10 Challenges of the Game of Refreshing Souls

Souls games are ones you can play endlessly. This is because there are so many different routes you can take. You can try a new NPC storyline, defeat bosses in a different way, or try to run a challenge.

If running through Dark Souls on the 20th feels old fashioned, you should try changing things up by challenging your love of the game. This can be said of any Soulsborne titles created by FromSoftware.

Maybe you can try to make things more difficult for yourself by racing through the game on the first level, or maybe you can try a different weapon that you have never used. There are many ways to make your next Souls run feel fresh.

10

No Rest Required

The Longest Journey

Admittedly, this first challenge is done much better in Dark Souls 2. This is because you have a Fire Keeper that increases your level rather than relying on fire. If you decide to take on this challenge in Dark Souls or Elden Ring, you will have a very difficult time.

Deciding to be restless is a fun challenge that will make Dark Souls 2 feel more interesting. You have to walk your way back to the game’s main hub rather than resting at the bonfire and then going back. It makes the game very intense, as you can lose your souls at any moment.

You can also do this challenge in Dark Souls and Elden Ring. In Dark Souls, however, the challenge will be to rest only at Firelink Shrine, and in Elden Ring, you will only be able to rest when necessary to advance the story. Choosing those few times to go up.

9

Shot One

One Kill

If you want to do something that will make you think, you should consider trying the one shot challenge. The premise is simple. You have to try to one shot one enemy in one of the games.

This may sound silly, but there are many ways bosses can be killed in one hit. This is usually a Dark Souls challenge, but can be done in other games.

Using all your Dark Souls knowledge, do you think you can kill the boss in one hit? It requires you to think about every weapon, weapon, and damage weakness to do the trick, but seeing the health bar go down in one hit is worth the effort, and it makes the game a lot more fun when you really need to think about what you’re doing.

8

Spells/Spells Only

No Weapons Required

If you’ve played your favorite Soulsborne game many times, you’ve probably tried a magic build or a magical/speech build. However, most of the time, people choose to make these structures with weapons.

The next time you start a game, consider running with nothing but spells. There are many ways to do this, but the game is fun if you can rely on weapons to save you a little.

Instead, you’ll need to focus on finding every spell, miracle, or incantation in the game, completing certain quest lines, and taking out enemies with just your magic sense.

7

Archery Challenge

Bows can be fun

Some of the fun I had in both the original Dark Souls and Elden Ring was when I decided to leave behind my sword and shield and pick up a bow instead. It was difficult, as I was not used to using a bow. The timing, the transition, everything felt weird, but it was a blast.

Bows are often overlooked in Soulsborne titles or used sparingly to pick off enemies from a distance. When you make it the main part of your build, it requires you to think and act differently than you would if you had a weapon or melee spells.

While it was fun in the original Dark Souls, I would recommend this challenge to those who play Elden Ring. After all, you can easily control the Elden Ring, and the game comes with a nice Ash of War to upgrade your bows.

6

Cosplay

Select an NPC

The Soulsborne series is known for many things, from difficult enemies and brutal environments to hidden stories and beloved NPCs. Maybe you have a favorite NPC, like Patches, Andre of Astora, or even Solaire.

Instead of doing a casual run the next time you jump into your favorite Souls title, try a fun cosplay session. Pretend that you are your favorite empty or damaged soul by grabbing your things and leaving to complete your mission.

It’s a good challenge to see if you can beat the game with things you may not know. I recommend taking everyone’s favorite sunbro outfit when playing a title in the Souls series.

5

Materials Only

Throwing Knives

If you really want to drop your game during your next run of any Souls game, try using only consumables to succeed. Each game has things like throwing knives, explosives, pots, and more that you can use to deal damage.

You could use these items sparingly to deal damage to an enemy that was low on health, or maybe they were near a cliff, and throw them away with a firebomb. You already have experience using these things, so why not test your skills?

Using only consumables will make you think differently about management and require you to do things differently than you are used to.

4

Summons Only

Pokémon mode

This is something you can try in most Souls games, but it only works in Elden Ring thanks to the Spirit Calling Bell. This weapon allows you to release spirits that you can use in battle, and can be very powerful.

You can make an entire Elden Ring using nothing but a Spirit Calling Bell and create a structure designed to repel your spirits, making them as dangerous as possible. This is a unique way to play the game that will make you think outside the box when it comes to building your character.

This will also make you think about the game’s summons, and whether one makes sense for one boss versus another. While Dark Souls summons may be attempted, there aren’t enough of them to fight each boss, and there is no Spirit Calling Bell.

3

Randomizer item

Where Can They Be?

After playing a Souls game many times, you probably know where everything is located. This can make the game feel stale, as nothing feels like it’s changing. Various randomizers are available to make the game feel fresh, and the first one on the list is the randomizer.

Imagine not knowing where to find something. You pick up what you thought would be a straight sword, but it turned out to be the King’s bowl. Maybe you’re playing an Elden Ring, then you take what you thought was a Twinblade and you get Maliketh’s Black Blade.

This tension spices up the game, making you think on your feet as you never know what things you’re going to find. Even better, it also works for the first classes, giving each of them a random load.

2

Enemy Randomizer

Changing Enemies

Perhaps the best way to make any Souls title feel fresh and new is to change things up in a realistic way. There are mods you can download that randomize the composition of all enemies, leaving you in the dark as to who you can run into.

There are different levels of randomization. You can change all the enemies in the game, or you can just change up what bosses appear on the opposite side of each fog wall. Either way, it sure makes things more fun if you don’t know what to expect.

Make sure you remember that a random enemy can mess things up a bit. For example, if a very large enemy is placed in the mini-boss arena, you may not be able to complete the run. For this reason, it’s best to leave big bosses like Ceaseless Discharge and Bed of Chaos in their arenas.

1

A strange Warp

Change Your Path

While randomizing the enemies can make things a lot more fun, the way to the top is to run when you’re randomizing the fog gates. These mods will enable you to teleport each time you interact with the fog wall.

Think about it, you can go from Undeadburg to New Londo Ruins. If you play Elden Ring, you can teleport from Limgrave to Caelid. It’s hot when you don’t know where you’re going to end up, and it sure makes things feel new again.

Instead of having a cold, measured run, where you know what to expect, it throws expectations out the window, making you think on your feet.

Released

September 22, 2011

The ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Some Nudity, Violence

Publisher

Namco Bandai