Elden Ring Vs Dark Souls 3 Is The Open World Format Actually Better For Beginners

For over a decade, FromSoftware’s Soulsborne series has defined challenging action RPGs. Dark Souls 3, released in 2016, stood as both a culmination of the franchise's design principles and a high-water mark in tightly curated, linear progression. Fast forward to 2022, Elden Ring redefined the formula with a vast open world. But does this shift actually make the experience more beginner-friendly? On the surface, it seems logical: more freedom, optional encounters, and self-directed pacing should lower the barrier to entry. Yet, the reality is more nuanced. While Elden Ring offers tools that can help newcomers, its open structure introduces new kinds of challenges that can overwhelm even seasoned players.

The Illusion of Choice: Freedom vs. Direction

Elden Ring’s most celebrated innovation is its seamless open world—The Lands Between. Unlike Dark Souls 3’s interconnected but gated zones, Elden Ring drops players into a sprawling landscape where nearly every mountain peak or ruined castle is visible from the start. This creates an immediate sense of possibility. However, for beginners, this abundance of choice can become paralyzing.

In Dark Souls 3, progression is largely linear. The game guides players through distinct areas—Firelink Shrine leads to High Wall of Lothric, then Farron Keep, and so on. Each zone increases in difficulty gradually, and enemies scale predictably. Bosses are milestones that gate further advancement. This structure provides rhythm and feedback: defeat one boss, gain confidence, move forward.

Elden Ring removes those guardrails. Players can ride toward Castle Stormveil within minutes of starting the game—or veer off to explore a cursed swamp filled with level 50 enemies. There’s no enforced order. While this empowers skilled players to tackle content out of sequence, beginners often lack the context to assess risk. They may wander into areas far beyond their capability, suffer repeated deaths, and lose motivation before understanding core mechanics.

Tip: New players should resist the urge to explore everything at once. Stick to main path markers early on and revisit harder areas later with better gear and stats.

Difficulty Design: Predictability vs. Discovery

Dark Souls 3’s challenge lies in precision, timing, and pattern recognition. Enemy placement is deliberate. Traps are telegraphed. Boss fights are choreographed dances requiring memorization. Death is expected—but each failure teaches something specific. This makes it easier for beginners to identify what went wrong: “I attacked too early,” “I didn’t dodge the sweep,” “I forgot about the second phase.”

Elden Ring retains these elements but layers them with environmental complexity. In the open world, danger comes not just from combat but from ambushes, terrain hazards, and unpredictable enemy groupings. An innocent-looking field might hide a burrowing worm that one-shots unprepared players. A fog gate could lead to a mini-boss five levels above the player’s current strength. These surprises aren't always fair, especially when tutorials are sparse.

Moreover, Elden Ring introduces “invading” spirits—phantom enemies that appear during certain activities—and dynamic weather effects that alter enemy behavior. While these add depth, they also increase cognitive load. Beginners must now manage stamina, positioning, summons, incantations, and environmental awareness simultaneously—a steep learning curve compared to the focused intensity of Dark Souls 3.

“Open worlds don’t inherently reduce difficulty—they redistribute it. The burden shifts from mastering combat to mastering navigation and decision-making.” — Kaito Nakamura, Game Design Analyst at Level Up Insights

Accessibility Tools and Player Agency

Where Elden Ring shines for newcomers is in flexibility. If a boss like Margit, the Fell Omen proves too difficult, players can simply leave and explore elsewhere. They might find a weapon upgrade, summon sign, or hidden skill tree point that makes the fight manageable later. This nonlinearity allows players to “grind smarter,” seeking content that matches their current ability.

Dark Souls 3 offers fewer escape valves. If you're stuck on Pontiff Sulyvahn, your options are limited: keep trying, seek online co-op, or look up a guide. There’s little room to circumvent the obstacle. While this creates a strong sense of accomplishment upon victory, it can also lead to frustration-induced quitting among less persistent players.

Elden Ring also includes quality-of-life improvements absent in Dark Souls 3: mounted combat, jump attacks, dodging while backstepping, and a more forgiving stamina system. Spellcasting is more intuitive, with clear visual cues for AoE effects. These mechanical refinements lower the execution barrier without diluting the core challenge.

Comparison: Beginner-Friendly Features

Feature	Dark Souls 3	Elden Ring
Progression Structure	Linear, guided	Open, self-directed
Early Boss Difficulty	Moderate, predictable	High variance (Margit vs. Tree Sentinel)
Escape Options When Stuck	Limited	High (explore elsewhere)
Combat Mechanics	Tight, unforgiving	More forgiving (jumping, mounts)
Tutorial Support	Minimal (show, don’t tell)	Slightly better NPC hints
Reward for Exploration	Low (mostly lore items)	High (weapons, spells, ashes)

This table illustrates a key truth: Elden Ring trades structured guidance for player agency. Whether that benefits beginners depends on the individual. Self-motivated explorers thrive; those who prefer clear goals may flounder.

