FromSoftware is being as vague as ever with their next Souls game, namely Elden Ring. Most of us still have no idea what it will be or if it's even going to be a Souls-subgenre game. Regardless, it taking a page from Dark Souls and pseudo-Souls games isn't entirely a bad thing. After all, the wheel still works, why replace it? There's a reason why Dark Souls games have launched a genre of their own.
Their developers have refined the mechanics with each new Souls game released. Although some mechanics of the Souls games have redefined the action RPG genre, others aren't too welcome because they either serve to add only artificial difficulty or impractical gimmicks. That's why it would be wise for FromSoftware to be picky about what's going to carry over to Elden Ring.
10 Adopt: Resetting Progress
Of course, Dark Souls, Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro all had one thing in common: you lose progress when you die. This is the core of any Souls game though it's not as harsh as Rogue-like games where you reset at the beginning again.
It's this very consequence of death that keeps players at the edge of their seat and separates the Souls games from other RPGs who have spoiled the players. This sort of risk-reward management is the very spirit of a Souls game.
9 Scrap: Too Many Swamp Levels
All Dark Souls games have this fixation with rancid and putrid game levels full of proverbial tar pits that slow the players down and rob them of fun. One swamp level ought to be enough but Dark Souls puts way too many.
They have swamps with poison, swamps with no light, and swamps that are too deep. It only aims to slow down melee characters since spellcasters or bow users have an easier time navigating such terrain. Plus they're not exactly exciting marvels of game design.
8 Adopt: The Multiplayer
Dark Souls' multiplayer is certainly more unique compared to other games as it's a combination of co-op and PvP depending on the whims of other players. That element of human interaction is something you won't usually find on other action RPGs.
The way the Souls games also seamlessly integrate it into its lore and general gameplay is something that other games need to take note of if they have multiplayer components. Too bad Sekiro skipped such a nerve-wracking but fulfilling mechanic.
7 Scrap: Doors That Don't Open From This Side
In terms of level design, it's unanimously agreed upon by the community that Dark Souls (the first one) does it best. Each area winds and snakes back into others, giving the world a sense of connectivity unmatched by its successors.
Dark Souls 3 for example, went a bit overboard with the obvious doors that don't "open from this side." It makes shortcuts too blatant and in some cases can even spoil some progression expectations. Players will end up looking for those shortcuts first instead of enjoying the level as it's a hard game. A bit of creativity in hiding them can help a lot with immersion.
6 Adopt: RPG Mechanics
RPG mechanics are notably absent from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and this turned off a lot of Souls veterans. Because for many, the motivation to go through a level and explore is tied to material rewards and character progression be it aesthetic or strength.
Hence, players soon realized that it's pointless to go through the mobs in Sekiro and just speedrun past them to the area bosses. Elden Ring needs to bring back the Souls games' RPG mechanics so that progression actually has more incentive other than a test of skill.
5 Scrap: Farmable Healing Potions
Bloodborne, Dark Souls 2, and Sekiro reverted back to this mechanic despite Dark Souls and Dark Souls 3 pretty much perfecting the Estus Flask system. It might sound like a good tradeoff but being able to farm healing items adds nothing but unnecessary grind and disconnects players from the progression.
Such was the case in Bloodborne. Now, Elden Ring being a new intellectual property means it might not adopt the Estus Flask, or at most, they might rename it. After all, it's much preferable for most players compared to healing tools that don't restock by themselves.
4 Adopt: Jumping
Sekiro is the only Souls game thus far that has this mechanic but it provided a huge change to the combat. For one, it added a layer of verticality. It's also a new way to dodge enemy attacks that sweep.
Hence, the jumping mechanic is subtly revolutionary for a Souls game. For one, it makes the combat harder without resorting to artificial factors like health or damage boosting. More enemy attack moves mean more gameplay variety.
3 Scrap: Static New Game Plus
New Game+ has always been a big part of each and every Souls game as it lets players continue their craving for dopamine but with diminishing returns since the difficulty increase is artificial at best. New enemies or enemy mechanics would have helped.
Dark Souls can even follow in Monster Hunter's footsteps of introducing more powerful versions of the enemies with new moves. After all, they already hid some rewards in New Game+ runs, meaning for most players, it's almost mandatory to do New Game+ or beyond.
2 Adopt: Boss Phases
Boss phases, like jumping, are a brilliant way of adding more difficulty to the game without resorting to generic stat boosts. Sekiro and Dark Souls 3 notably did this generously with some bosses even rising up after their first defeat. Since then, most Souls bosses have more phases than a '90s teenager.
So far the highest tally is three health bars appearing one after the other, making the fight more than meets the eye and certainly a memorable one in the Souls bosses roster. There's a big chance Elden Ring will keep this one.
1 Scrap: Stealth
Sekiro is the only Souls game that has this mechanic and for many, it's hit-or-miss. On one hand, it lets players avoid confrontation and head straight for the bosses. On the other hand, players will get wrecked by said bosses since they didn't practice combat.
It would have been great if there was also a stealth option for boss fights for more subtle characters like in Deus Ex: Human Revolution but then the only way to kill these bosses is to go toe-to-toe with them. It's a mechanic that does more harm than good to the meat of the game, which is combat. Hopefully, Elden Ring is more thoughtful about this.