Choose DARK SOULS™ II
Choose DARK SOULS™ II if it's currently about 33% cheaper on the Steam Store. 15,182 Steam reviews back the pick.
DARK SOULS™ II vs ELDEN RING
DARK SOULS™ II and ELDEN RING both land in Action, RPG on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, RPG on Steam. DARK SOULS™ II (2014) is 8 years older than ELDEN RING (2022). ELDEN RING scores higher on Steam reviews (94.3% positive) than DARK SOULS™ II (84.7% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose ELDEN RING
Choose ELDEN RING if you want the Online PvP, Online Co-op, and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.3% positive across 426,636 reviews.
Both DARK SOULS™ II and ELDEN RING sit in Action and RPG on Steam and both list Multi-player and Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 DARK SOULS™ II |  ELDEN RING | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, RPG | Action, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 39.99 USD | 59.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 84.7% positive (15,182 reviews) | 94.3% positive (426,636 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | FromSoftware, Inc. | FromSoftware, Inc. |
Side by side
- Both share Action, RPG on Steam.
- DARK SOULS™ II (2014) is 8 years older than ELDEN RING (2022).
- ELDEN RING scores higher on Steam reviews (94.3% positive) than DARK SOULS™ II (84.7% positive).
- DARK SOULS™ II is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than ELDEN RING (39.99 USD vs. 59.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: DARK SOULS™ II is Deck Playable, ELDEN RING is Deck Verified.
DARK SOULS™ II vs ELDEN RING — FAQ
- Which is better, DARK SOULS™ II or ELDEN RING?
- On Steam reviews ELDEN RING scores higher (94.3% positive) than DARK SOULS™ II (84.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, ELDEN RING is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play DARK SOULS™ II or ELDEN RING first?
- If you want chronology, DARK SOULS™ II (2014) came out before ELDEN RING (2022). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are DARK SOULS™ II and ELDEN RING similar?
- They overlap on Action, RPG on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both DARK SOULS™ II and ELDEN RING have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: DARK SOULS™ II ships Co-op; ELDEN RING ships Online Co-op, Co-op.