Start with Dark Souls III if you want the most familiar follow-up to Elden Ring. It keeps the series’ stamina management, checkpoints, build choices and boss-learning loop, but replaces the Lands Between’s enormous open world with a tighter, interconnected campaign. If Radahn specifically made you want stricter timing, choose Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice; if exploration was the real attraction, choose The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Defeating Starscourge Radahn is a useful point to reassess what you enjoy about Elden Ring. The fight can leave you wanting a harder test of timing, a more aggressive combat rhythm, another gothic world, or simply a new game that preserves the pleasure of wandering off the critical path. The best choice depends on which part of the experience you want to carry forward.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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Dark Souls 3 The Fire Fades (PS4) | $24.40 | Buy on Amazon |
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Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition - PlayStation 4 | $21.88 | Buy on Amazon |
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Dark Souls Trilogy (PS4) | $38.80 | Buy on Amazon |
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Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition - Xbox One | $24.80 | Buy on Amazon |
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Quick picks after Radahn
| Game | Choose it for | What changes from Elden Ring |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Souls III | The closest focused continuation of the Souls formula | A more concentrated, interconnected campaign instead of a vast open world |
| Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | The most demanding precision-combat challenge | Deflections and sustained pressure replace broad build experimentation |
| Bloodborne | Gothic atmosphere and aggressive fighting | Firearm parries and rally-style healing replace conventional shield reliance |
| Lies of P | A polished, story-led third-party Soulslike | A more authored Belle Époque-inspired campaign with parry-oriented combat |
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | Open-world wandering and player-directed discovery | Its combat and progression systems are fundamentally different |
The five games do not occupy the same niche. Dark Souls III is the safest transition, Sekiro is the sharpest mechanical test, Bloodborne changes the mood and tempo, Lies of P offers a clear authored alternative, and Tears of the Kingdom preserves freedom of exploration rather than Souls combat.
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Why it is the default recommendation
Dark Souls III is the best first stop when you want Elden Ring’s combat vocabulary without another enormous open-world commitment. It is an official 2016 release in Bandai Namco’s catalog and represents a concentrated version of the classic Souls structure. You still manage stamina, read enemy animations, spend resources at checkpoints, refine a build and learn bosses through repeated attempts.
#1 Best Overall
- Atmospheric Visuals: Dynamic lighting and particle effects immerse players into a dark fantasy world of ruin.
- Interconnected World: Expertly crafted world encourages players to explore vast and breath-taking landscapes.
- Sword Action: Diversifies combat action allowing players to craft their own unique play style.
- Unique Online System: Evolution of trademark online multiplayer functionality that seamlessly integrates online interactions into single-player story.
The major adjustment is scale. Instead of crossing a seamless landscape in any direction, you move through a sequence of tightly designed areas with strong connections and fewer distractions between major encounters. That structure makes route planning and level knowledge more important. A shortcut opened near a checkpoint can matter as much as a weapon upgrade, and returning to a familiar room often reveals why an enemy placement or locked door exists.
What carries over from Elden Ring
- Stamina discipline: attacks, blocks and evasive rolls compete for the same resource, so panic-spamming leaves you unable to respond.
- Checkpoint learning: repeated attempts gradually turn a dangerous route and boss arena into a known sequence.
- Build decisions: your weapon choices, attributes and equipment determine how you approach encounters.
- Boss study: success comes from recognizing tells, controlling distance and choosing safe moments rather than simply raising damage.
What requires adjustment
Dark Souls III offers less freedom to bypass a difficult area. In Elden Ring, a dead end can become an invitation to ride elsewhere, find a new upgrade, summon help or return with a different strategy. The more compact structure in Dark Souls III asks you to engage with the route in front of you. That can make progress feel more deliberate, but it also means a blocked boss is less easily deferred.
The game is therefore closest in feel, not identical in convenience. Pick it when you want a recognizable transition and a campaign that rewards learning one connected space at a time.
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The combat lesson is different
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the strongest choice if the Radahn fight left you thinking, “I want to get better at timing.” Its combat is built around precise deflections and sustained pressure. Rather than relying on a large menu of weapons, attributes and status effects, you are expected to stay engaged with an opponent’s rhythm, answer attacks accurately and keep the initiative.
That makes Sekiro a poor substitute for Elden Ring’s wide build experimentation. You cannot recreate the same feeling of turning a discovery into a completely new character archetype. The trade is a much more specialized challenge: the game teaches you to read an attack, meet it at the correct instant and maintain pressure instead of backing away after every exchange.
Who should play it after Radahn
- Choose it if you enjoyed learning Radahn’s attack timing more than searching for a stronger setup.
- Choose it if you want every major duel to test execution directly.
- Choose it if you are willing to replace roll-first habits with deflection practice.
- Skip it for now if character customization and experimenting with radically different builds were your favorite parts of Elden Ring.
