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No. You can start with the Soulslike that interests you; you do not need to finish another game first. Experience with one may make some broad conventions—such as deliberate combat, timing and evasion—feel less unfamiliar, but it cannot teach you every other game’s controls, mechanics or combat rhythm. Choose based on the experience you want, then learn that game on its own terms.
What experience with another Soulslike can—and cannot—do
Previous experience can provide context, not a qualification. Bandai Namco describes Soulslike combat in terms of precise timing and evasion. A player who has encountered those ideas before may recognize the need to pay attention to an opponent and avoid treating every encounter as a simple attack exchange. That familiarity may make the conventions less surprising, but it does not guarantee that a new game will feel easy or immediately intuitive.
Yasuhiro Kitao, FromSoftware’s marketing manager, made a similar distinction when discussing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. He said players familiar with earlier FromSoftware titles might recognize deliberate combat and the satisfaction of overcoming intimidating enemies. But he also stressed that Sekiro’s battle system, setting, story, characters and mechanics were unique to that game. Familiarity with one title, then, is not a substitute for learning another title’s rules.
That distinction is useful whenever you begin a new entry. Carry over a willingness to observe, experiment and adjust; do not assume that a habit that worked in one game is the correct answer in the next. Treat the opening hours as a chance to learn what this particular game rewards.
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In practical terms, prior experience can help you recognize a broad challenge—such as the need to time an action carefully—but it cannot tell you exactly when to act, which tools are available or how movement works in a new title. Treat any familiar tactic as a hypothesis. If it does not work, pay attention to the game’s feedback and adjust rather than assuming you need more genre experience.
Why you do not need a genre checklist
There is no prerequisite list of games you must complete before starting. Bandai Namco’s Elden Ring guidance explicitly addresses people who have never played a Souls series game and explains options available to them. That is evidence that a newcomer can begin there, not proof that Elden Ring is the easiest starting point for every player.
The label “Soulslike” groups games by perceived similarities, but it does not mean they share one universal control scheme, progression system, story or solution to difficult encounters. The evidence about Sekiro underscores the limits of treating genre familiarity as mastery: a game can retain a deliberate feel while introducing a battle system and mechanics of its own. There is no reason to complete a different game merely to earn the ability to start.
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This also means you do not need to buy or finish another Soulslike as preparation. The question is not whether you have completed a genre checklist, but whether the particular game appeals to you and whether you are willing to learn its systems. A newcomer can start directly with a game that has caught their interest.
Choose by the experience you want
“Which one should I play first?” has no source-backed universal answer. A more useful question is what kind of experience sounds appealing. The examples below describe documented differences between Elden Ring and Sekiro; they are not a ranking of difficulty or a complete comparison of every Soulslike.
| What you want | What the examples indicate | What not to infer |
|---|---|---|
| Open-ended exploration and options when blocked | Bandai Namco describes Elden Ring as offering opportunities to take another route, avoid some strong enemies, explore for resources and use spirit summons. Miyazaki also said players could return to a difficult situation later. | These options do not establish that the game is easy or the best first choice for everyone. |
| Stealth, traversal and sword combat | Those are among the elements highlighted in official discussion of Sekiro, whose battle system and mechanics Kitao described as unique. | Experience with another FromSoftware game does not mean you already know Sekiro’s timing or tools. |
| A particular kind of story presentation | Miyazaki described Sekiro’s narrative and character stories as more direct than earlier Soulslike titles, and Elden Ring’s story as fragmented. | This distinction applies to these examples; it is not a rule for every game in the genre. |
Use those distinctions as preference cues. If the appeal of exploring a broad world and having different ways to respond to a roadblock matters most, Elden Ring is a defensible choice to consider. If you are drawn specifically to stealth, traversal and sword combat, Sekiro may better match that interest. Neither preference proves that one is objectively easier or that you should play it before the other.
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Think about the kind of friction you are comfortable with, too. Do you want the option to leave a difficult obstacle and explore elsewhere, or are you more interested in a specific style of stealth, traversal and sword combat? Do you prefer the more direct narrative and character stories Miyazaki described for Sekiro, or the fragmented story he described for Elden Ring? Those are useful preference questions, not a formula for predicting which game will feel easy.
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What to do when a new game feels difficult
Being stuck does not mean you started in the wrong order. A challenge may be asking you to learn the current game’s timing, use an available tool or change what you are doing. In Elden Ring, the official newcomer guidance describes several ways to create space rather than repeatedly forcing the same encounter.
In Elden Ring, use the room the game gives you
- Consider another route. Bandai Namco says players can choose a different path and avoid strong enemies. If a threat is overwhelming, progress elsewhere rather than treating that one encounter as a test you must pass immediately.
- Explore for resources. The same guidance presents exploration as a way to find resources. This makes exploring a practical response to being blocked, not simply a detour from the main task.
