The Souls-like genre has earned a reputation for punishing difficulty, intricate level design, and a cryptic storytelling style that rewards patient exploration. Newcomers often feel overwhelmed, unsure where to begin or how to overcome the mechanical hurdles that veterans take for granted. If you are wrestling with the decision of which game to tackle first or are running into frustrating technical issues in Dark Souls 3 — such as an unresponsive lock-on or poor performance on Linux — you have landed in the right place. This guide crystallises years of community wisdom into a single, authoritative resource. By the time you finish reading, you will know exactly which Souls-like to start with and how to resolve the most common Dark Souls 3 problems on your platform.
Whether you are a curious newcomer or a returning player on an unconventional setup, the answers here cut through the noise. Let’s turn that initial intimidation into a confident first step.
Choosing Your First Souls-like Game
The question of where to start is more nuanced than simply picking the newest release. Each title in FromSoftware’s catalogue offers a distinct entry point, and the best choice hinges on your tolerance for early frustration, your platform, and whether you value accessibility features. The three primary candidates for a beginner are Demon’s Souls (the 2020 remake), Dark Souls Remastered, and Elden Ring. Dark Souls 3, while absolutely playable as a first game, assumes a degree of mechanical familiarity and delivers a more aggressive enemy pace. If you have it in your library already, however, it remains a fine starting point — especially with the tweaks described later in this guide.
For the smoothest introduction, Elden Ring is broadly the most forgiving. Its open world lets you walk away from a tough boss, explore elsewhere, and return when stronger. Spirit summons and generous checkpointing lower the barrier without trivialising the combat. If you want a more linear, classic experience, Dark Souls Remastered teaches the fundamentals brilliantly: its slower rhythm forces you to learn spacing and stamina management. The Demon’s Souls remake is visually stunning but can be brutally short on checkpoints; reserve it for when you have built some confidence. Ultimately, start with the game you already own, and do not let anyone tell you that you chose wrong. The best Souls-like is the one you actually play.
Fixing Lock-On Issues in Dark Souls 3
Few things feel worse than lining up a crucial attack only to have the camera veer off target because the lock-on refuses to engage. In Dark Souls 3, lock-on is performed by clicking the right stick (R3) on a controller. On mouse and keyboard, it is mapped by default to the middle mouse button or a configurable key. If the function suddenly stops working after you adjusted settings, the culprit is almost always a misconfigured option or a conflict between input devices. Follow these steps to restore proper lock-on behavior.
Verify In-Game Settings
Open the system menu and navigate to the “Camera” or “Controls” tab. Look for an option labeled “Lock-On / Auto-Lock”. Ensure it is set to “On” or “Enable”. Sometimes players accidentally toggle it off while experimenting. Also confirm that the target switching behavior (“Lock-On / Change Target”) is set to a reasonable sensitivity — too low and you will struggle to cycle enemies; too high and it might feel jittery.
Check Controller Configuration
If you use a controller, Steam Input can override default binds. Go to Steam’s Big Picture mode, select Dark Souls 3, and choose “Controller Configuration”. Verify that the right stick click is bound to “Right Stick Click” and not something else. If you see any custom action layers or mode shifts, delete them. For non-Steam versions, ensure the controller is recognised correctly in your system’s game controller settings. A faulty stick button — rare but possible — can be tested in a controller diagnostic tool.
Resolve Mouse and Keyboard Conflicts
On mouse and keyboard, the lock-on key might be unbound after a manual remap. Open the key bindings menu and assign a dedicated key (such as Q) to “Lock-On / Center Camera”. Also make sure “Auto-Lock” is not disabled. If you have a controller plugged in simultaneously, the game can get confused. Unplug the controller, restart the game, and test with only keyboard and mouse.
Reset to Defaults
When all else fails, navigate to the settings menu and choose “Reset to Default”. This restores every binding and camera option to its factory state. Afterward, you can carefully reapply your preferred changes, testing lock-on after each adjustment to isolate the breaking change. This nuclear option almost always resolves the issue.
Optimizing Dark Souls 3 Performance on Linux
Running Dark Souls 3 on Linux through Proton has matured to a point where the game is largely stable, but performance anomalies can still creep in — micro-stuttering, frame rate drops, or outright crashes. The fixes are mainly a matter of selecting the right compatibility layer and tweaking launch options. Below is a methodical approach to achieving a smooth 60 FPS experience on most modern Linux distributions.
Choose the Correct Proton Version
Native Steam Play defaults may be outdated. Right-click Dark Souls 3 in your Steam library, open Properties, and go to Compatibility. Enable “Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool” and select the most recent stable Proton version (currently Proton 8 or later). Avoid Proton Experimental unless you need cutting-edge fixes, as it can introduce regressions. If you use GloriousEggroll’s Proton-GE, pick the latest release — it bundles additional media codecs and performance patches that benefit many titles.
Set Optimal Launch Options
In the same Properties window, under General, you can add launch options. Start with:PROTON_USE_WINED3D=0 %command%
This forces DXVK (Vulkan-based translation) instead of OpenGL, which typically yields higher frame rates. If you experience video cutscene crashes, add:PROTON_NO_ESYNC=1 %command%
Disabling esync resolves timing-related problems on some kernels. For stuttering, experiment with:DXVK_ASYNC=1 %command%
This allows asynchronous shader compilation, reducing stutter during initial area loads.
Graphics Driver and System Tuning
Ensure you are using the latest proprietary Nvidia driver or the open-source Mesa drivers for AMD/Intel. For Nvidia, the 535 series or newer is recommended. Verify Vulkan support by running vulkaninfo in a terminal — if it fails, you lack a working Vulkan driver. Also consider setting the CPU governor to “performance” before launching the game: sudo cpupower frequency-set -g performance. This prevents power-saving downclocking that can cause inconsistent frame times.
Troubleshooting Specific Glitches
If you see a black screen on launch, delete the old configuration file at ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/374320/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Roaming/DarkSoulsIII/GraphicsConfig.xml and let the game re-create it. For audio crackling, install the latest PipeWire or PulseAudio packages and set PULSE_LATENCY_MSEC=60 in the launch options. As a last resort, switch to the Windows version through dual-boot if constant tinkering drains your enjoyment — but many Linux users report weeks of trouble-free play with the above settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Souls-like is the easiest to start with?
Elden Ring offers the most flexible difficulty curve. Its open structure allows you to over-level and summon spirit allies for boss fights, making it significantly more approachable than the earlier, more linear titles. Dark Souls Remastered is a close second if you prefer a classic, interconnected world.
Why did my lock-on stop working after I tried to remap controls?
You likely accidentally unbound the lock-on action, disabled the auto-lock feature, or created a conflict between keyboard and controller inputs. Reset your controls to default and reassign keys carefully, testing lock-on after each change.
Can I play Dark Souls 3 on Linux without Steam?
It is possible using a standalone Wine prefix and DXVK, but the Steam Proton path is by far the simplest. Non-Steam setups require manual dependency installation and are not officially supported; you may encounter more bugs.
What should I do if Dark Souls 3 still runs poorly after Proton tweaks?
Check that your GPU driver supports Vulkan 1.2 or higher. Monitor system resources to ensure you are not thermal throttling. Sometimes disabling compositors (like KWin or Mutter) or switching to a lightweight desktop environment can reclaim lost performance.
Approaching the Souls-like genre does not have to be a trial by fire. With the right starting point and a handful of technical fixes, the infamous difficulty becomes an exhilarating challenge rather than a brick wall. Resolve those control hiccups, get your Linux build running smoothly, and focus on what matters: mastering the combat and uncovering the mysteries of a world that wants you dead. Praise the sun.
