TheRetroArcade
Veteran
Posts: 1,967
Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
You probably can't do this.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Become a Member in Seconds
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
Join the club
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
It's hard to be impressed by new Dark Souls feats in 2026 because the feats have become ludicrous. "Dark Souls 2 player beats its hardest boss on NG+7 by wearing his clothes and committing seppuku 47 times," reads a headline from June. "Dark Souls completed by throwing literal crap at bosses," was a thing that happened in 2022. That's not to mention all the dance mat and music peripheral challenges.
Which is why I'm drawn to the relative simplicity of this latest feat. YouTuber Zeldasouls has beaten Dark Souls at soul level 1 without using dodge rolls or ranged weapons. In the run embedded above, every boss is beaten under these limitations.
When I say "simplicity" I mean it's a pretty straightforward challenge as far as Dark Souls challenge runs go in 2026. There's no headline-grabbing twist, it's not completed on a set of bongos, but it's nevertheless bullshit hard. I don't think I could beat the Asylum Demon without dodge rolling, for example. I don't think I'd get far without ranged weapons either, which under Zeldasouls' conditions includes not only bows and magic projectiles, but also throwable items.
Just to be perfectly clear, here's the full list of conditions as per Zeldasouls:
So basically: you're at a severe-verging-insurmountable disadvantage.
"I genuinely do not have the words to describe how I feel now that this is over," Zeldasouls writes on YouTube. "I spent countless hours grinding, coming up with strats, failing, suffering, raging, all over the course of the last two years. This is undoubtedly the hardest hitless run ever done in dark souls 1, and possibly in the entire souls series.
"Thank you to everyone who watched me attempt this run over the years. Most people will only see the end result of my blood, sweat, and tears."
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
You'll probably need to be a Dark Souls fanatic to endure the full playthrough: due to the limitations Zeldasouls has to take it extremely slowly, practicing a molasses-slow abundance of caution even in early areas like the Undead Burg. Still: If you've got three and a half hours, it's ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Become a Member in Seconds
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
Join the club
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
It's hard to be impressed by new Dark Souls feats in 2026 because the feats have become ludicrous. "Dark Souls 2 player beats its hardest boss on NG+7 by wearing his clothes and committing seppuku 47 times," reads a headline from June. "Dark Souls completed by throwing literal crap at bosses," was a thing that happened in 2022. That's not to mention all the dance mat and music peripheral challenges.
Which is why I'm drawn to the relative simplicity of this latest feat. YouTuber Zeldasouls has beaten Dark Souls at soul level 1 without using dodge rolls or ranged weapons. In the run embedded above, every boss is beaten under these limitations.
When I say "simplicity" I mean it's a pretty straightforward challenge as far as Dark Souls challenge runs go in 2026. There's no headline-grabbing twist, it's not completed on a set of bongos, but it's nevertheless bullshit hard. I don't think I could beat the Asylum Demon without dodge rolling, for example. I don't think I'd get far without ranged weapons either, which under Zeldasouls' conditions includes not only bows and magic projectiles, but also throwable items.
Just to be perfectly clear, here's the full list of conditions as per Zeldasouls:
So basically: you're at a severe-verging-insurmountable disadvantage.
"I genuinely do not have the words to describe how I feel now that this is over," Zeldasouls writes on YouTube. "I spent countless hours grinding, coming up with strats, failing, suffering, raging, all over the course of the last two years. This is undoubtedly the hardest hitless run ever done in dark souls 1, and possibly in the entire souls series.
"Thank you to everyone who watched me attempt this run over the years. Most people will only see the end result of my blood, sweat, and tears."
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
You'll probably need to be a Dark Souls fanatic to endure the full playthrough: due to the limitations Zeldasouls has to take it extremely slowly, practicing a molasses-slow abundance of caution even in early areas like the Undead Burg. Still: If you've got three and a half hours, it's ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?