Are you an Elden Ring or Dark Souls fan looking for more Soulslike action but from other developers? These are the best Soulslike games you can experience after the real Souls series.
With Elden Ring enjoying huge success, FromSoftware’s Anime games have finally broken out of cult classic status and into the mainstream. Before, the series was considered relatively niche, despite the success of games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne. As a result, a whole subgenre of third-party games resembling the Souls series, known collectively as Soulslikes, arose.
Many of these Soulslike titles are far more than mere imitators, although heavily inspired by FromSoftwares games, each brings its own deep lore, addictive gameplay, and breathtaking world to explore. Each also carries the crushing difficulty associated with true Souls games.
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Below, we’ve ranked the best Soulslike games to try once you’ve finished FromSoftware’s catalog of classics.
Contents
- Soulslike versus Souls games
- Best Soulslike games ranked
FromSoftwareElden Ring is part of FromSoftware’s Souls series, but is its own entity/franchise.
Soulslike versus Souls games
There is a clear distinction between Soulslike games and real Souls games which we will explain briefly.
A Souls is a title developed by FromSoftware that follows the formula established by the 2009 PS3 game Demon’s Souls. While these FromSoftware titles are all unique, many share various gameplay elements and loops/crews, and despite being considered independent franchises, they all fall under the Souls gaming umbrella, even though they are released under different publishers. Each has a key architect, namely Hidetaka Miyazaki of FromSoft.
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Each is considered a spiritual successor to the last, and these games include Demon’s Souls (and its 2020 remake), the Dark Souls trilogy, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. Collectively, this group of FromSoftware games encompasses the Souls series, though each is set within its own self-contained universe, however, certain elements, themes, locations, items, and even characters cross over as a nod to fans.
Therefore, a Soulslike is any game that follows this style not designed by FromSoftware. Here are the best Soulslike games you can try in 2022:
Best Soulslike games ranked
As we explained above, the list below will only contain Soulslike games rather than FromSoftware’s Souls series games. This means that Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls 1-3, Bloodborne and Elden Ring will not be included:
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Timesie
Team17Thymesia looks a lot like Bloodborne, but has a lot of original ideas.
Thymesia is heavily inspired by FromSoftware’s Bloodborne, even in character and world design. However, the game never quite matches the horrific beauty of From’s nightmarish masterpiece. Still, Thymesia is a solid distraction for Soulslike fans looking for a small dose of dark RPG action.
The game has its own lore and world, which are definitely worth exploring, but Thymesia mostly just left us wanting a Bloodborne 2 or PS5 remaster if you’re listening FromSoftware.
The Wheelie / The Wheelie 2
Deck 13 The Surge is like Dark Souls with bots!
The Surge (and its even better sequel) could be considered Robo Souls if you’re a fan of the subgenre. With The Surge 2, the series has truly found its footing, and while it emulates the Dark Souls formula to some extent, it offers its own futuristic take on that style of gameplay.
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It’s also a game that rewards players with nice loot, allowing you to constantly upgrade your character until you become a robot legend.
Steelrising
Spiders Steelrising is a Soulslike set during the French Revolution, also with robots.
Steelrising is far from perfect and its combat can feel a little boring in the end, but its premise is amazing. The game is set during the French Revolution in a timeline where the king has used creepy clockwork robots to scare the rebels into submission.
Naturally, everything goes horribly wrong and soon the robots lead their own revolt. That is until Aegis, the player character and a robot herself, becomes self-aware and steps forward to stop the massacre and save not only the French people but also her kind.
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Deadly shell
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Mortal Shell is mostly influenced by the Dark Souls trilogy, offering a similar dark atmosphere where an unnamed character goes on a mission to change his own fate and that of the world. Like FromSoft’s oppressive and bleak world, the game is all about environmental storytelling, and those who actually spend time in it will find it very rewarding.
The game is available on Xbox Game Pass and is a must play for those who have connected fire or let it fade away.
Lords of the Fallen
HexWorksLords of the Fallen is getting a sequel/reboot soon.
Lords of the Fallen was one of the first Soulslike games to mimic the Souls series and is still one of the best to date. The game is much clunker than FromSoftware’s adventures, but it works, as the weight from swinging weapons makes for satisfying combat.
Dying in Lords of the Fallen also has an even greater risk-reward system than the main Souls series, meaning players will be tempted to go a little further, even as the danger escalates. A reboot/sequel of the same name has also been announced.
Code Vein
The Vampires of Bandia Namco are the good guys of Code Vein.
Code Vein is a stylish and gory Soulslike anime where players take on the role of a vampire in a post-apocalyptic world. The title proudly wears its Souls influence on its sleeve and offers plenty of new ideas that will delight fans of the sub-genre and new players alike.
There is no multiplayer in the game, but the protagonist is accompanied by a partner character. This takes away much of the difficulty, but that doesn’t stop Code Vein from being a fun experience.
Nioh / Nioh 2
Koei TecmoNioh is essentially Samurai Souls – and that’s a good thing.
Nioh is truly the king of all Soulslike games and FromSoftware’s latest design love letter. However, this series is developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo, so it has nothing to do with FromSoft.
The first game is set in 17th century Japan and follows Irish adventurer, William Adams, who finds himself drawn into significant historical events of the time just as demons – or Yokai – begin to invade the land.
Nioh’s combat is great and offers so many different ways to approach it. If that weren’t enough, the game’s unique Ki system adds a layer of depth to combat and makes the player aware of what they are doing at all times.
Nioh 2 is a prequel to the first game in which the player controls a Yokai who fights to stop the demonic invasion. The game follows the formula established by its predecessor, but goes even further.
Fans of any Souls game will be instantly at ease with Nioh and Nioh 2. However, both games take a more arcade-like approach to combat, rather than the methodical duals of From’s titles. A spiritual successor known as Wo: Long Fallen Dynasty is also in the works.
There you have it, the best Soulslike titles ranked. For more original content, check out below:
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