Summary
TheSoulslike genrehas become extremely popular ever since FromSoftware released Demon’s Souls. These types of games are well known for having extremely challenging bosses and areas, as well as featuring different armors, builds, weapons, playstyles and spells.
One of the most common activities players will find themselves engaged in while playinga Soulslike gameis grinding. In many cases, this is entirely optional; however, it presents a great opportunity for players to level up, perfect their combat skills, and become stronger, making the arduous challenges along the way easier to face. Here are some of thebest Soulslike games for grinding.
Set in Japan in the 1500s,Nioh 2works both as a prequel and a sequel to its predecessor, as the early chapters of the game happen before the events of the first instalment, whereas the last ones happen after.
Nioh 2allows players to create their own character, giving them different skills, abilities, and features that will help them along the way. As players defeat the different enemies spread throughout the game, they will earn precious Soul Cores, which can be used to further upgrade their character and become stronger.
Overall, this game presents players with the opportunity to grind as a way to level up and feel more confident as they face the various challenges the developers have devised for them.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis arguably the hardest FromSoftware game to date. Not only does this title feature a very complex parry and dodge system, but it also allows players to explore a vast world full of Japanese culture-influenced architecture, folklore, and characters.Sekiro: Shadows Die Twicewill not only pit players against human swordmasters and martial artists, but also against gigantic creatures that are not only very fun to defeat, but also have arenas that are a treat to the eyes.
While the game is not open-world and can sometimes feel too linear in terms of progression, it offers players the possibility to grind in order to increase their skills and find different Shinobi prosthetics that come in handy in combat.
Overall, this title is as beautiful as it is challenging and will often trick players into thinking that they defeated an enemy only to find that they still have to survive another phase before they can call themselves the victor.
Considered by many players to be one of the greatest Soulslike games of the last 10 years,Hollow Knighttells the story of an underground lost kingdom, mainly inhabited by buglike creatures. Similar to other games in this genre,Hollow Knighthas a bleak atmosphere that, while beautiful at times, can also be terrifying and creepy-—especially in areas like the dark Deepnest.
WhileHollow Knight’s design and visual art style are 2D, players shouldn’t let that trick them into thinking that combat and exploration aren’t difficult, as it’s quite the opposite. Bosses are great, as they pose a challenge, while also being fair, ensuring players can beat them with enough practice and patience.
Grinding is a key aspect of the game, as players can explore the different areas available to defeat smaller enemies and farm the precious Geo, which serves as the endgame currency. With Geo, players can upgrade their weapons, buy various charms that can enhance their skills, and even purchase maps to navigate the complex layout of the Hallownest.
WhileMortal Shellmight have a few areas of opportunity to improve upon in terms of gameplay and lore, it still manages to deliver a wonderful Soulslike experience that players will find very entertaining. The world where this title is set has all the elements that players would normally expect to find in a game of this genre. The bleak, hopeless atmosphere adds a great layer of despair that fits very well with the overall concept.
Boss designs are great, and while their moveset can sometimes leave a bit to be desired, especially when compared to those in the Dark Souls franchise, fighting and beating them is still very challenging and extremely rewarding.
As opposed to other Soulslike games,Mortal Shelldoes not allow players to level up their character. Instead, the game focuses on collecting the limited Tar and Glimpses scattered across the world to upgrade weapons and skills. And grinding is the best way to go about this.
For players who love souls like games and history,Blasphemousis a wonderful title that they’ll surely love. With a beautiful and unique art style that combines many elements from the Spanish Inquisition with challenging combat and entertaining platforming game mechanics, the game delivers a great experience.
Focusing on the journey of the Penitent One,Blasphemouswill have players face off against several vicious creatures as they explore the grim world of Custodia. This title offers a ton of variety in terms of area, enemies, bosses, and rosary beads that players can use to improve their abilities and even gain immunity or resistance to certain elemental factors such as poison, fire and electricity.
While the sequel to this game is also great and features a larger variety of weapons, many players agree that this installment is considerably more challenging, which directly translates into a greater need for grinding to strengthen the Penitent One and make the challenges in his journey easier to manage and overcome.
While FromSoftware was already a very popular studio thanks to the Dark Souls franchise, it’s safe to say that none of the titles they had released until 2022 were as successful asElden Ring.
Not only does this title feature a massive open world that players can explore from top to bottom in almost any order they wish, but there are also various challenging bosses with amazing designs and movesets that are not only very fun to fight and defeat, but also showcase how much work and effort went into developing the game.
Although players can choose to face the many challenges along their journey without leveling up too much, they can also choose to grind in order to get as many Runes as they can and level up considerably. This will not only allow them to have stronger weapons, a larger health bar and more stamina points to dodge incoming attacks, but also help them become more familiar with combat mechanics. There are a few spots spread across the game that are ideal for farming thousands of Runes in minutes.
