FromSoftwarehas created some of the most infamously challenging games of all time, with incredibly difficult gameplay that takes hours of practice to master. It’s no wonder that trophy hunters and completionists are quick to take on these challenging games as soon as they release, as it’s truly an accomplishment just to finish most FromSoft games, not to mention complete them to 100%. If you manage to get the Platinum trophy for any FromSoftware game, you’ll be among a small percentage of dedicated players to achieve this feat.
While the entireDark Soulsfranchise is extremely challenging, FromSoftware’sArmored Coregames are no joke, and standalone IPs such asSekiro: Shadows Die TwiceandBloodbornedon’t pull any punches either. In fact, there aren’t many modern FromSoftware games that won’t pose a significant challenge to 100%, so if you’re looking to add some hard-earned Platinum trophies to your collection, look no further than FromSoftware’s extensive library.
Elden Ring: Easy By Souslborne Standards
Elden Ring Is Tough, But Not Nearly As Hard As Other Souls Games To 100%
Elden Ringis one of the best FromSoftware games ever made, lauded for its incredible environmental storytelling, unique world, and especially its challenging gameplay. When the game first launched, most players struggled to get past the first major boss,Margit, the Fell Omen. However, compared to previous Soulsborne games by FromSoft,Elden Ringis actually much easier to 100%, as long as you have the hours to dump into “getting good.”
Reaching “100%” completion could mean different things forElden Ringplayers beyond obtaining all trophies, such as collecting every weapon, armor set, spell, and incantation, achieving all six endings, etc.
This is not to say that reaching 100% is easy. Each boss inElden Ringcan pose a significant challenge, and you’ll need to play through the game at least three times to obtain the Platinum trophy and complete all three required endings. Aside from this, completingElden Ringin its entirety is really just a matter oflearning each boss’s unique move-setand leveling up and/or re-speccing your character to adapt to their weaknesses/strengths.
Demon’s Souls: At Least Two Playthroughs Are Required
Demon’s Souls Bosses Are Incredibly Easy By FromSoft Standards
Demon’s Soulsis theoriginal Soulsborne gameby FromSoft, and its 2020 remake for the PlayStation 5 gave players a new way to experience this legendary game and its infamously challenging gameplay. TheDemon’s Soulsremake isslightly easier to 100% than the original, largely due to updated gameplay mechanics and quality of life changes that make the experience much smoother.
However, the game still poses a significant challenge to players who don’t have much Soulsborne experience. Because of certain challenges, such as the"Sage’s Trophy"and"Saint’s Trophy,“which require you tocollect all Spells and Miracles, you’ll have to play throughDemon’s Soulsat least two full times before you’re able to unlock the Platinum.
Armored Core 6: S-Rank Every Mission
Not As Hard As Other AC Entries, But A Challenge Nonetheless
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubiconis the latest installment in the long-running FromSoftware IP, and while it will be extremely difficult for some players to 100% due to the S-Rank every mission requirement, this is stillnot nearly as challenging as earlierArmored Coreentries(e.g.,Verdict Day).S-Ranking every missionis a recurring challenge across the franchise, andAC6is no exception. Doing so can take upwards of 50 hours, and likely much longer if it’s your firstACexperience.
Notably, the biggest challenge of this game is not one that is required for the Platinum trophy.Unlocking all 50 Data Logs is a commonly missed accomplishmentinArmored Core 6that technically is needed to properly “100%” the game. Most players don’t even realize they haven’t found them all because they’ll likely receive the Platinum Trophy and assume that was part of it.
Bloodborne: Chalice Dungeons Are Incredibly Challenging
Randomly Generated Chalice Dungeons Make 100% Completion Very Tough
Bloodborneis a fan-favorite FromSoft game that is infamously challenging and frustrating to 100%, particularly because of itsunique Chalice Dungeons. These are randomized areas that will throw players into unpredictable situations, with unique and difficult bosses at the end of each level. There arenumerous Chalice Dungeons in the game, and you’ll have to complete all of them to get to 100%.
In particular, when you reach the later-game Chalice Dungeons,new mechanics are introduced that “Curse” the player,halving your health bar and making things even tougher than they already were. These later Chalice Dungeons are extremely difficult to navigate as well, and this is all on top of the numerous other challenging tasks you’ll need to complete inBloodborneto reach 100%.
Elden Ring Nightreign: A Soulsborne Unlike The Others
You’ll Have To Rely On Others If You’re Not Extremely Skilled
Elden Ring Nightreignis the most recent FromSoftware project, but it’s designed as a multiplayer cooperative experience, making it quite different from any Soulsborne game the company has put out so far. While the trophies themselves aren’t necessarily hard to complete if you have a dedicated party of skilled players,you’re going to have a much harder time if you’re playing with random peopleor trying to do the whole thing solo.
