Beginning my initial Dark Souls playthrough after only experiencing Elden Ring - seeking advice

Dark, Story-Driven Narrative
1

Hey everyone! So I’m about to dive into my very first Dark Souls game and I’m feeling a bit nervous about it. The only FromSoftware game I’ve actually completed is Elden Ring, which I absolutely loved, but I keep hearing that the original Dark Souls series is quite different in terms of gameplay mechanics and overall approach.

I’m wondering what major differences I should expect coming from Elden Ring? Are there any specific strategies or mindset changes I need to make? Also, should I be prepared for a steeper learning curve, or will my Elden Ring experience actually help me out here?

Any beginner-friendly tips would be really appreciated! I want to make sure I don’t get too frustrated early on and actually enjoy the experience. Thanks in advance for any guidance you can share!

2

The biggest shock will be no spirit summons to bail you out of fights.

3

Yeah, losing Torrent and fast travel hits hard at first. You’re stuck walking everywhere until you learn the map. The healing change is rough too - just one flask that only refills at bonfires instead of having multiple uses. But your dodge timing and enemy pattern recognition from Elden Ring will carry over. Take your time with it and embrace the grind.

4

Dark Souls is way more linear than Elden Ring - you can’t just wander off when you hit a tough spot. Combat’s a bit clunkier, but your dodge timing from Elden Ring will carry over.