IMHO.

DARK SOULS™ II vs DARK SOULS™ III

DARK SOULS™ II and DARK SOULS™ III both land in Action 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 are Action games on Steam. DARK SOULS™ II (2014) is 2 years older than DARK SOULS™ III (2016). DARK SOULS™ III scores higher on Steam reviews (94.1% 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 DARK SOULS™ II

Choose DARK SOULS™ II if you want a RPG experience. On Steam, it's currently about 33% cheaper on the Steam Store. 15,182 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose DARK SOULS™ III

Choose DARK SOULS™ III if you want the Camera Comfort, Custom Volume Controls, and Stereo Sound side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 94.1% positive across 105,862 reviews.

Both DARK SOULS™ II and DARK SOULS™ III sit in Action 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 vs DARK SOULS™ III — Steam metadata comparison
DARK SOULS™ II — Steam game coverDARK SOULS™ IIDARK SOULS™ III — Steam game coverDARK SOULS™ III
Released20142016
GenresAction, RPGAction
PlatformsWindowsWindows
Steam DeckDeck PlayableDeck Verified
Price39.99 USD59.99 USD
Steam reviews84.7% positive (15,182 reviews)94.1% positive (105,862 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-player, Co-opMulti-player, Co-op
DevelopersFromSoftware, Inc.FromSoftware, Inc.

Side by side

DARK SOULS™ II vs DARK SOULS™ III — FAQ

Which is better, DARK SOULS™ II or DARK SOULS™ III?
On Steam reviews DARK SOULS™ III scores higher (94.1% positive) than DARK SOULS™ II (84.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, DARK SOULS™ III 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 DARK SOULS™ III first?
If you want chronology, DARK SOULS™ II (2014) came out before DARK SOULS™ III (2016). 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 DARK SOULS™ III similar?
They overlap on Action 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 DARK SOULS™ III have co-op?
Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: DARK SOULS™ II ships Co-op; DARK SOULS™ III ships Co-op.