“Unlocking the secret of each Shifting Earth location and completing the various boss raids can be significantly challenging even with a solid group, to say nothing of solo play.”
Finding a solid group of players can be frustrating for some players, and even with the recentsolo mode update, doing things by yourself is pretty tough. The"Nightlord Slayer"trophy can be especially challenging for players without a dedicated group, requiring you to defeat three Nightlords in a row. Further, unlocking the secret of each Shifting Earth location and completing the various boss raids can be significantly challenging even with a solid group, to say nothing of solo play.
Dark Souls: Time To Grind
The First Dark Souls Requires Serious Time Investment
One of the most challenging series in gaming history,Dark Soulshas become infamous for its challenging gameplay, with the first installment setting the bar for things to come. The firstDark Soulsis very tough to 100%, largely becauseyou have to beat the game at least two times(and then some) to get the necessary boss souls to make every weapon. You will also have to reach max level on each of the ten types of weapon reinforcement (Fire, Chaos, Occult, etc.), which requires a significant time investment.
Each of the Dark Souls games requires substantial grinding, and while theRemastered version ofDS1is definitely an improvement from the original in terms of quality of life,you’ll still have to grind your way through to 100%.While the trophies themselves are not extremely complex, they’ll take a serious time commitment on the player’s part.
Armored Core: Verdict Day - You’ll Need A Skilled Team For This One
Armored Core: Verdict Day Takes S-Rank To Another Level
Armored Core 5andArmored Core: Verdict Dayare among the hardestArmored Coregames to 100%, largely because they required building a skilled team of players and didn’t really have much content designed for the single-player experience. This is especially challenging because the gamerequires S-Ranking each mission as a team,something most players simply never were able to accomplish.
It’s pretty hard to 100% a multiplayer game when you no longer have access to multiplayer servers.
At this point, if you want to complete and 100%Armored Core: Verdict Day, you’re probably out of luck sadly. The servers for bothAC: Verdict DayandArmored Core 5were taken down some time ago, and while you can dust off your PS3 or Xbox 360 to give them a go,you’ll only be able to access the offline content, which was minimal. It’s pretty hard to 100% a multiplayer game when you no longer have access to multiplayer servers, but even if you could play online, reaching 100% would be a significant challenge.
Dark Souls 2 & Scholar Of The First Sin: Time To Grind Harder
This Less-Popular Dark Souls Entry Will Require Multiple Playthroughs As Well
Dark Souls 2and the remastered version that includes all DLCs,Scholar of the First Sin, aresome of the most divisive entries in the Soulsborne franchise, with most players agreeing that the gameplay simplyfeels very differentfrom other Souls games. To reach 100% completion in this game, you will not only need to get past the starkly different gameplay mechanics, but you’ll also have to play through the entire game at minimum two times, similar toDS1andDemon’s Soulsmentioned above.
Dark Souls 2also has a mastery requirement similar toDS1that takes multiple playthroughs,and players cannot meet Chancellor Wellager until halfway through a NG++ run or through a ridiculously challenging PvP method. Overall, Dark Souls 2 is a divisive and challenging entry in the Dark Souls series that most players simply never finished to 100%.
Sekiro: Straightforward Trophies, But Extremely Hard Gameplay
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Has Incredibly Difficult Mechanics
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis a uniquely challenging FromSoftware experience that is incredibly hard to 100% largely because of the gameplay itself, not necessarily because of the nature of any specific trophy or achievement. While there are four different endings,you’ll only technically need to play through the game twiceto see them all if you save scum the first three.
Aside from this, masteringSekiro’scombat mechanics and defeating all of its tough bosses will pose a serious challenge even for the most experienced FromSoft fans. There’s no shortage ofhard bosses inSekiro, and in true FromSoft fashion,you’ll likely need to replay each of them multiple timesbefore mastering their move-set and figuring out the most effective strategy.
Dark Souls 3: The Hardest Grind Of Them All
Dark Souls 1 & 2 Are Nothing Compared To Dark Souls 3’s Time Commitment
Dark Souls 3is easily the most time-consuming Soulsborne game to 100%,largely because of the Covenant item requirementthat takes some considerable grinding if you aren’t playing online. In addition to this, as with the otherDark Soulsgames, you’ll have to play through the game multiple times to fully reach 100% completion, and the gameplay itself is no cakewalk. Overall, this is the most challenging game to 100% in theDark Soulsfranchise, and arguably the hardest of all FromSoftware games to 100%.
If you’re looking for a significant and rewarding challenge, completing every FromSoftware game to 100% will keep you busy for quite a while. Each game is hard to 100% for different reasons, but all of them require players to master the core gameplay mechanics before even considering full completion.FromSoftware’scollection of difficult games is well worth the struggle if you’re a completionist or if you simply love a good challenge.
