Elden Ring is a FromSoftware game featuring gameplay similar to that of the Dark Souls trilogy and Bloodborne. While Bloodborne featured a setting inspired by England's Victorian era, Elden Ring has a medieval dark fantasy setting that's evocative of Dark Souls and Demon's Souls.
The resemblance isn't just purely aesthetic. While Elden Ring's gameplay does differ in some ways, such as allowing players to jump and ride a horse, the game plays so similarly to its spiritual predecessor that it might as well be "Dark Souls 4."
10 Unforgiving Combat
The games' combat systems are near-identical; they have a lot of the same features, such as rolling, backstabbing, and leaping attacks. Elden Ring even incorporates Dark Souls 3's Weapon Arts attacks through the Ashes of War skills, which can be used to unleash powerful moves that cost you Focus Points (FP).
The two titles even handle the same. The control schemes for both Dark Souls and Elden Ring are rather similar, allowing Souls veterans to easily jump into The Lands Between. Granted, Elden Ring does have a jump button, and also adds an extra step to two-handing any given weapon, but beyond those, the games don't feel all that different to play.
9 A Vague Story
All the Dark Souls games feature nonlinear, near exposition-less narratives that require players to learn and interpret the lore for themselves based mostly on item descriptions, as well as what they observe in each games' levels. Elden Ring also includes a deliberately vague story, in true FromSoftware fashion.
The central objectives of each game are also similar. In the first Dark Souls, you're cast as an undead who was chosen to link the fire and succeed Lord Gwyn. In Elden Ring, you're on a quest to ascend to the throne of the Elden Lord.
8 Medieval Settings
Both games have dark fantasy settings that invoke the Middle Ages, which is most evident through the medieval weapons, armor, and buildings that can be seen throughout them. Additionally, some of Dark Souls' characters, such as Artorias and Gwynevere, have names similar to those featured in Arthurian Legend.
Elden Ring features even more medieval aspects, such as a ridable horse. References to Arthurian Legend are also found throughout; the central hub area is known as Roundtable Hold — an overt reference to King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table.
7 Berserk References
Dark Souls and Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki previously admitted that the long-running manga series Berserk was a key influence in the creation of Dark Souls, and it shows. Some enemies bear strong resemblances to those seen in Berserk, and Knight Artorias — one of Dark Souls' bosses — looks and moves a lot like Berserk's protagonist, Guts.
Berserk references are found throughout Elden Ring as well, the most obvious of which is the design of the Greatsword. This colossal blade is a near-exact recreation of Guts' mammoth sword. Given Berserk creator Kentaro Miura died in 2021, it's believed that the Greatsword's design could have been FromSoftware's way of paying tribute to the late author.
6 Reoccurring Weapons
Dark Souls and Elden Ring not only have similar weapon types, but in some cases, the two even share weapons. Just a few of the reoccurring weapons are the Claws, the Claymore, the Straight Sword, and also specialty weapons, like the Zweihander.
Of course, while many of Dark Souls' weapons make an appearance in Elden Ring, they don't necessarily function the same across the titles. Some have different animations, attacks, and weapon arts, meaning that using them might take some getting used to, even if one was your weapon of choice in previous games.
5 Patches The Hyena/The Untethered
First introduced in Demon's Souls, Patches The Hyena is an NPC who typically tricks you into going somewhere for a treasure before pushing you off of a ledge in the hopes that you die. Should you survive, you're typically given the chance to either get payback or make amends with him.
Patches is a recurring character in the Dark Souls games, and even appeared in a similar role in Bloodborne as a half-spider. In Elden Ring, Patches is an optional boss who can be found at the end of an early-game dungeon.
4 Similar Senses Of Style
Aside from the medieval aesthetic, most characters in both the Dark Souls series and Elden Ring have similar senses of fashion. You've got armor-clad knights, shirtless blacksmiths, and robe-wearing mages who love to wear hats that are way too big for their heads.
Both series also have some pretty awkward armor sets; Elden Ring has the Mushroom Set, which is literally a set of armor adorned with mushrooms, while Dark Souls has the Catarina set, which makes the wearer look like an onion.
3 Two-On-One Boss Fights
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Ornstein and Smough are perhaps the most memorable bosses in the first Dark Souls, largely because you have to fight both of them at once. It's hard to forget an experience as daunting as that. Since then, FromSoftware games haven't hesitated to throw multiple bosses in your face.
Elden Ring has a good amount of two-on-one boss fights, all of which can be quite a pain to tackle solo. Luckily, summoning other players or NPCs can be a great way to help even the odds, and maybe even turn them in your favor.
2 A Level-Up Maiden
Since Demon's Souls, you've had to talk to a maiden in order to level up your character. This holds true in Elden Ring as well. Until you meet the Finger Maiden Melina, you won't be able to increase any of your attributes while resting at a Site of Grace.
In Dark Souls 2 and 3, you had to fast-travel to the maiden's location anytime you wanted to level up. Then, you would talk to her to raise your level. Thankfully, Elden Ring does away with this. Once you meet Melina, you can level up at any resting spot you wish, just like in Dark Souls.
1 Dragon Boss Fights
Dragons are found throughout both series, and they make for some incredibly tough battles. These fire-breathing creatures are just as capable of roasting you as they are crushing, slashing, or eating you.
The ways in which you fight them in both Elden Ring and Dark Souls differ a tad, however. In Dark Souls, you're forced to fight them on foot, and your inability to jump can make sweeping attacks a pain to deal with. In Elden Ring, not only can you jump, but you can also opt to fight dragons on horseback – in fact, the fights seem designed around it.
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