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The gaming community is once again debating the difficulty and mechanics of FromSoftware’s popular titles. This time, it’sElden Ringand its expansion,Shadow of the Erdtree, versus the classicDark Souls 1.
The comparison has sparked a lot of conversation among fans, with many concluding that the firstDark Soulsgame,despite its legendary status, feels a lot clunkier in comparison.
The Clunky Controls of Dark Souls 1
One tweet that’s been making the rounds states that going fromElden RingtoDark Soulsis rather painful, clunky, and tedious. This pretty much sums up the feelings of many newer fans who are diving into the older games for the first time. They find that the firstSoulsgame, while still a fantastic game, has some rough edges when it comes to controls and gameplay, and the remaster didn’t do enough to improve the overall experience.
So called “Elden Ring fans” when they play a actual Souls gamehttps://t.co/L9KAeDZH6z
— Rock solid (@ShitpostRock)August 04, 2025
The first game in theSoulstrilogy is often hailed as a masterpiece, but when you look at it through the eyes of someone who started withFromSoftware’slatest game. its flaws become more apparent.
The controls in the game can feel stiff and less responsive. Movement and combat aren’t as fluid, making dodging and attacking feel a bit sluggish.In the newer FromSoft titlessuch asBloodborneandDark Souls 3, the controls are much more refined, allowing for smoother and more precise actions and overall responsiveness.
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Another major gripe is the“boss runbacks”in the game.In many cases, if you die of a boss, you have to go through a lengthy and often tedious path filled with enemies just to get another shot at the boss.
This can be incredibly frustrating, especially for new players who aren’t used to this old-school design. In contrast,the newer games provide more frequent checkpoints, reducing the frustration of repeated attempts and deaths.
The Game Is Not as Difficult as Elden Ring
Despite its clunky controls, many fans argue that the game isn’t actually as hard asElden Ring.This might sound surprising givenDark Souls’reputation, but it makes sense when you consider a few key points.
First, the 2022 game offers a more expansive and open-world experience, meaning there are often more ways to get lost, more enemies to fight, and generally more challenges to overcome.
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There are also quite a lot of overpowered enemies and mini-bosses in dungeons and whatnot, so you can easily come across something you’re not supposed to, while theolder Soulsborne games were linearand their difficulty spikes a bit more consistent.
The game also introduces mechanics like horseback combat and spirit summons, which add fun new mechanics and variety to the gameplay.Dark Souls 1with its more straightforward approach, can feel easier to manage once you get past the initial clunkiness.
The bosses in the game, while tough, are more predictable and can often be defeated with persistence and pattern recognition of the bosses and other enemies.
This isn’t to say that the game is a walk in the park, but the learning curve can feel less steep compared to FromSoftware’s latest.
What do you think of this debate between the two games? Let us know in the comments.
Suhaib Adeel
Gaming Writer
Articles Published :336
Suhaib is a Gaming Writer at FandomWire. He’s extremely passionate about video games and movies, and loves working in the pop culture space. Some of his favorite games include Fallout: New Vegas, Disco Elysium, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Red Dead Redemption 2, Persona 5, Final Fantasy XII, Dishonored, The Last of Us Part II, and Bloodborne.
