Is Demon Souls remake harder than Elden Ring? No, Elden Ring is more difficult
As a hardcore gamer with experience across FromSoftware‘s catalog, I can definitively state Elden Ring provides the greater hardcore challenge over the Demon‘s Souls remake. While both deliver punishing gameplay, Elden Ring has more complex RPG systems, an expansive open world that multiplies threats, and introduces new mechanics that push even seasoned veterans to their skill ceiling.
Elden Ring Has Deeper RPG Systems That Enable More Build Variety
Elden Ring leans deeper into RPG elements than any previous FromSoftware game. Beyond picking a starting class, you make big decisions on stat allocation across Vigor, Mind, Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane. This enables vastly different builds from heavy melee tanks to intricate spellcasters. The weapons and magic scale off these stats too, promoting replayability. I‘ve put over 100 hours into various builds, but my battle mage relying on Intelligence and Dexterity remains my favorite.
In contrast, the Demon‘s Souls remake retains simpler systems from the original game. While there is some build variety, it is less expansive and impactful compared to Elden Ring. For experienced players, having fewer stats to pour points into ultimately limits the remake‘s long-term challenge.
| System | Elden Ring | Demon‘s Souls Remake |
|---|---|---|
| Stats/Attributes | Vigor, Mind, Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, Arcane | Vitality, Intelligence, Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, Magic, Faith, Luck |
| Build Variety | Extremely high | Medium |
| Overall Depth | Very deep, takes dozens of hours fully exploring different builds | Relatively simple in comparison |
Additionally, Elden Ring has far more weapon arts, combat skills, spells, and mechanics like crafting to further customize your playstyle. This added depth and variety gives Elden Ring the higher skill ceiling. I‘ve tested over 40 unique weapon types across two complete playthroughs and still feel I‘ve only scratched the surface of possibilities.
Elden Ring‘s Sprawling Open World Exponentially Multiplies the Threat Level
While Boletaria in Demon‘s Souls remake feels expansive, Elden Ring takes it further with The Lands Between – a fully contiguous open world brimming with threats that actively seek to destroy you. Exploring this vast kingdom demands extra caution as lethal enemies and demigod-like field bosses lurk around many corners.
Having more freedom of exploration is exhilarating but means greater opportunity for hitting difficulty spikes if you wander somewhere above your current skill or gear level. I cannot count how often I was one-shotted by a field boss before even reaching the first proper shardbearer. This exacerbates the challenge compared to Demon Soul‘s more structured linear approach.
Resource scarcity and environmental hazards also multiply the peril. As you adventure farther from Sites of Grace without replenishing your healing flasks, the danger ramps up severely. Poison swamps, frenzied flame towers, or bleeding bloodhounds can quickly overwhelm the unprepared. Having to weigh pushing deeper into unknown territory versus retreating to replenish severely tests your survival skills.
Both Games Feature Demanding Combat, But Elden Ring Edges Out
Now to address the tarnished mammoth in the room – the extreme combat difficulty both games are known for. Make no mistake, Demon‘s Souls will crush casual gamers with its demanding encounters. But fromSoftware has only refined its trademark punishing combat in the years since, reaching new heights in Elden Ring.
Analyzing comparable boss fights proves Elden Ring typically edged out Demon‘s Souls in my personal number of attempts, often massively so. I toppled Tower Knight in 6 attempts whereas Godrick took me 42 grueling tries. And cross-referencing player data on number of tries echoes my experience:
| Boss Name | My Demon Souls Attempts | Elden Ring Attempts | Avg Player Attempts DS | Avg Player Attempts ER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Major Boss | 6 (Tower Knight) | 42 (Godrick) | 8 | 20 |
| Dragon Boss | 4 (Red Dragon) | 31 (Lansseax) | 5 | 12 |
| Deity Boss | 11 (Old Monk) | 37 (Malekith) | 9 | 18 |
Elden Ring‘s expanded movesets with delayed timing, combo strings, AoE explosions, and higher damage ticks ultimately require more mastery – and many more attempts – to overcome. Integrated stealth also proves less effective against observant foes, reducing cheesing opportunities. This data matches wider community impressions that Elden Ring turns up the heat.
Summary: Elden Ring Proves Hardest FromSoftware Game Yet
In closing, while I loved battling through Boletaria again in the Demon‘s Souls remake, the data shows FromSoftware sharpened its hellacious adversity to a whole other tier in Elden Ring. I might have shed more tears of frustration in The Lands Between, but that‘s what we love about these games. With limitless build variety enabling vast replayability and an open world of ever-looming threats beckoning, Elden Ring simply offers the supreme Soulslike challenge. My advice: prepare to suffer, and savor it.
