FromSoftware’sDark Soulsfranchise has irrevocably changed the face of the gaming landscape forever. It is impossible to escapethe influence ofDark Souls, and why would anyone want to? The games have been hugely successful since the first release in 2011, and have consistently put FromSoftware on the top of the action RPG market.
But, what should a player turn to once replaying theDark Soulsgames has lost its charm? There is an entire genre of gaming intended to fill this gap, known asSouls-Like games, and this list looks at 8 of them that offer a serious time investment. If a gamer really wants to lose themselves for months at a time, then look no further than these great games.
Lords of the Fallen wasoriginally released in 2014 to mixed reviews. Many discounted it as yet another bland game chasing theDark Soulssuccess. Cut to 2023, andLords of the Fallenhas been rebooted,this time finding a much more successful landing. The game went from borrowing heavily from theDark Soulsfranchise to forging its own identity that, while still flawed, is fun, unique, and broad in scale.
It is easy to find a lot to love inLords of the Fallen, either in the narrative mode which can be completed solo or co-op, or in the PvP mode which offers further content for the avid fans. This game is well worth a try and is commendable in the way it brought a franchise back from the dead.
Most, if not all,Dark Soulsfans will be at least aware ofElden Ring. It has taken all that FromSoftware spent years building inDark Soulsand placed it in a completely open world, with an immense amount of exploration. It may feel like cheating to recommend a game by the same developer, but trulyElden Ringis the perfect game for a fan of theDark Soulsgames to spend months with.
The main story is around 60 hours long, with an additional 40-70 hours worth of content, without taking into account theShadow of the ErdtreeDLC. With story and lore written by George R.R. Martin, and developed by FromSoftware themselves, it’s kind of impossible to name a game that fits the bill better thanElden Ring.
Yet another FromSoftware title, and the last on this list,Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis a Souls-Like experience like no other. UnlikeElden Ring, this game isn’t some expansive open-world spectacle, and yet a player can easily spend months with this game for one very specific reason.It is ridiculously difficult. Even by FromSoftware standards,Sekirostands far above any of theDark Soulsgames in terms of difficulty simply due to its new standing mechanics and reliance on rhythm and pattern.
To progress, a player must simply get good, master the lightning-fast combat system and parrying mechanics, or die trying. For that reason, the combat ofSekirois wonderfully rewarding, offering the player the opportunity to feel like a true living legend as they grow and learn, and eventually take down the enemies that were previously impossible.
Black Myth: Wukonghas been making waves across the online gaming community since its release.Inspired by the classical Chinese novel,Journey To The West, the game lets the player take control of an anthropomorphic monkey as he fights his way to six relics, in order to revive Sun Wukong. The game is a fun take on the soulslike formula, offering a stunning world, incredible boss fights, and deeply satisfying combat.
Similar to many of the other games on this list, this game is mostly linear, however does intersperse this with larger areas that offer the player some freedom. Much of the longevity of the game comes from getting to grips with its difficult combat, as is commonplace for souls-like, and the ability to replay the story in New Game Plus.
Dark Soulsbut with guns is far from a unique idea,howeverRemnant 2is the most polished game to attempt this. Offering just shy of 100 hours of content,Remnant 2is easy to get lost in for quite some time. The game offers procedurally generated environments, allowing each playthrough to be entirely unique, as well as multiple classes, tons of weapons, builds, areas to explore and so much more.
Remnant 2is the perfect game to simply sink a few hours into here and there, with a narrative that is inoffensive but somewhat lacking, the gameplay keeps drawing players back time and time again. With satisfying gunplay, epic boss fights, and deeply expansive exploration, it’s well worth giving a go.
Hollow Knightstands out among the games on this list for one very distinct reason; it’s 2D. This doesn’t stop it, however, from being a masterclass in making a souls-like game. From art direction, music, and atmosphere, to boss design and combat,Hollow Knightis brilliant. The world is a winding maze that doesn’t seem all that large on paper but becomes a labyrinth of nightmarishly difficult boss fights.
The player is simply told of their quest and told to explore, finding their own path through the world in which they will backtrack, fall through, climb back up, and discover secrets hidden in plain sight. There really isn’t anything likeHollow Knight, and if any player is looking for a challenging yet whimsically charming game, this is the one.
Team Ninja made bothNiohandNioh 2which are, to many, the perfect souls-like. Set in 1500s Japan,Nioh 2functions as a prequel and a sequel to the previous game narratively, but is a strict upgrade from a mechanical perspective. The gameplay is crisp and satisfying, feeling similar toDark Souls, yet arguably more difficult.
Nioh 2is well worth the almost 150 hours it takes to fully explore the complete edition of the game. It has so much for gamers of all kinds if they are willing to break through the walls put up by the brutal difficulty. There are many references to traditional Japanese folklore that make for a fascinating world, reminiscent ofDark Soulsonly in its gameplay style.
The final game on this list isLies of P, a beautiful exploration of thestory of Pinocchiothrough the lens of a challenging souls-like game. Taking control of P, the player must explore the city of Krat, undergoing a puppet uprising, in a narrative loosely based on the original story of Pinocchio. With characters like Geppetto and Gemini (a reference to Jiminy Cricket) guiding P on his journey, he must fight his way through Krat to uncover the cause of the puppet frenzy and put a stop to it.
With a few distinct endings,Lies of Pasks the player to find the line between lies and truth, choosing how their playthrough will progress with varying differences based on their choices at various points. Whether or not a player is interested in the fairytale narrative, the gameplay ofLies of Pis more than enough to keep them coming back over and over. It is some of the most well-tuned souls-like combat on the market, and with many secrets to uncover in Krat, players will have no problem spending months with this game.
