A Golden Age of Soulslikes
It took a bit of time for players to catch on, but by the time Dark Souls 2 released in 2014, FromSoftware’s hardcore take on the action RPG genre was already becoming a template for other developers to follow. CI Games’ 2014 Lords of the Fallen is widely regarded as the first Soulslike, borrowing heavily from Dark Souls’ mechanics and atmosphere. In the ten years since, there have been hundreds of imitators in varying degrees of quality, inventiveness and fun. The past few years in particular have seen some remarkable, polished and creative titles. Soulslikes continue to evolve while retaining some recognizable characteristics.
But first, what exactly is a Soulslike? How does it differ from a traditional action RPG or Metroidvania? When Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls appeared, they stood out for having the kind of difficulty long absent in games. Stamina management, a variety of light and heavy attacks, dodging and parrying: all part of the genre. In particular, FromSoft’s bosses could be brutally difficult, at least for the time. Another aspect of those early FromSoftware games was the dark, gothic atmosphere. While Soulslikes have ventured into just about every setting since, they’re usually not lighthearted- with one recent exception (see below).
Here, in our opinion, are the best five Soulslikes from recent years. It goes without saying that FromSoft’s own games aren’t included.
5. Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, Vigil: The Longest Night, Death’s Gambit, Nine Sols
We’re starting out by obviously cheating. These games — along with Hollow Knight and Salt and Sanctuary — have several things in common. First, they’re all definitely Soulslikes, checking the boxes associated with the genre. Second, they’re all 2D or 2.5 games, many of them with a beautiful pixel art aesthetic. They can all be maddeningly difficult. It’s hard to rank them, though. In our opinion, they’re equal in quality, fun, and engaging challenge.
4. Another Crab’s Treasure (2024)
No one associates Soulslikes with humor and lightheartedness, but Another Crab’s Treasure is filled with both. The game is set in a colorful oceanside and underwater world. It playfully transposes Soulslike mechanics to battles with various sea creatures and manmade hazards. It rather brilliantly proves that a good action RPG need not be heavy with gothic fantasy.
3. Nioh 2 (2021)
Nioh 2 iterates on both Nioh and the Soulslike template, especially when it comes to combat. It rebrands staple mechanics like perfect parries or dodges but adds some new ideas like a trio of stances. Feudal Japan and terrifying supernatural mythology are a perfect canvas for a Soulslike game not based on traditional monsters and enemies. Nioh 2 influenced a number of games that came after it, most recently Black Myth: Wukong- another very difficult Soulslike- and Rise of the Ronin.
2. Lies of P (2023)
Transposing Soulslike mechanics to 18th century Europe and incorporating the figure of Pinocchio are only two elements that make Lies of P stand out. Add to that a cool, gearpunk aesthetic and exacting combat with precision timing and you have one of the best non-FromSoft games ever made. Lies of P has an excellent story, some smart new mechanics, and beautiful animations and graphics. It’s only slightly marred by a few gimmicky bosses. We can’t wait for the upcoming DLC.
1. The First Berserker: Khazan
What makes this new Soulslike stand out is its gothic anime art and incredible, challenging combat. The game’s bosses are uniformly excellent, never relying on gimmicks, with tough but fair moves. Despite the presence of an “easy mode” and other quality-of-life features, The First Berserker: Khazan will probably not be anyone’s gateway into the Soulslike genre. But for fans of hardcore action, it doesn’t get any better.
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