- Use the assistance available to you. Bandai Namco identifies spirit summons as one option, and says players can summon other players in some encounters. These are choices the game provides; the guidance does not suggest that every encounter has the same assistance available.
- Come back later. In a January 28, 2022 PlayStation.Blog interview, FromSoftware director Hidetaka Miyazaki said newcomers should feel unpressured and approach the game at their own pace. He also described returning to a challenge later as a way to preserve freedom of progression rather than repeatedly hitting a wall.
Miyazaki put the idea plainly: “In general, I’d like new players to feel unpressured and that they can approach the game at their pace.” He also described the freedom to return to an impasse later, rather than “bang their head against a wall over and over.” The point is not that every obstacle has a shortcut; it is that a difficult moment need not force a player to keep repeating the same attempt immediately.
These points support a practical conclusion about Elden Ring: it gives players ways to find a pace that works for them. They do not amount to a difficulty rating, and they should not be generalized into a claim that every Soulslike offers the same routes, summons or progression choices.
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In another game, learn that game’s own options
The specific Elden Ring options above are not a universal troubleshooting checklist. For a different title, pay attention to its own tutorial and in-game prompts, then test the tools and routes that it actually provides. If you came from another Soulslike, ask whether a familiar approach is working in this game instead of assuming it should. The right adjustment depends on the rules and options of the particular title.
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This applies even when the new game comes from the same developer. Kitao said of Sekiro: “Everything from the battle system, the setting, story, characters, mechanics: all of them are unique to this game and have not been seen in a FromSoftware title before.” His comment is a reminder to notice what is familiar without treating prior mastery as a guarantee that you already understand a new game.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you play games in a particular story order?
Genre order and story order are separate questions. The fact that two games are called Soulslikes does not establish that they share a world or require chronological play. The available examples describe distinct game-specific choices and do not establish a story chronology for the genre as a whole.
If you are considering a sequel or another game that appears to share a series with the one you want to play, check that series’ official guidance for direct story continuity. Do not infer a required order just from the Soulslike label. If your concern is simply whether you must play another genre entry to understand the one you want, the answer is no based on the evidence here; a story-order question about a particular connected series needs to be answered for that series.
In other words, “Should I play every Soulslike in release order?” and “Does this particular sequel continue an earlier story?” are not the same question. The genre label alone cannot answer the second one. Verify the connection for the specific series you have in mind rather than assuming that all games in the genre belong to one shared chronology.
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A practical way to start
- Pick the game whose world or style interests you. Use the specific experience you want—such as open-ended exploration or Sekiro’s highlighted stealth and traversal—as a preference, not an objective difficulty ranking.
- Begin without trying to prepare by completing another game. Bandai Namco’s guidance for Elden Ring speaks directly to newcomers, and the distinct mechanics described for Sekiro show why one game cannot stand in for another’s systems.
- Pay attention to the new game’s prompts and mechanics. Bring over patience and a readiness to adjust, not an assumption that timing, movement or tools transfer unchanged.
- If you hit a wall, look for an option the game actually offers. In Elden Ring, documented options include avoiding some strong enemies, changing route, exploring, spirit summons, player summons in some encounters and returning later. For other titles, use their own available tools rather than assuming these features are present.
- Separate uncertainty about difficulty from uncertainty about story. You do not need genre experience as a general prerequisite. If a particular sequel’s story order matters to you, verify that specific relationship rather than trying to play every Soulslike chronologically.
Starting a new Soulslike is therefore less about having the right background and more about being willing to learn a new game. Prior experience can make a few broad conventions recognizable; the title you choose still sets its own demands. Start with the one that interests you, and let its own systems teach you how to play it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to finish another Soulslike before starting one?
No. You can begin with the game that interests you. Prior experience may make broad conventions such as deliberate combat, timing and evasion more familiar, but it is not a prerequisite.
Does playing one Soulslike make another one easier?
It may make some conventions less surprising, but it does not guarantee that another game will feel easy. Each title can have its own timing, controls, mechanics and tools, so learn the game in front of you.
Is Elden Ring a good first Soulslike?
It is a reasonable option if open-ended exploration and multiple ways to respond to obstacles appeal to you. Bandai Namco’s guidance addresses newcomers and describes routes around some strong enemies, exploration for resources, spirit summons and player summons in some encounters. Those options do not prove it is the easiest or best first game for everyone.
Do I need to play Soulslikes in story order?
Not because they share a genre label. If you are choosing a sequel or a game in a connected series, check that series’ official guidance about story continuity; the genre as a whole has no established chronological order here.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: You do not need to play other Soulslike games before starting a new one. Pick the game whose world, combat or pace appeals to you, and approach its mechanics as a fresh set of rules. Familiarity can help, but it is not a requirement.
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