Jedi Fallen Order‘s Hardest Difficulty Surpasses Dark Souls

As an avid fan of both the Souls series and Jedi: Fallen Order, I can confidently say that Jedi Grandmaster mode is more difficult than any Dark Souls game. The intense combat requires lightning reflexes and absolute mastery of parrying and dodging to overcome terrifyingly aggressive enemies and devastatingly punishing bosses.

Demanding Combat Dynamics

The combat tempo in Dark Souls is methodical and tactical, rewarding patience and timing. Jedi Fallen Order is much faster-paced, pushing the player to react instantly amidst chaos.

On Jedi Grandmaster, Cal deals only 75% damage while taking 200% from enemies. You must perfectly parry or dodge pretty much every attack. One or two hits can kill you against standard foes.Dark Souls is slower and more forgiving. For example, I can tank multiple blows from basic Hollow enemies without instantly dying.

Jedi Grandmaster also disables the traversal icons that show safe landing spots during platforming. And enemies aggressively attack mid-jump. This turns platforming into a deadly high-risk challenge. No Souls game poses platforming threats at this level.

• Jedi Fallen Order combat is faster, demanding split-second reactions
• Dark Souls combat is slower and more tactical
• Jedi Grandmaster mode multiplies enemy damage and cripples your offense
• No Souls game has platforming threats on Jedi Grandmaster‘s level

Diabolical Enemy Designs

Jedi Fallen Order borrows many enemy archetypes from the Souls playbook – shielded foes that require kicking, stealth predators, ranged magic casters, etc.

But some of Jedi‘s enemies feel upgraded with extra aggression and movesets that provide less downtime between attacks to exploit. The least threatening Hollow will give you a brief opening after a swing. Many Jedi foes unleash complex strings leaving no chance to counter.

And enemies like the rocket launcher Stormtroopers and flamethrower Purge Troopers can melt your health in 1-2 hits on Grandmaster. Their equivalents in Dark Souls rarely feel as threatening.

Here‘s a comparison of some particularly notorious enemies:

The path to the first Jedi Grandmaster boss, Oggdo Bogdo, is littered with enemies that can kill in 1-2 hits. The Asylum Demon is intimidating but slower and less complex.

• Many Jedi foes are more aggressive with tighter attack strings
• Dangerous ranged foes like Rocket Troopers have no equal in Souls
• Iconic Souls enemies feel weakened compared to their Jedi counterparts

Relentless Bosses

Again, Jedi: Fallen Order borrows heavily from the Souls formula for epic duels against hulking monsters and lethal warriors. But once again, Jedi Grandmaster takes things to the next level.

On Grandmaster, bosses attack almost non-stop, chaining complex, varied strings that require perfect parrying just to survive. Some Souls bosses like Fume Knight do offer steep challenges. But many provide intermittent breaks to breathe. Jedi Grandmaster bosses are intense pressure from start to finish.

Second Sister‘s speed, leaping slashes, and unblockable grabs are overwhelming on Grandmaster. Genichiro from Sekiro has some similarities, but I find him a bit more predictable.

Malicos possesses a ranged and melee moveset as deep as any Souls boss. His lightning quick saber combos are overwhelming. Ludwig and Sister Friede have some parallels, but feel slower by comparison.

• Jedi bosses give fewer opportunities to counter compared to some Souls bosses
• Second Sister‘s speed and leaping attacks exceed most Souls bosses
• Malicos‘ deep moveset and fast saber combos are almost impossible to consistently counter

Devastating Penalties

Dark Souls punishes death by resetting enemies and depriving you of your souls/humanity. Those losses can be reclaimed, softening the blow.

Jedi Grandmaster‘s penalties are more severe. Your life essence on death is gone for good. And enemies respawn endlessly, swarming you as soon as you meditate. Playing "perfectly" is mandatory. Even a small mistake cascades quickly into a punishing loop.

The run to a Souls boss can often be shortened by opening shortcuts. In Jedi, boss runs remain long slogs through endless respawning enemies. There is no mercy.

• Souls penalties for death can be partly recovered
• Lost life essence in Jedi Grandmaster stays lost forever
• Endlessly respawning enemies make meditation incredibly perilous
• Long boss runs are unavoidable, adding punishment on top of punishment

Conclusion

While Souls games do offer steep challenges, especially late into New Game+, I believe Jedi Grandmaster surpasses even their hardest moments in terms of raw difficulty. The unforgiving tempo of combat, relentless enemies and bosses, and devastating permanent penalties upon death push Jedi to demanding heights FromSoftware has yet to reach. My Jedi skills were tested like never before against truly diabolical odds.