The soulslike genre (also called soulsborne) is not as old as FPS or 4X, but it quickly became one of the most popular ones. Although Demon’s Souls was the first glimpse of this style, we can consider that it officially started with the original Dark Souls title in 2011.

After that, many titles were inspired by the characteristics and combat style of the original title, with Nioh and Mortal Shell being some of the most famous examples. Here are the most common characteristics of this genre:

Powerful Enemies

One of the main characteristics of the soulsborne title is the enemies that are hard to defeat from the first minutes of gameplay. Unlike most titles, where the first enemies are easy to beat, and then they get harder over time, you will struggle in fights from the beginning.

They deal lots of damage to your character and make the player think twice before doing something. Thus, sometimes avoiding the fight is the best option.

Limited Resources

Another common characteristic of the souls games is the short number of resources that you can find throughout the game world. You may suffer from various stats that will drain your life or make your journey harder.

Most of these statuses can only be cured with specific items that are limited. Be aware that even if you die after using them, you won’t get them back. 

Losing Money and XP

In soulsborne games, when you die, you lose all of your money or experience that you can use to upgrade your character or even both. This causes the players to think even more before facing a powerful enemy or entering a bossfight.

In some titles, you can get them back by going to where you died and collecting them. In other cases, like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, once you lose them, there is no way to get them back.

Progress Saving

In soulslike titles, you can not save your progress at any time. You must go to specific “checkpoints” where you can restore your health, upgrade your character and save your progress.

It is important to remember that every time you rest at the checkpoint, all the enemies that you killed come back to life, and you may have to fight them again. This can be very frustrating, especially when close to a boss area, when you have to pass through all of them to reach the boss area.

You Will Die

If you think that you will get to the end of the playthrough without some scratches and deaths, sorry to say this, but you’re wrong. You already noticed that the most expressive characteristic of soulslike titles is being difficult to beat.

Everything is made to be a challenge for players. Most people die more than a hundred times during the first playthrough of a title. You can’t expect what will happen next, and once you enter, for example, a boss arena, there is no way back.

Now that you know the main characteristics of soulsborne experiences, it is time to dig into the distinct elements between the Dark Souls series and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. There are many contrasts between the games, from the combat system to the boss fight system, even though they are from the same company.

Here are some of them:

Combat Style

The major difference between these titles is the combat. In Dark Souls games, the fights are way more direct, with a huge arsenal of shields and weapons to use. It is always a matter of having the level and strength to defeat your enemy.

On the other hand, Sekiro is way more of a stealth game. You can use your grappling hook to climb places and stay unseen by the enemies to make a stealth kill.

You can make Sekiro’s combat sections your own way – from stealth strategies to direct combat with your enemies.

Another difference between the combat in the titles is that in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the combat is way more fast-paced. In the Dark Souls series, the combat is a lot slower, with heavy attacks that will affect the stamina of your character and how many hits it can deal.

Stamina vs. Posture

Another difference between them that will impact your experience throughout the whole game is the stamina and posture system. When playing games from the Dark Souls series, you will see a green bar below your health points that indicates your character's stamina.

The stamina determines if you can attack, dodge, run, or do any other action. The bigger this bar, the more actions you can do without getting tired.

However, you won’t have this bar in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Instead, there’s a posture bar indicating how long you can resist before enemies break your defense and attack you freely. That bar does not impact how long you can run or attack, making things easier.

Equipment

Using equipment and weapons can also be one of the biggest differences between the games. While in Dark Souls, you have an enormous variety of different weapons and equipment like armor, rings, and staffs, in Sekiro, you are restricted to a single main weapon during the entire game.

Every single Dark Souls title brings more and more equipment options than the previous games, with different stats and effects, allowing the player to make thousands of different builds for the character. In Sekiro, the player won’t have the freedom of choosing the armor or the katana, being able to customize only the shinobi prosthetic arm.

Game Lore

Another big difference in the titles is when it comes to lore and storytelling. In the Dark Souls series, the context of what is happening or why you are doing anything is barely mentioned, so the player needs to seek that information through item descriptions and story fragments found between dialogues with NPCs. 

On the other hand, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has much clear and straight-to-the-point lore. The game’s story is told through dialogues, boss fights, and eventual progressions, so the player won’t have to create theories of what is going on like in other games from From Software.

If you like to have a clear purpose for what you are doing and easily understand the characters' story, you would prefer Sekiro. The young lord and his shinobi’s story will guarantee an immersive experience full of conflicts and breathtaking plot twists.

Souls and Skill Buying

The skill points system is slightly different in those games. 

In Dark Souls, you can use the collected souls to both buy new items and upgrade your character’s specific stats. 

In Sekiro, there are skill points used for acquiring combat arts and skills. Money, however, is used for items and upgrading the prosthetic arm used as a grappling hook.

This way, there are two different currencies in Sekiro, each with its purpose. In Dark Souls, you will use the same for both skills, weapons, and items.

World Design

The world design is way different in the Dark Souls franchise than in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The capacity of From Software to make unbelievable environments and buildings is incredible. The company’s souls games have some of the best designs in video game history, serving as inspiration for many other designers.

Sekiro is not an exception to this. The game features fantastic graphics and landscapes throughout the entire journey, making the players want to play the game not one only time.

There is no winner who does a better job regarding world design, as each has its specific theme.

Multiplayer

This category has a clear winner. While the Dark Souls series features both co-op and PvP multiplayer, Sekiro only has the option to leave messages for other players. If your plan is to start killing enemies with your friends or challenging them to an x1 duel, Dark Souls is your go-to title.

Sekiro will not allow you to join other players or fight against them. It is a single-player experience.

Replayability

Although both games have great replayability, Dark Souls players may feel more encouraged to make a second playthrough. The main reason for that is the game’s vast customization options, allowing the players to play the same story in many different ways and styles. 

While in Sekiro, you can pursue the true ending of the story, but you will be limited to the same main character and the same equipment as the previous run. This is the consequence of less diversity of equipment and customization options.

Where to Buy Them

Now that you have decided which game fits your taste best, whether it’s Sekiro, with a more Tenchu game fighting style, or Dark Souls, with slow-paced strategic gameplay, it’s time to grab a copy of the game. Both of them are available at the best prices on RoyalCDKeys.

If you are planning on getting Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, grab your Steam CD Key and collect some prayer beads to upgrade your skill and beat the bosses you will find through your course. Your katana is an indispensable weapon. Use it to cut your enemy’s head.

If you think Dark Souls is a better title, check out RoyalCDKeys' catalog for the Dark Souls franchise and grab the one that pleases you more. Don’t forget to customize your characters for your gameplay style and focus on getting better equipment, your starting weapons will only work until a certain level of enemies.