Summary
The first thing that comes to anyone’s mind whenSoulslikes are mentioned is difficulty. Then immediately after that, it’s the amazingly fun gameplay that is just as rewarding and engaging as it is enjoyable. Soulslikes have grown a lot ever since the genre was born, and since then, plenty of titles have redefined certain aspects of the space and added a few elements that amp up the fun factor higher than the rest. With new mechanics, satisfying combat, and interesting worlds, just to name a few, each attempt at the coveted genre offers a new take on what a Soulslike can be and how players can enjoy other aspects of the games that aren’t as prevalent in other titles.
Not every new game that comes out has to revolutionize the genre or introduce a ground-breaking new mechanic that shakes up the entire gaming world and elevates the enjoyment to new heights. Oftentimes, the best and most enjoyable games in the genre are the ones with the best designs, most cohesive gameplay, and overall feel the best to play. A game doesn’t need to have all the bells and whistles to make it a great experience, it just needs to have enough flavor, polish, and quality to set it apart from the crowd and deliver a genuinely enjoyable experience that gamers can enjoy for years to come.
When imagining the perfect setting to set a challenging yet super-enjoyable Soulslike game in, the world ofStar Warssounds like a great place to take the genre. And the results speak for themselves.Jedi: Fallen Orderis a fantastic action-adventure title that combines so many elements found in traditionalSoulsgames and brings in all the fun and exciting combat tools that are found in the galaxy far, far away. With force abilities, lightsaber stances, and combos that intertwine the two, there are plenty of opportunities for players to express themselves and play the game however they choose to.
The worlds feel delightful to explore, full of rich atmospheres and plenty of enemies to execute in a variety of brutal and enjoyable ways. Movement is a big factor that sets this game apart from the rest, as players are free to double-jump, dash, and wall climb across all the terrain to reach higher locations and hidden loot that can be both cosmetic and powerful augments to improve Cal’s capabilities. The difficulty might be on the lower end when compared to other titles, even when cranking it to the max, but there is more than enough challenge for players to enjoy, and the gameplay has a distinctive feel that keeps the fun going from planet to planet.
The initial reaction to the world Soulslike is normally dark fantasy worlds full of torment and destruction from higher powers that have controlled the world with their influence and might.Another Crab’s Treasurecould not be further from that. Set in a vibrant and colorful underwater land, the game has the player take on the role of Krill, a lovable little crab whose only goal in life is to get back the shell he so desperately loves. The fun just oozes out of every moment, taking inspiration from the Soulslike genre in all the best ways, adding some comedic twists that set it apart from other titles in the genre, like the ability to pick up shells of all shapes and sizes to deflect and roll about the expansive world at mach 10 speed.
There’s so much to love in the game, from the adorable NPCs with their realistic problems to the game’s deep and meaningful commentary on the state of the world and the impact that pollution has had on the ocean floors that are rarely seen by the average person. It’s not going to test the player’s physical limits in terms of difficulty, but it still provides a sizable challenge, and learning to combo different moves and shell mechanics together is a super fun ride. By the end of the game, after defeating a list of iconic bosses from all over the oceanic ecosystem, the feeling of happiness that washes over the player is indescribable and might put them off seafood for a while as well.
Normally, excellence in Soulslikes is reserved for the titles under FromSoftware’s wing, ones that have paved the way for other titles to enter the space, yet remaining in the shadow of the titans the company has created. ButLies of Prips the mechanical band-aid off of that rule and provides a super-enjoyable and high-quality gaming experience thatrivals those at the top of the rankings. Mixing precision parry mechanics popularized bySekiroand introducing gamers to a twisted fairytale world,Lies of Pshows what can be possible with enough talent and inspiration in a small studio that doesn’t have a decade-long track record.
It’s always nice to see and play with new and interesting things, and in this case, it is the ability to break apart weaponry and build whatever wild combinations the player’s imagination can conjure up. Hammer heads that fit in the palm or spears with a tiny dagger at the point, the player has complete freedom over how they want to build their weaponry and there are plenty of extra tools that mixup the combat flow and deliver a different yet amazing experience than one fans of the genre may be used to. Beauty doesn’t begin to describe the world that has been crafted to fit the perfect gameplay, giving more than enough in terms of story and artistic flair to keep players coming back, playthrough after playthrough.
A surprise hit in the gaming world thatfuses Soulslike and hack-and-slashto perfection,Khazanstands out in a sea of average titles and delivers a super memorable and entertaining ride that keeps giving the thrill players would expect in a Soulslike game from start to finish. The game doesn’t do one thing exceptionally well; rather, it has a whole list of elements and gameplay aspects that feel amazing, with little to no criticisms at all.Khazanrewards players who are ready and prepared to learn, introducing several combo-based abilities and tools that mix up the fights and let the player tackle every threat differently.
