When most gamers hear ofFrom Software, their mind wanders to theSoulsseries. Games such asDemon’s SoulsandBloodborneoffer such a unique experience that they’ve spawned their own subgenre of “souls-likes.” However, From Software have made many more games thanDark Souls.
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Before they became known for their most recent titles, From Software developed theKing’s Fieldseries as well as theArmored Corefranchise. Nearly all of their games have a focus on difficult encounters. From armored mechs to Lovecraftian horrors, here are the 10 highest rated From Software games based on Metacritic scores. For the sake of consistency, this article uses Metacritic scores from thePlayStationversions of each game.
10Armored Core 3 (74/8.7)
Despite having a 3 in the title,Armored Core 3was a reboot for the franchise. The story was brought back to square one, yet many critics and fans found that the core mission design and combat were not a step up compared to past entries. Still,Armored Core’sgameplay is some of the best in the genre for mech enthusiasts.
9Armored Core 2: Another Age (75/8.5)
Armored Core 2: Another Ageis a standalone expansion forArmored Core 2that acts as a direct sequel to the second installment. While it removed the Arena mode from previous entries, it more than made up for that with over 100 missions.
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No game in the franchise has matched the content available inAnother Age. When combined with the innovations and difficulty from the second game,Armored Core 2: Another Ageisone of the best entriesin the franchise that garnered much praise from fans and critics alike.
8The Adventures of Cookie & Cream (78/7.4)
Yes, the same company that made the dread-inducingDark Soulsfranchise is also responsible forThe Adventures of Cookie & Creamfor the PlayStation 2. Make no mistake, this game has the difficulty and unique systems From Software fans have come to expect from the developer.
Players control two characters named Cookie and Cream simultaneously in single-player or only one of them in co-op. The main goal is to make it to the end of the level, but each level is filled with puzzles, traps, and enemies that get progressively more difficult. Levels get excruciatingly difficult towards the later stages and demand a level of patience that most From Software fans understand. It’s a fantastic co-op game that was weakened by a bad camera and poor controls.
7Armored Core 2 (78/8.6)
Before From Software became known for theirDark Soulsfranchise, most knew them for theArmored Corefranchise. These games were all about impressive visuals, highly customizable mechs known as “Cores,” as well as a large number of missions to embark on.Armored Core 2continued this trend to great effect on the PlayStation, supporting great graphics that stand to this day alongside a plethora of customization options. The controls in this installment are as clunky as the first few titles, butArmored Core 2’sfun but difficult gameplay alongside its fantastic visuals won over many critics and mech enthusiasts.
6Dark Souls (89/8.8)
Talk about a flawed masterpiece.Dark Soulsis easily one of the bestyet most flawed titles From Software has ever released. Never has a title evoked a sense of dread and accomplishment in equal measure.
As a spiritual successor toDemon’s Souls,Dark Soulstakes that game’s core design and interweaves it with one of the best designed open-worlds in gaming. Fans revere the game’s lore and opening levels, but many have criticized the unpolished state the second half of the game was left in. With that said, it built a massive cult following that through word of mouth alone blossomed this niche action-adventure into one of the most renowned franchises in all of gaming.
5Dark Souls III (89/8.8)
Nostalgia and boss fights are the two core pillars ofDark Souls 3. The final game in theDark Soulstrilogy took fans to Lothric, a land on the brink of collapse by converging timelines. Parts of everyDark Soulsgame are in here including entire levels from the first game, something a vocal portion of the community felt was lazy.
On the other hand,Dark Souls 3made up for this with some of the best boss fights From Software have ever created. Facing off against the Nameless King or Slave Knight Gael has made high points in the franchise that arehard to beat. While it doesn’t have unfinished levels as the firstDark Soulsdid, the reliance on nostalgia was the largest criticism amongst fans of the franchise.
4Demon’s Souls (89/8.8)
With a remake on the horizon,Demon’s Soulshas gained a newfound interest amongst gamers as of recently. Back when it first released, PlayStation fans couldn’t get enough of the game’s unique atmosphere and strange systems.
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In many ways,Demon’s Soulsis a blueprint of things to come. It experimented with many types of boss fights that ranged from hilariously bad to jaw-dropping, birthed the core tenants for summoning and online play, and tried to experiment with persistent level changes through the World Tendency system that, frankly, fell flat.Demon’s Soulsis by no means a flawless masterpiece, but the number of things From Software got right in this installment is astounding. Hopefully,the remake gives this underrated gem more attention.
3Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (90/8.0)
Unbound to theDark SoulsIP and off the heels ofBloodborne’ssuccess, From Software went back to their roots withSekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Multiplayer systems and RPG mechanics were thrown to the wayside in exchange for a deeper combat system and a focus on storytelling.
Critics and fans alike were impressed withSekiro’scombat and usage of verticality thanks to a grappling hook and a dedicated jump button.Boss fights remain as a focal pointof the game with memorable setpieces and frustrating but fair fights. Most ofSekiro’scriticism came from journalists frustrated with the game’s difficulty that sparked massive debates on the internet if all video games need an easy mode. Regardless of stance on the issue, those that stuck through the game’s punishing combat were met with the most satisfying swordplay in the genre.
2Dark Souls II (91/8.1)
Soulsfans might be shocked thatDark Souls 2is rated so highly on Metacritic. Fans typically refer to this game as the black sheep of the series due to its perplexing world design and its overabundance of boss fights.
Even with its troubled development, most critics didn’t feel this way at all when it launched. The core ofDark Soulsis about overcoming insurmountable odds and improving, whichDark Souls 2does with great effect. Soul Memory helped against “twink” characters that wouldinvade weaker players, power standing added much-needed variety to the game, and meaningful enemy placement changes in New Game Plus meant replayability was at an all-time high. As a result, many critics rated the game highly before fans realized that systems such as Soul Memory were more detrimental than beneficial. From Software would go on to fix many of these issues with theScholar of the First Sinedition.
1Bloodborne (92/8.9)
Bloodborneis widely regarded as the best game not just in theSoulsseries but on thePlayStation 4in general. It’s hard to argue against that view.Bloodbornetakes the mystery ofDemon’s Souls, the great level design ofDark Souls, and wraps it all together with a fresh coat of Lovecraftian horror. Smart changes to the healing systemand itemizationencouraged a much more aggressive approach that was simply not possible inDark Souls. Along with From Software’s excellent boss design, it’s no wonder why so many gamers regardBloodborneas one of the best games they’ve ever played.
NEXT:Dark Souls 4: 5 Reasons We Need It (& 5 We Don’t)