How the transition feels
The first hours can be uncomfortable because a defensive retreat often gives you less than a well-timed response. Sekiro rewards staying close enough to read attacks and preserving momentum. Treat each failed attempt as timing practice rather than as evidence that you need a different build. That mindset is the key distinction between this game and Elden Ring.
Pick Sekiro when your post-Radahn goal is mastery of a demanding combat system, not a familiar open-ended character builder.
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Rank #2
- The Complete Dark Souls III Experience All on One Disc: Includes the award-winning base game, PLUS both complete DLC expansion chapters: Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City.
- Intense Combat Action: Challenging, genre-defining gameplay. Diversified combat action allows players to craft their own unique style.
- Team up for some jolly good cooperation or test your ability in PvP battle: All PvP maps unlocked and accessible. Improved online matchmaking functionality.
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Blood and gore, violence
Bloodborne: gothic atmosphere and forward pressure
Why its rhythm feels aggressive
Bloodborne is the most distinctive alternative if you want a darker gothic setting and a more forward-moving combat loop. It reduces your reliance on conventional shields and uses firearm parries to interrupt enemies. Its rally-style health recovery encourages you to answer damage by attacking decisively, rather than automatically creating distance and waiting for a safe heal.
That changes the emotional texture of every encounter. In Elden Ring, a shield, a long-range spell, a mount or a retreat can all be part of a plan. Bloodborne pushes you toward reading the opening immediately after taking a hit. The result is a faster, more aggressive rhythm even when the underlying principles of stamina management and boss observation remain familiar.
What to expect from the world
The game’s atmosphere is its own reason to play. Narrow streets, threatening architecture and a pervasive gothic mood replace the broad natural vistas and varied biomes of the Lands Between. Exploration still matters, but the reward is discovering how a hostile, layered city and its surrounding locations fit together rather than surveying a continent from horseback.
Platform consideration
Bloodborne is a PlayStation 4 title. Check your current hardware and regional availability before choosing it; platform ownership is a practical prerequisite that does not apply in the same way to every recommendation on this list.
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Lies of P: a polished, story-led Soulslike
Why it is the leading non-FromSoftware option here
Lies of P is the clearest choice if you want Souls pressure in a more authored campaign. The researched guides characterize it as polished and story-led, with parry-oriented combat and a Belle Époque-inspired setting. Instead of presenting the same kind of sprawling discovery as Elden Ring, it gives you a stronger sense of a designed route and an explicit narrative frame.
That focus can be refreshing after a game in which the player is constantly deciding which direction to explore. You are still expected to learn enemy patterns, manage resources, improve equipment and survive demanding bosses, but the surrounding experience is more controlled. The setting gives the journey a distinct identity without attempting to reproduce the Lands Between’s scale.
Rank #3
- DARK SOULS REMASTERED - Then, there was fire. Re-experience the genre-defining game that started it all. Return to Lordran in the beautifully remastered game in high definition, 60 fps with single-player or online multiplayer with dedicated servers. Includes the Artorias of the Abyss DLC.
- DARK SOULS II: SCHOLAR OF THE FIRST SIN - Prepare to Die again. The second installment of the series includes the base Dark Souls II plus all three DLCs: Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, and Crown of the Ivory King.
- DARK SOULS III: THE FIRE FADES - Now only embers remain… Dark Souls III is the final journey in the series where players can fight through intense combat solo or team up for in co-op or PvP multiplayer. Includes the award-winning game and both DLC chapters: Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City.
- ALL ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS - Visit the EP!C corner to download the music of the Dark Souls saga composed by Motoi Sakaraba and Yuka Kitamura. 110 tracks and more than 6 hours to listen and take back any Dark Souls fan to the intense boss fights and the best moments of their deadly journeys.
Where it fits on the combat spectrum
Its parry-oriented approach makes timing important, but it is not simply a replacement for either Sekiro’s deflection system or Bloodborne’s firearm parries. Approach it as a Soulslike with its own timing demands. If you want a story that is easier to follow while retaining pressure-filled encounters, this is the strongest match.
Who should choose it
- Players who want a complete, directed campaign rather than another vast sandbox.
- Players who enjoy learning defensive timing but still want the broader conventions of a Soulslike.
- Players looking for a third-party interpretation instead of another FromSoftware game.
Choose Lies of P when narrative focus and a polished authored route matter as much as combat difficulty.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: preserve the exploration
The closest match is freedom, not combat
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom belongs on this list for a different reason. GameSpot compares it with Elden Ring through open-world wandering, free-form routes and player-directed discovery. If your favorite Radahn-adjacent memory is not the boss itself but the feeling of seeing a distant landmark and deciding to investigate it, this is the strongest alternative.
