Can You 100% Complete Dark Souls in a Single Playthrough?
No – it is impossible to fully 100% complete any Souls game in just one playthrough. As an avid fan who has sunk countless hours into these titles across multiple platforms and NG+ cycles, I can definitively state that reaching true 100% requires a massive time investment spanning several journeys through each game.
Let‘s break down the specifics:
Dark Souls 100% Completion Requirements
To earn every achievement and collect every weapon, spell and rare drop in the original Dark Souls, players must:
- Complete the game twice (NG+)
- Defeat all 26 bosses in each playthrough (52 boss kills minimum)
- Upgrade all boss weapons – some need multiple boss souls
- Finish NPC storylines like Solaire‘s quest
- Discover secret areas like Ash Lake
- Cut off tails from bosses like Seath and Gaping Dragon
- Farm creatures for rare item drops like Channeler‘s Trident
This amounts to at least 130-150 hours across two and a half playthroughs for even the most skilled chosen undead. And much more for the average player struggling against Ornstein and Smough!
| Playthrough | Hours | Bosses Defeated |
|---|---|---|
| First (NG) | 40-50 | 26 |
| Second (NG+) | 60-80 | 52 |
| Half Third (NG++) | 30-40 | 26 |
| Total | 130-170 | 104 |
As a personal estimate, I‘d say only 20% of Dark Souls players have ever gotten close to 100% completion judging by platform achievement statistics. It represents an epic feat only seriously dedicated fans have the patience to work towards.
Key Things that Require Multiple Playthroughs
While the main story and majority of items can be seen in the first run, there are some key items and events that necessitate starting new journeys:
- Rare weapon crafting – Many bosses have unique souls that can be crafted into weapons. But creating all variations means multiples of those boss souls.
- NPC questlines – Character stories like Solaire‘s span entire games and reaching certain outcomes needs specific steps across different cycles.
- Spell collecting – Sorceries, Pyromancies and Miracles include some found only in New Game+. Better stock up!
- Secret area access – Sections like the Great Hollow are only open once you acquire peculiar items deep in the game.
So in summary, no matter how good you are, playing Dark Souls once won‘t expose 100% of its secrets! But that truth only makes us love FromSoftware‘s masterpiece even more.
