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No. You can start with the Soulslike that interests you; finishing another game first is not a requirement. Experience may make some broad conventions feel familiar, but each game has its own timing, mechanics and ways to handle a challenge. Choose based on the kind of experience you want, then learn the rules of the game you picked.
What experience from another Soulslike can—and cannot—do for you
Prior experience can give you context, not a universal key. Bandai Namco describes Soulslike combat in broad terms as emphasizing precise timing and evasion. If you have played a game with those demands, you may find those ideas less surprising when they appear again. That familiarity can help you recognize that an encounter rewards observation and deliberate action rather than frantic button presses.
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But a shared convention does not mean two games ask you to solve a fight in the same way. FromSoftware Marketing Manager Yasuhiro Kitao described Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice as having a battle system, setting, story, characters and mechanics unique to that game. He also said that players of earlier FromSoftware titles might recognize a deliberate feel to combat and the accomplishment of overcoming intimidating opponents. Both ideas matter: familiarity may help you understand the mood of a challenge, while the specific response still has to be learned in the game you are playing.
So treat an old habit as a hypothesis, not a rule. If an approach that worked elsewhere is failing, the answer may not be more practice with the previous game; the new one may be asking for different timing, movement or tools. Pay attention to the instructions and feedback the current game gives you, and be willing to change your approach.
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This is also why “I have played a Soulslike before” is not the same as “I already know how this one works.” Experience can help you notice patterns, but the useful question is always what the current encounter is teaching you. Watch how an opponent moves, notice which actions leave you exposed, and test the tools the game makes available. If those observations point away from your usual strategy, adapting is more useful than forcing a familiar one.
How to choose your first game
There is no source-backed universal “best first Soulslike.” A good starting point is the game whose setting, combat style and pace appeal to you. A game that gives you several ways to approach a problem may suit someone who values exploration and flexibility. Someone drawn to a particular style of sword combat, stealth or traversal may prefer a game built around those interests. These are preference-based choices, not a difficulty ranking.
Elden Ring and Sekiro illustrate why taste is more useful than a genre-wide checklist. Bandai Namco’s guidance for Elden Ring acknowledges that a newcomer may have a lot to learn, while also describing ways to find a different route or return to a difficult situation later. The official Sekiro interview highlights its stealth, traversal and distinct sword combat. Neither description proves that one is easier for every newcomer; they point to different experiences.
For example, if you like open-ended exploration and the idea of changing direction when a threat is too strong, Elden Ring has officially described options that may appeal to you. If you are more interested in stealth, traversal and a focused sword-combat experience, Sekiro may fit that preference. Those are reasons to consider each game, not guarantees about how difficult you personally will find it.
| What you are deciding | Elden Ring | Sekiro |
|---|---|---|
| Combat and controls | Bandai Namco describes precise timing and evasion as broad Soulslike conventions; its guidance does not establish that every encounter uses the same solution. | Kitao describes the battle system and mechanics as unique to this game. Prior FromSoftware experience may make the deliberate combat feel familiar, but it does not teach the specific system. |
| Options when you are stuck | Bandai Namco describes avoiding some strong enemies, taking another route, exploring for resources, using spirit summons and summoning other players in some encounters. Miyazaki says a player can return to a difficult situation later. | The cited interview emphasizes stealth and traversal, but does not establish a comparable set of options for bypassing or postponing every obstacle. |
| Story presentation | Hidetaka Miyazaki described the story as fragmented. | Miyazaki described the narrative and character stories as more direct than those in earlier Soulslike titles. |
| Who may be drawn to it | Someone interested in open-ended exploration and flexible progression may find its described options appealing. | Someone specifically interested in stealth, traversal and its distinctive sword combat may find its focus appealing. |
The table is a comparison of the aspects described by the named sources, not a full review or a measure of difficulty. In particular, a game offering several possible routes does not mean every player will find it easy, and a more focused combat system does not make a game automatically harder. Choose for the experience you want rather than for an assumed newcomer ranking.
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There is no need to treat a previous game as an entry fee. This is an informational choice, not a requirement to buy or finish a different title before you are allowed to begin. If one game catches your attention, its own guidance and mechanics are the place to start; play another afterward if you decide you want more context or a different style.
Use the new game’s own options before treating a wall as a prerequisite
If you start with Elden Ring and meet a challenge that feels out of reach, the official guidance describes several ways to change the situation instead of repeatedly forcing the same attempt. You can move away from a strong enemy, explore another route, look for resources, use spirit assistance, or summon other players in some encounters. Miyazaki’s advice to newcomers was to feel unpressured and approach the game at their own pace. He also said they could return to something later when at an impasse, rather than banging their head against a wall over and over.
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Those options are practical ways to manage friction, not proof that there is a single correct route or that every obstacle can be bypassed. The useful principle is narrower: when a game gives you choices, you are allowed to use them. Taking a detour or returning later is still playing the game, not failing a genre test.