It also reduces a lot of the mechanics and systems found in other games, down to simple-to-understand parts that let the player get straight back into the action without having to spend a lot of time struggling to understand the basics. The ability to swap between multiple distinct weapon styles and reset skillpoints at the click of a button is a welcome addition that should be a staple in all future games with similar mechanics, as the freedom to pick and choose what and how to play the game, adds a level of enjoyment that is often missed by other games that restrict the player’s choice at every turn.Khazanfeels player first and fun first, never holding back on what’s possible, whilst not overplaying its hand and keeping all the basic elements intact and feeling great.
IfBreath of the WildandDark Soulswere fused at the hip,Elden Ringis the amalgamated creation that would be the result. It isn’t hard to understand why the game is so good. FromSoftware has had a decade of learning and growing and used all the tools in their catalogue to provide an unimaginably diverse and magical game that belongs in the hall of fame for video games. The game just scratches every itch that a fan could ever have.A long list of bosses that vary in size, difficulty, and story. An open world full of surprises and unexpected turns. And of course, a perfect combat system that has all the DNA of the original games in the genre, while having a more modernized feel to remove any clunk and amp up the pleasure.
It is almost funny how good the game is, and just when the player thinks they have found it all and fully scoured an area, one little doorway can lead to an entire underground labyrinth full of new and interesting foes and entire NPC storylines to keep the player hooked for hours on end. Being able to not only fast-travel in an instant across the expansive landscape but to explore the entire surface world on horseback is just pure joy. There is never a dull moment when exploring the Lands Between, and with a single save taking well over 100 hours to fully experience, winning Game of the Year feels like a small fraction of the praise this monumental title truly deserves. The world can indeed feel rather daunting and troublesome to navigate for players unfamiliar with the FromSoftware ways, so some may struggle to truly get into the world right away. All it takes is one boss fight to reel players in and show them the wild ride that awaits across the world.
Metroidvanias are great, and the genre hosts a long list of iconic titles that have been at the top of players' lists for years.Nine Solsis yet another addition to that catalog of amazing titles, bringing in all the Soulslike aspects that make the genre so widely appreciated and putting the player in a hand-drawn “Taopunk” world that is beyond gorgeous yet frightening all the same. The fun is very easy to describe. It rewards precision parries and gifts the player with a rush of dopamine with every button press, feeling as close as it can get to a two-dimensional FromSoftware Soulslike.
The level of enjoyment that comes from incorporating each new technique into the battles and learning the wide variety of attacks that each boss boasts revolutionizes Metroidvania combat and delivers one of the best games in the genre to date. No good Soulslike is complete without a good story, and the story inNine Solsis as emotional as it is charming. Every collectable, every small encounter, and every piece of dialogue elevates the world to new heights, giving the player an added incentive to do a little bit of extra hunting to find the last few collectables that are tucked away in the corners of the map. For anyone who hasn’t dipped their toes into the Metroidvania genre, this is the perfect place to start, offering the crispest gameplay out there and a world that deserves an entire movie series to truly capture its beauty and grandeur.
As the company who pioneered the entire genre, it makes sense that FromSoftware is the company to create one of the best of its kind but also one of the best games ever made. No other single-player game offers skill expression quite like this, switching out the roll spamming for pixel-perfect parries and a long list of flashy skills and shinobi techniques to outplay and completely demolish anything that stands in the way.
Something that setsSekiroapart from other games of its kind is the map traversal and sheer verticality of the world. Having a grapple hook in the palm of the hand that can send players flying across rooftops and mountain landscapes, is just a treat to play with, and the fact that the tool can even be used in combat scenarios, elevates the whole experience to another level and offers players the opportunity to become the samuari they always dreamed of being. The Japanese aesthetic may be oversaturated at this point, and the location variety is somewhat on the lower end, yet the game’s feel is truly one of a kind, and while a sequel would be an absolute dream, being a one-and-done still makes it a fantastic gaming experience with few titles coming close to its perfection and fun.
No game, as hard as they may try, has yet replicated the satisfaction and pure joy that is found inBloodborne.A title that was ahead of its time, it takes the brutality and darkness of the originalSoulsgames and shoves the gameplay into a gothic, Lovecraftian world that has some of the most stunning visuals in the genre and also some of the most grotesque. Fans have beenbegging for a sequel or a remasterfor over a decade now, and it’s no wonder the game has such an adoring and dedicated fan base due to its art style and a combat system that has been adapted and evolved into some of the most enjoyable titles out there.
Aesthetics aside, the core gameplay is a thrill-filled ride that adds two key elements that make the whole game feel completely different from the Soulslikes before it. The first is the quickstep that replaces the traditional roll, which increases the combat speed significantly and plays perfectly into the more dual-style encounters found throughout the game. The second is, of course, the gunplay. Having a firearm at the hip with the main purpose of shutting down any incoming attacks like a parry is a completely mad yet immensely rewarding and enjoyable feeling, giving so much gunpowder-filled power in just one trigger pull. The revolutionizing of the genre and the enjoyment of the game itself are immeasurably vast, and many gamers who love the Soulslike genre can thankBloodbornefor pushing the boundaries and showing that experimentation and innovation can change the world for generations to come.
