Summary
The popularity of From Software’sSoulsseries has seen a number of other developers try their hand at taking on the challenging dark fantasy genre. Many attempts have fallen short of their goals, making titles that are just mediocre action games. Some, however, have managed to carve their own identities, creating fanbases and franchises of their own.
Players tend to approach these games in different ways, andthe best soulslikesoffer players multiple ways to overcome their challenges, depending on their playstyle. For those players who like to turtle up behind a shield, or boost their defensive stats through the roof, these soulslikes offer plenty of ways to tank damage and increase the margin for error.
The anime art style ofCode Veinis one of the things that makes itstand out in the soulslike genre. It may not have had the most innovative take on Souls-style action RPG gameplay, but it did have some unique ideas when it comes to character building. Not only did the game have an extensive cosmetic character creator, but it used the intriguing idea of “blood codes” in place of fixed classes. Codes are obtained through gameplay and give the player the ability to swap to a new class on the fly, determining their stats, spells and what kind of gear they can comfortably equip.
The secret to tanking inCode Veincomes from combining the highest HP and Balance-based blood codes with large two-handed weapons. These weapons offer the highest damage reduction on block. The huge Zweihander sword even gives 100% blocks, which only lowers stamina.
Ashenisa slow and methodical soulslikethat focuses on exploration and immersion in its stylized world. The combat is not incredibly complex and leans toward the slow, shield-heavy combat of the earlierSoulsgames. It encourages players to play with patience, and there’s little disadvantage in playing in a defense-focused way.
There are relatively few enemies, and players will soon get used to the rhythm of combat in the game, learning when to attack and when to keep their defense up. Tanking inAshenisn’t a case of being able to take damage on the chin, but a case of learning to use a sturdy shield for an impenetrable defense.
The sequel-come-reboot ofLords of the Fallenmakes several notable advances from the original. It’s an inherently more fun game, with more options in combat, better enemy and encounter design, and better level design. The latter is thanks to the umbral lamp mechanic, letting the player switch between realms and creating interesting environmental puzzles.
Tank characters havea number of build options. Players can choose to be all Strength, Vitality, and Endurance, allowing them to wear heavy armor and pack a great shield. They can choose to spec into Radiance and use regen spells to negate wither damage from blocking. Or they can choose to spec into Inferno and use the body buff spells of that discipline to increase their defensive stats.
Due to the nature of combat, a player has to balance their defense with offensive options. Yet, that’s true of most soulslike games, andLords of the Fallengives players plenty of choice in how they want to handle both sides of combat.
Many players ofBlack Myth: Wukongwould argue that the best defense is a strong offense. They’re not wrong, but there are a number of ways that players who lack lightning fast reflexes canboost their defensive abilitiesand make the games' many boss fights go a little easier.
Beyond just having better defensive stats on armor, players can customize their spirits, spells, curios, and vessel. All of these different categories have relevant defensive-focused pieces, like the passive defensive boost of the Wandering Wight spirit, or the active deflection of the Rock Solid spell. Combining the passive and active bonuses of these slots allows for some very tanky builds, especially in new game plus cycles, where players really need that added defense.
The third-person shooter gameplay ofRemnant 2can be difficult for some players to equate with the RPG character building and stat allocation ofthe soulslike genre. Once players are used to the quirks ofRemnant’s unique systems, though, it’s perfectly possible to use typical build crafting ideas to create tanky characters that can survive a surprising amount of punishment.
Armor types are just as relevant here as other soulslikes, and players can use tanky options like Leto’s armor for high defensive stats. It affects how well players can evade though, which is essential inRemnant 2, so players need to mitigate equip load issues with rings or amulets.
Boss design inRemnant 2means there are often well-telegraphed one-hit kill attacks that players will need to evade no matter how tanky they are. Aside from those, a high defense build can soak up a lot of regular boss attacks, and can be augmented with healing classes like the medic for on-the-fly regen and shields.
Many players were pleasantly surprised by how wellSalt & Sanctuarytranslated the gameplay of the earlierSoulsgames into the 2D plane. Combat feels inherentlysimilar toDark SoulsandDark Souls 2, with an emphasis on being able to effectively defend or dodge while waiting for opportunities to attack.
This leads to strong, tanky characters with large shields being a highly effective combat choice. Some of the game’s sturdiest great shields can even negate most of the final boss’s attacks. For players who find the magic system in the game a little too complicated to work with, tanking is the best option.
Blasphemouscan come across as a very challenging game for the unfamiliar player. It takes a 2D platforming approach to the soulslike formula, with some encounters that can be fiendishly frustrating for new players. However, while players' only primary methods of defense are dodging or parrying,Blasphemousalso allows players to stack their defensive stats to ridiculous degrees.
The Frozen Olive and certain combinations of beads will allow players to achieve almost 100% damage reduction while under 20% health. This means that with a high enough health pool, players can tank boss attacks straight to the face and shrug them off. Players need to be out of flasks for the effect to work, but that hardly matters if they don’t take damage.
The unique soulslikeMortal Shellis arguably all about tanking. The game uses a core defensive concept called “hardening,” a move that can be triggered at any time, freezing the player in place, but deflecting any incoming attacks. Getting used to this mechanic, common across all shells in the game, is a key part of overcoming the games' harder challenges.
Shells in the game also determine players' defensive stats, as well as what weapons and skills will be most effective. To complete an even tankier build inMortal Shell, players can use a shell like Eredrim with high defensive stats, and skills like accretion of endurance for more max HP.Mortal Shellfocuses less on build crafting than some other soulslikes, but it has tanking built right into the core of the game.