For a different game, do not assume those exact options exist. Look at the current title’s own prompts, tutorials and available mechanics. A genre label can set expectations about the general feel of play, but it cannot tell you which support systems, movement tools or alternate approaches a particular game includes.
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A practical way to start without genre homework
- Pick by interest. Choose the game whose world, combat or pace sounds appealing. You do not need to complete a previous Soulslike to qualify for it.
- Learn this game’s controls and feedback. Treat tutorials and in-game explanations as instructions for this ruleset, even if you recognize a broad convention from another title.
- Notice what is and is not transferring. Deliberate timing or evasion may feel familiar, but do not assume your previous timing, movement or combat solution applies unchanged.
- When stuck, look for a game-specific alternative. Check whether the current game offers another route, support, a different tool or a reason to return later. In Elden Ring, Bandai Namco specifically describes route changes, exploration, spirit summons and co-op in some encounters.
- Choose your next game on its own terms. After finishing—or setting aside—one title, decide whether you want more of its style or a different kind of challenge. The genre does not require a fixed sequence.
This approach keeps prior experience in its proper role: useful background when it helps, but never a substitute for learning the game in front of you.
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If you are unsure whether a game is right for you, look for descriptions of its actual play style rather than relying only on the Soulslike label. Does it emphasize exploration, a particular combat system, stealth, traversal or a more direct story? Those clues can help you make a more personal choice than a blanket claim that a title is “easy for beginners.” The sources here provide examples of those differences, but they do not rank the genre or predict how any individual will respond.
Does story order change the answer?
Not for the genre as a whole. Soulslike is a category of games, not a promise that every entry shares one universe or a single chronological storyline. There is no general genre-wide play order to follow.
For a sequel with direct story continuity, check the official guidance for that specific series before deciding whether an earlier entry matters to you. The sources described here do not establish a story-order rule for every Soulslike, so it would be misleading to turn one game’s narrative style into a rule for the rest.
That distinction keeps two questions separate: whether you need experience with the genre’s conventions, and whether a particular sequel continues an earlier story. The answer to the first is no. For the second, check the individual series rather than assuming a shared chronology based on the genre label.
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What “starting fresh” really means
Starting fresh does not require you to forget what you learned elsewhere. It means separating broad familiarity from assumptions about exact mechanics. You can carry over patience, attention to timing and a willingness to observe an opponent, while still asking what this game’s controls and systems expect from you.
That distinction is especially useful when a new title feels familiar at first. A recognizable tone or deliberate combat may make you expect the same rhythm, but the game can still have different movement, mechanics and narrative presentation. Kitao’s description of Sekiro is a clear example: some experienced players might recognize a deliberate feel and the satisfaction of overcoming a formidable opponent, but the game’s systems were presented as unique. Familiarity can orient you; it cannot play the tutorial for you.
Kitao made that point directly in an Activision Games Blog interview dated August 23, 2018: “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.” That is a useful reminder not to assume that even games from the same developer share a complete set of rules. Carry over the patience to learn, not an expectation that every move, tool or story will work the same way.
Nor should a newcomer infer that they are behind because they have not learned the conventions in advance. Bandai Namco’s Elden Ring guidance explicitly addresses people who have never tried a Souls series game and describes tools and options available to them. That supports beginning without prior genre experience; it does not establish that Elden Ring is the easiest starting choice for everyone.
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Do you need to play other Soulslike games before starting a new one?
No. Start with the game that interests you. Prior experience may make broad conventions such as precise timing and evasion feel more familiar, but each title has its own mechanics and asks you to learn its specific systems.
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Will playing another Soulslike make a new one easier?
It may make some conventions less surprising, but it is not a guarantee that the new game will feel easier. Familiarity with deliberate combat can provide context; it does not teach a different game’s exact timing, movement or tools.
Is Elden Ring a good first Soulslike?
It can suit someone drawn to open-ended exploration and flexible progression. Bandai Namco describes options including avoiding some strong enemies, changing routes, exploring for resources, spirit summons and summoning other players in some encounters. Those options do not establish that it is the easiest starting point for everyone.
Should I play Sekiro after another FromSoftware game?
You do not have to. Yasuhiro Kitao said players of earlier FromSoftware titles might recognize deliberate combat and the accomplishment of overcoming intimidating enemies, but he also described Sekiro’s battle system and mechanics as unique. Approach it as a game whose specific rules you still need to learn.
Do Soulslike games have to be played in story order?
There is no genre-wide chronology to follow. If you are considering a sequel with direct story continuity, check official guidance for that particular series rather than assuming every Soulslike shares a universe or a required order.
The Bottom Line
You do not need to play another Soulslike first. Choose the game that appeals to you, bring over useful habits if you have them, and learn the new title’s own timing, mechanics and options. Familiarity can help, but it is never a prerequisite.
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