Summary
After the enormous success ofElden Ringand its DLC, it makes perfect sense thatFromSoftware wanted to continue the franchise further, but no one expected a game quite likeNightreignthat combines elements from several genres into a Souls-rogue-like adventure unlike any other. The game takes inspiration from many other titles in the gaming world, as well as previous ones in the developer’s catalog, and is no doubt one of the most interesting and exciting gaming releases of the year.
While there is no game that mirrors the gameplay loop exactly, there are plenty of titles that capture the essence of an open-world full of loot and enemies to take down, all while including elements like co-op fights and roguelike loops that add extra replayability to some already great experiences. Open-worlds always offer some amazing escapes into completely new and fascinating universes, and each game in the genre brings something new whilst building on plenty of the success in the past in order to create a world that is expansive, detailed, and extremely fun.
When the medieval settings and modern-day takes get too overwhelming, sometimes it’s nice to step into adistinctive world full of intriguing locationsand adventures for players to enjoy as a group.Hyper Light Breakertakes the vibrant aesthetic of the original game and brings the universe into an open world full of ever-changing biomes and procedurally generated areas that are full of loot, enemies, and secrets to uncover. Playing in a group feels natural, and every player can customize their characters' look and gameplay to keep each run feeling different, adding hours of extra content to enjoy again and again.
The gameplay loop feels very akin to whatElden Ring Nighreignattempts to deliver: a random world full of distinctive enemies and areas to loot, tight combat that has plenty of variety for all kinds of playstyles, and the ability to return to a hub area and level up for next time. With the game being in early access, things can only get better from here, and there are already so many different areas to explore and bosses to take down that it is the perfect game to scratch the open-world itch with a group of friends.
Set in a sunless world on the edge of rebirth,Ashendelivers a minimalist but deeply atmospheric experience that hinges on quiet storytelling, measured exploration, and brutal, methodical combat. Unlike high-fantasy epics crowded with exposition, Ashen uses its desaturated visual style and ambient world design to evoke a sense of isolation and resilience whilst still being a striking and visually stunning experience. The game’s stamina-based combat and weighty weapon choices will be familiar to fans of Soulslikes and puts a lot of weight on timing and careful button presses over just straight mashing. The world is open and interconnected, brimming with hidden paths and lore that encourages players to venture out and uncover the mysteries that fill every corner of the bleak yet beautiful world.
What setsAshenapart within the open-world genre is its unique approach to multiplayer. In FromSoftware’s titles, players interact with one another in ways other than simple matchmaking. From phantoms to messages, the world is alive with the echoes of other players, andAshenfollows a similar, more open way of encountering others. Cooperative play is seamlessly integrated through a passive online system where other players appear as anonymous wanderers, creating a sense of fleeting companionship in a world defined by its harshness. The overall feel is pretty close in a lot of ways to the world ofNightreign, integrating challenge with an open-world that is both mysterious and wonderful. With its blend of minimalist storytelling, rewarding combat, and a hauntingly beautiful world, the game offers a stark contrast to louder, more eccentric entries in the genre while still delivering the core thrills that fans of Soulslikes expect.
RPG worlds range in their scope and style, some opting for a first-person cinematic experience and others focusing more on depth in character and combat, giving players plenty of choice over how they play and engage with the world. When it comes to titles that push boundaries in terms of variety in an open-world,Diablo 4gives players exactly what they want and need, from an endless list of weapons and armor, to a wide array of of dungeons to delve into with a party to grow in power and take on the massive threats that wait eagerly later on.
The similarities betweenDiablo 4and a game likeNightreigncome from the enemy designs and the extreme emphasis on combat and fighting. Co-op gameplay is great and rewards players for working together and having a nice balance of damage and support in their party. And battling through groups of enemies across the world and taking on some pretty tough bosses as well fills the player with a sense of accomplishment very similar to that which is found in the Soulslike genre. A slightly different experience but one that is incredibly satisfying and rewarding, particularly for players who love a grind.
While the first thought that comes to mind when it comes to an open-world Souslike may be melee and magic-based combat, it doesn’t mean that shooters can’t get in on the fun. A game likeRemnant 2offers achallenging and brutal open experiencethat is the perfect game to play as a group and jump in for some exciting adventures across a wide array of locations and backgrounds. Each location is generated randomly but contains specific points of interest that contain loot or mission objectives, and the worlds are open enough to offer enough exploration to keep players hunting for many hours.
The parallels toNightreigngo even further, as after each area, players can return to a hub location and level up their gear and weapons to help them progress further and deal with the constant threat of aliens, robots, and all manner of gruesome and challenging foes. There’s a lot to enjoy, and the combat alone is enough to warrant giving the game a try, as every gun feels powerful and rewarding to use and gives the player a real sense of strength with every bullet that leaves the chamber. A gun-based Soulslike that doesn’t start with the word Blood? What’s not to love?
Extraction shooters have had a massive boom over the past few years, bursting onto the scene with brutally punishing gameplay that is as intense as it is infuriating. Every session into the wilderness can offer plenty of loot and rewards but also spell the end of the player’s life in a matter of moments.Huntis a particularly intriguing title in the genre, as it brings a completely different aesthetic from an alternative Western world, full of vicious beasts and giant arachnids ready to be hunted down.
Every time the team manages to leave the wasteland, they retain all the weapons and loot their character managed to acquire, whether from the world or the corpses of enemy players. But even when everyone else is long gone, the PvE elements of the game, combined with the coordinated co-op needed to take down the significant world threats, make the game plenty challenging and offer a unique blend of extraction shooting and Soulslike bosses.
Code Veinpresents a post-apocalyptic world steeped in anime-inspired visuals and supernatural lore, offering a stylized alternative totraditional open-world action RPGs. A society overrun by monstrous creatures known as the Lost, the game blends dungeon-like level design with an open structure that encourages exploration and rewards co-operative gameplay and coordination. The combat is super fast-paced and flashy, incorporating a mix of weapon types and abilities that all make the player feel like a real anime protagonist.
The game is incredibly unique when compared to most of the other games in the Soulslike library, and that individuality goes much further than just the aesthetic. The storytelling is compelling and heavily influenced by in-world encounters, and the exploration is truly amazing, especially when adding a few extra players into the world. While it might not offer a seamless multiplayer experience from start to finish, the moments where players get to jump into the world together and take on some mountain-sized threats feel very similar to moments inNightreign,and it is a great game to satiate the hunger for more open-world, Soulslike gameplay.
Monster Hunter Wildsbuilds upon the franchise’s legacy with a refined open-world structure that emphasizes fluid traversal, dynamic ecosystems, and large-scale cooperative encounters that feel just as large in scale as the world they are in. Each biome is teeming with life, reacting not only to the presence of the player but also tonatural elements like weather and time of day, making it feel even more alive than any of the open-world games out there. Hunts unfold organically across shifting terrain, with creatures engaging in territory disputes, ambushes, and migration patterns that influence strategy and pacing. Each encounter varies in scale and difficulty, allowing players to take down lower-level threats to gear up for the bigger fights.
The integration of mounts, enhanced mobility tools, and environmental traps adds tactical variety to the game, and players are free to roam around significantly more than other entries in the series. Multiplayer remains at the core, with drop-in cooperative play allowing hunters to coordinate, adapt, and share in the triumph of each colossal takedown in a very similar way to taking down a particularly tough boss with a party of friends in a Soulslike. The gameplay progresses in a natural manner, and the challenge keeps on getting bigger and bigger, rewarding players who really go the distance with some intense and amazing fights and offering an experience that is best played with friends and a truly unforgettable one at that.
