Elden Ring launched to widespread critical acclaim, thanks to developer FromSoftware expanding its Souls-like formula in a rich open-world setting, but the studio has an impressive string of games. Game director Hidetaka Miyazaki and co. started something of a gaming franchise dynasty with 2009's Demon's Souls on the PlayStation 3, with that title and every other one that succeeded it garnering strong receptions.
Even the more "divisive" entry Dark Souls II performed strongly in its own right. However, even before Elden Ring, all of FromSoft's titles offered something worthwhile to the developer's pioneered subgenre and the greater RPG genre.
Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin (2014) - 87
Among the diehard fanbase, Dark Souls II was looked at as the black sheep of the franchise. Much of that was due to veteran fans feeling it was a jarring experience compared to the original game. Nonetheless, the game received high praises upon release, and the Scholar of the First Sin re-release was a remastered version with the PS4, Xbox One, and PC hardware advancements in mind.
As with many video game re-releases, this version came bundled with all three story DLC expansions (The Lost Crowns trilogy). Aside from some strange gameplay alterations to make the game even more difficult, it came with technological improvements, including 1080p resolution at 60 frames-per-second and stronger lighting effects.
Dark Souls (2011) - 89
After planting their flag with Demon's Souls, Miyazaki and the rest of FromSoftware honed their craft further with 2011's trilogy-opener Dark Souls. The game and the series it spawned retained much of the fascinating medieval dark fantasy aesthetic, lore, world-building, and tantalizingly subtle storytelling that its predecessor featured, as well as the gritty difficulty and excellent Metroidvania-like exploration.
Taking place in a dying Age of Fire selfishly started by the god Gwyn, The First Lord of Cinder, the player takes on the role of the Chosen Undead to either rekindle the fire or finally usher in the dark. This action RPG is arguably the first to thrust the Souls-like subgenre into the mainstream and remains a favorite among some fans.
Dark Souls III (2016) - 89
By the time the Dark Souls trilogy was coming to a close, FromSoftware managed to fine-tune the series' formula to its most precise and streamlined state. It also accomplished this without losing any of the depth and challenge that the games have been acclaimed for.
Dark Souls III brings players to the land of Lothric, where the Ashen One is tasked with bringing the rebelling Lords of Cinder back to their respective thrones to reset the Age of Fire once again. The world and lore were as immersive as ever, featured some of FromSoft's most memorable bosses, and the trilogy was brought to a satisfying narrative close with the Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City DLC. Even with Elden Ring out today, Dark Souls III still stands as one of the best modern fantasy RPGs.
Demon's Souls (2009) - 89
The game that started it all, Demon's Souls cemented itself as a PS3 cult classic and served as the progenitor of its half-titular subgenre. Taking place in a separate dark fantasy world from the games that would succeed it, players take on the role of a hero sent to the kingdom of Boletaria to kill its corrupted king Allant and defeat the imposing Old One -- a being that's enveloped the world in grim, undead darkness.
It received critical acclaim thanks to its refreshingly challenging and gripping combat, as well as the bosses that came with them. Demon's Souls hearkened back to the days of nail-biting classic games and put its innovative twists on it.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019) - 90
Unlike the other Souls-like games developed by FromSoftware, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice wasn't an RPG, rather, it opted to take the subgenre and apply it in an action-adventure format. Naturally, that makes it the most mechanically different game from its contemporaries, namely for its combat and traversal.
The action was simultaneously more acrobatic and tactical, based on breaking enemy poise, timing the resurrection mechanic, and traversing through the game's world involved more verticality by using a grappling hook. Another difference was the storytelling and setting, which was more traditionally direct and shifted to Japanese-style eastern fantasy. Sekiro was an exciting twist on FromSoft's gaming conventions and is one of the best action-adventure games available for those eager for a unique challenge.
Dark Souls II (2013) - 91
Despite being the black sheep of the trilogy for some longtime fans, Dark Souls II received similar critical praise to its predecessor. The aforementioned jarring experience that critiques cited could likely be attributed to the sequel's arduous development cycle and changing directors.
However, the game's original release was still lauded for its expansive world and rewardingly deep role-playing/customization mechanics that allowed flexibility in creating class builds. Storywise, Dark Souls II seems to stand the furthest away from the events of the original and III, with the Bearer of the Curse traveling to the kingdom of Drangleic to obtain the four Great Souls from the Old Ones.
Bloodborne (2015) - 92
Alongside the first Dark Souls and FromSoft's latest dark-fantasy epic, Bloodborne is another one of the studio's games that many fans still stand by as the team's greatest work. At the time, it was seen as an exciting reinvention of the combat system seen up to that point in Demon's Souls and the first two Dark Souls games, as Bloodborne rewarded near-relentless (yet smart) aggression as opposed to the formers' methodical approach.
As expected from such a combat style, the action was noticeably high-octane. And while it was still influenced by western mythology, Bloodborne took an enticing route by being set in a Victorian-era-inspired world dripping with gothic fantasy and Eldritch horror. To this day, many fans regard it as one of the best PlayStation exclusives, as well.
Elden Ring (2022) - 96
As of now, it looks like Elden Ring might go down as FromSoftware's magnum opus. The creative team's latest fantasy RPG epic is another milestone game in the industry as a whole, revolutionizing the open-world game design and Soule-like subgenre. Featuring an exhilarating blend of Sekiro and Dark Souls III-style combat, players can create countless unique class builds to tackle the trials that The Lands Between has to offer.
It presents a new level of freedom, with something meaningful and exciting found in any direction. Narratively, this world was crafted in an effort between Miyazaki's team and A Song of Ice and Fire author George R. R. Martin, with the Tarnished being called back from exile to restore the shattered Golden Order that's thrown the gods' natural laws into turmoil.