A Real-World Example: Jamie’s First Steps

Jamie, a 28-year-old casual gamer with no prior Souls experience, decided to start with Elden Ring because of the hype. Excited by the visuals and freedom, she created her character and rode straight toward a glowing castle she saw on the horizon. Within ten minutes, she was ambushed by multiple enemies, fell off a cliff, and died repeatedly trying to climb back up. Frustrated, she quit for two weeks.

When she returned, she followed a YouTube guide’s advice: stay near the Church of Elleh, complete small cave dungeons, and avoid major landmarks until level 40. She discovered Spirit Springs, upgraded her horse, and learned to use Ashes of War. By the time she faced Margit again—now properly prepared—she won on her third attempt. That victory felt earned, not arbitrary.

In contrast, when Jamie later tried Dark Souls 3, she found the early game slower but clearer. Each area had a purpose. Bosses were tough but fair. She never felt lost, though she did struggle with precise timing in fights like Vordt of Boreal Valley. Ultimately, she preferred Elden Ring’s flexibility but acknowledged it demanded more initiative.

This case reflects a broader trend: Elden Ring rewards patience and curiosity, but only if players know how to pace themselves. Without external guidance, many beginners fail to discover the game’s built-in safety nets.

Step-by-Step Guide: Starting Elden Ring as a True Beginner

Here’s a practical roadmap to prevent early burnout:

1. Ignore the horizon: Don’t chase distant castles or lights. Focus only on what’s immediately around the Church of Elleh.
2. Visit the nearby Sites of Grace: Activate them all. They serve as checkpoints and fast-travel points later.
3. Enter the Warmaster’s Shack and Wailing Dunes caves: These short dungeons introduce basic combat and reward runes (XP) and equipment.
4. Speak to Melina: She appears after lighting the first beacon. Accept her offer to journey together—she unlocks fast travel and rune spending.
5. Level up at the Church of Elleh: Spend runes to increase Vigor (health) and Mind (focus for spells). Consider Strength or Dexterity based on your starting class.
6. Defeat the Tree Sentinel: He guards the path east. Use the nearby archers to soften him, or dismount and roll behind trees.
7. Proceed to Limgrave Tower: Climb it to activate a map fragment. This reveals the surrounding region—your first real navigational aid.
8. Head to Stormhill Encampment: Here, you’ll find merchants, smithing stones, and a safe zone to prepare for Margit.

Following this path ensures gradual exposure to mechanics without overwhelming challenge. It mimics the curated pacing of Dark Souls 3—within an open framework.

Checklist: Essential Early-Game Goals

• ☑ Find Torrent, your spectral steed
• ☑ Unlock map fragments for Limgrave and Liurnia
• ☑ Obtain a healing item (Golden Seed or Sacred Tear)
• ☑ Upgrade your weapon at least once
• ☑ Summon a spirit ash (e.g., Lone Wolf)
• ☑ Learn to dodge roll and block effectively
• ☑ Defeat a mini-boss (like Patches or Erdtree Avatar)

Completing these builds foundational competence. Once achieved, players can begin exploring with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Elden Ring easier than Dark Souls 3?

Not necessarily easier, but more flexible. Some early bosses in Elden Ring are harder than anything in Dark Souls 3, but you can delay them indefinitely. Mechanically, Elden Ring is slightly more forgiving due to jumping, mounted combat, and better summons.

Should I play Dark Souls 3 before Elden Ring?

No. Elden Ring is designed as a standalone experience and improves upon many of Dark Souls 3’s mechanics. However, playing the earlier game can deepen appreciation for the genre’s evolution. For pure beginners, starting with Elden Ring is acceptable—if paired with light guidance.

Why do some veterans say Elden Ring is harder?

Because difficulty isn’t just about enemy health or damage. Elden Ring tests situational awareness, exploration discipline, and resource management. Getting lost, underleveled, or overwhelmed by surprise attacks can feel more punishing than a well-designed boss fight. The lack of direction adds psychological strain.

Conclusion: Better for Beginners—With Conditions

Elden Ring’s open world isn’t automatically better for beginners—but it offers more pathways to success. Where Dark Souls 3 demands resilience and repetition, Elden Ring rewards curiosity and adaptability. Its true advantage lies in player agency: the ability to walk away from a challenge and return stronger.

Yet, this freedom requires maturity. Beginners must resist temptation, manage expectations, and accept that progress isn’t always forward. With the right mindset—and perhaps a few early tips—Elden Ring can be a gentler introduction to the Soulsborne universe than its predecessors. But without guidance, its vastness can swallow the unprepared whole.

The open world doesn’t eliminate difficulty—it transforms it. And for those willing to learn its rhythms, that transformation can be liberating.

💬 Have your own take on Elden Ring vs. Dark Souls 3? Share your first experience, favorite beginner tips, or hardest early fight in the comments below. Let’s help new Tarnished find their way.