekiro, and now I'm doing a vanilla DkS2 run.

While my sentimental favorite is BB, I'd put DeS and DkS1 up there, very closly followed by the rest. There's no real use in ranking them as they all offered me awesome moments and damn-near rage quit boss fights and zones that I was able to conquer. In that sense, each game is exceptionally memorable and among the best gaming experiences of the past couple generations.

Setting/atmosphere is secondary for me, although they do help in establishing tone and an overall feeling of oppressiveness, with those occasional zones of beauty, light, and hope.

 

[SunhiLegend]

I'm pretty much the same, Bloodborne is my GOTG and Sekiro is in my top 10 but the Souls games I'm just not a fan of at all. Tried the first before BB and thought it was terrible, slow, dull and just not fun or engaging to play, after BB I did appreciate it a little more but still, couldn't play more than a few hours. I also vastly prefer Bloodbornes setting/atmosphere same with Sekiro and probably more importantly the combat in both those titles I like so much more than any of the other Souls games.

 

[Roshin]

Never really felt the need to pit one game against the other. I just want more soulsborne.

 

[Zocano]

Speed and control is a thing but I think it's partly they're far less "RPG" (re: stat driven) than Dark Souls. Yes, Bloodborne has stats, but aside from vitality, they affect and drive you far less than the Dark Souls games. You're not juggling defenses or equip load or resistances or damage number crunching as much as Dark Souls. Sekiro that is readily apparent that it is far more just a straight action game and Bloodborne, while still having stats, isn't as driven and reliant on understanding and engaging with those stats as Dark or Demon's Souls. You can pretty much just wear whatever you want and just upgrade your weapon and do just fine without really ever touching stats (and do better than you would in Dark/Demon's SL1).

 

[Herey]

You're me OP!

I think Bloodborne and Sekiro are both fantastic in different ways but I fell off the Souls games fairly quickly. I've watched play throughs and I can appreciate why people love them but I myself can't. Not sure whether it's the combat or the setting, or whether it's something thematic. The character subplots seem very endearing in DS1 especially so it's not the writing style.

I'm super hyped for Elden Ring though, hoping it bridges the gap between what I love about From games with the stuff I can appreciate but haven't go into very much.

 

[Sub Boss]

They are s lower, more focused RPG mechanics and defence the strategy and pacing are different it's not hard to see why you would enjoy one but not the other (though DS3 is more or less Bloodborne 2)

I love both DS and Bloodborne but couldn't care about Sekiro

 

[Oghuz]

I tried replaying DS1 but I couldn't, it felt too slow and clunky. Thankfully DS3 is faster so I didn't have a problem replaying that. But I still vastly prefer the combat in BB and especially Sekiro.

 

[supernormal]

I'm in the same boat as you OP. To me, the setting and art style of the games were defining factors. Sekiro and Bloodborne are among the best games of this generation, probably of all time. I couldn't even try any Dark Souls out of curiosity.

 

[Deleted member 29909]

Try playing without a shield, very different experience.

 

[Red Liquorice]

??? The last two, I can grant you, but movement and combat in Nioh is superior to Souls, easily.

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This is just down to taste. I gave Nioh several fair cracks at the whip and every time I was just worn down by how repetitive and dull I found the basic combat and enemy encounters.

 

[Necron]

I prefer Sekiro and especially Bloodborne.

However, I do have a fondness for all of them incl. Demon's Souls.