Do not expect Souls mechanics. The combat model, progression systems and overall challenge structure are different, so choosing this game means prioritizing exploration over stamina-based duels, repeated boss learning and build optimization. Its appeal is the number of ways you can approach a destination and the freedom to let curiosity determine your route.
When it is the right post-Elden Ring game
- You spent more time following landmarks, caves and unexpected detours than pursuing the main objective.
- You want another world that rewards experimentation and self-directed travel.
- You are ready for a different combat and progression language rather than a Soulslike imitation.
Choose Tears of the Kingdom when “what can I find over there?” was the question that kept you playing. Choose one of the other four games when your priority is reproducing Elden Ring’s combat pressure.
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| Game | Combat timing | World structure | Build flexibility | Atmosphere and narrative emphasis | Best fit after Radahn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Souls III | Rolls, stamina management and boss pattern learning | Focused and interconnected | Broad Souls-style build choices | Classic concentrated Souls campaign | You want the most familiar transition |
| Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | Precise deflections and sustained pressure | More directed than an open-world game | Least similar to Elden Ring’s experimentation | Combat mastery is the central demand | You want the hardest timing test |
| Bloodborne | Firearm parries, aggressive attacks and rally-style recovery | Compact gothic environments | Different from Elden Ring’s conventional build breadth | Strong gothic identity | You want aggression and atmosphere |
| Lies of P | Parry-oriented Soulslike combat | Authored and story-led | Soulslike customization, presented in a more controlled campaign | Belle Époque-inspired setting with clearer narrative focus | You want a polished third-party option |
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | Different from Souls timing systems | Open world with free-form routes | Different progression model | Discovery and player-directed exploration | You want freedom to wander more than similar combat |
The table’s most important divide is between combat continuity and exploration continuity. Dark Souls III, Sekiro, Bloodborne and Lies of P all ask you to engage with demanding encounters, but each changes the timing rules. Tears of the Kingdom preserves the open-ended curiosity while leaving Souls combat behind.
Choose based on what defeating Radahn taught you
If you enjoyed the full build-and-world package
Start with Dark Souls III. It preserves the recognizable loop of choosing a setup, learning a route and refining your response to bosses while reducing the amount of territory you must survey. It is the least disruptive transition.
Rank #4
- The Complete Dark Souls III Experience All on One Disc: Includes the award-winning base game, PLUS both complete DLC expansion chapters: Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City.
- Intense Combat Action: Challenging, genre-defining gameplay. Diversified combat action allows players to craft their own unique style.
- Team up for some jolly good cooperation or test your ability in PvP battle: All PvP maps unlocked and accessible. Improved online matchmaking functionality.
If the winning moment was a perfectly timed response
Choose Sekiro. Its deflection-centered design turns timing from one tool among many into the main language of combat. You will surrender much of Elden Ring’s build freedom, but gain a more exacting test of execution.
If you kept attacking after taking damage
Choose Bloodborne. Its firearm parries and rally-style recovery support an aggressive answer to danger. The gothic setting reinforces that change in tempo, making it feel like a deliberate new identity rather than a smaller version of the same game.
If you wanted a clearer authored journey
Choose Lies of P. Its story-led structure and Belle Époque-inspired setting provide more narrative direction while retaining the pressure, pattern recognition and parry-oriented defense associated with Soulslikes.
If you mostly wanted another place to get lost
Choose Tears of the Kingdom. Its open-world wandering and free-form routes answer the exploration impulse directly, even though its combat and progression systems are not close substitutes.
How to make the transition without carrying over the wrong habits
Do not expect the same escape valves
Elden Ring lets you solve a wall by changing direction, finding an upgrade, altering a build or approaching from range. The more focused games on this list generally give you fewer ways to postpone a lesson. If a boss is stopping progress, first identify whether the new game expects better timing, a different distance or a more committed offensive rhythm rather than assuming you simply need more power.
Separate mechanical goals from atmosphere goals
Write down the element you are trying to preserve. “I want stamina-based boss fights” points toward Dark Souls III. “I want strict deflection practice” points toward Sekiro. “I want a gothic city and aggressive healing loop” points toward Bloodborne. “I want a directed story” points toward Lies of P. “I want to roam without a prescribed route” points toward Tears of the Kingdom.
Check the platform before committing
Platform availability, editions and regional listings can change. Bloodborne is specifically a PlayStation 4 title; for every other game, verify the current edition and supported platform in your region before buying or starting a download. The best recommendation is useless if the game is unavailable on the hardware you use.
Final recommendation
For most players coming directly from Starscourge Radahn, play Dark Souls III next. It is the closest focused continuation of Elden Ring’s stamina, checkpoint, build and boss-learning structure. Move to Sekiro for precision, Bloodborne for gothic aggression, Lies of P for a story-led third-party campaign, or Tears of the Kingdom when exploration—not Souls combat—was the part you most want to keep.
Quick Recap
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