Over the years,FromSoftwarehas managed to establish itself as one of the best developers in the world, mostly down to the breakout success of theDark Soulsseries and a scarily consistent output of exceptional titles after that. Its games are renowned as some of the best in the business, and you could argue that the gaming landscape would be completely different if the developer wasn’t in the picture.
That being said, no studio is immune to criticism, and FromSoftware has included some pretty baffling and irritating mechanics in almost every one of its soulslike titles. Fans of the studio recently banded together on the FromSoftware subreddit to come up with a comprehensive list of the single worst feature in every soulslike title to date, starting with the origin of it all,Demon’s Souls.
It’s a pretty simple one to start with, as I think you’ll struggle to find many people that actually enjoyed the game’s World Tendency mechanic, which altered the world depending on how much you died. Dark Souls had a fair few things vying for that number one spot, including the likes of the Bed of Chaos and the lack of upgrade materials, but it was the status ailment Curse that won out, something that lowered your maximum health every time you died.
Dark Souls 2was a lot more straight forward, with fans having voted for the Adaptability stat. Not only did it affect the number of invincibility frames your roll had, but it also affected how quickly you use items. Given that it’s literally never featured in another soulslike since, you can imagine the reaction the fanbase had and how popular it was at the time.
Dark Souls 3is pretty flawless, but one issue that stood out for many, especially completionists, was farming covenant items. Those of you who went for that Platinum trophy will know how much of a pain gathering all those Proof of Concord Kepts were.Bloodborneis also just as flawless, but fans pointed out that having to sit through a loading screen to level up was a pain. Oh, and the fact that it’s a PlayStation exclusive still, even ifSony itself refuses to acknowledge its popularity.
Sekirois up next, and is definitely the most unique title on the list. Despite that, it’s not actually a certain mechanic or feature that players hate, rather a series of bosses. You couldn’t actually beat the Headless without using items, and consumable dependent bosses are a no-no for FromSoftware fans. Finally, it was Elden Ring’s turn, and a lot of fans think Great Runes, which are supposed to be incredibly powerful items in terms of lore, are actually kind of rubbish. Still, if that’s the worst thing Elden Ring has to offer, then it’s must be pretty great.
