The soulslike genre has created some of the best and most compelling games of the last decade. These games may wear their inspiration on their sleeve, but at their best, they’re adding something new and valuable to the overall gaming zeitgeist, usually with a healthy heap of difficultyand grim lorethrown in for good measure.
Whether to help streamline gameplay or put a new twist on the classicDark Soulsformula, many soulslike games move away from the heavy focus on player stats thatgames likeElden Ringhave to give players different ways of experiencing the game or growing in power.
Ashenis a unique co-op spin on theDark Soulsformula that innovates and diverges from its inspiration in many ways. Most of the enhancements in this game areunlocked through explorationas opposed to grinding or reaching certain story milestones. This puts a different spin onAshen’s open world compared to other soulslikes, and gives players a fantastic incentive to explore more.
Ashenalso does not have traditional stats for this very reason, with no grinding per se available to the player. Instead, exploration reveals permanent increases to health and stamina through the completion of main and side quests for the NPCs located all across the world. This changes the mindset of players and framesAshenin a very different way compared to its contemporaries, definitely a game to keep an eye on for those looking to get into a co-op soulslike experience.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis an incredibly interesting twist on the legacy of FromSoft’sDark Soulsseries, taking the principles of those titles but reframing them and greatly changing the overall experience and gameplay philosophy. Stats boil down to the protagonists overall combat skill, with concepts like posture impacting how many consecutive strikes they can block or parry before becoming fatigued - as opposed to a static number as seen in more traditional soulslike games that equates to a stat.
Rather than grinding for xp to improve damage output,Sekirorelies on acquiring prayer beads, learning how to deflect attacks, and overalladopting a more technical mindsetto the combat to succeed. It’s clear to see FromSoft leaving their comfort zone in this title, but to great effect with a highly engaging Souls experience.
Blasphemoushas an incredibly unique style and aesthetic that sets itself apart from both soulslike and metroidvania games, despite the inspiration it takes from both. This titleand its sequelboth stand out as incredible games with much to offer the player in terms of difficulty and world building. Blasphemous allows players to gradually build up their moveset through the acquiring of tears, which then let them unlock new actions to get through the game with.
This system certainly diverges from typical soulslike fare, and although it’s more in line with the game’s metroidvania inspiration, the end result is something as compelling and unique asBlasphemous' worldbuilding and lore.
As well as being a markedimprovement on its predecessor,The Surge 2has a lot of incredibly interesting concepts working well together to make a fantastic title overall. The central mechanic that highlightedThe Surgeas being so unique is still here - that weapon or piece of armor look cool? Cut it off the enemy, and its yours. While this is already a great departure from the soulslike genre, the allocation of attributes through cores
There are three central skills players can invest in - their health, stamina, and energy - that greatly improve their chances of survival in this difficult and unforgiving game.
Mortal Shellwas a quiet success on gaming shelves, overlooked by some for its short playtime, but enjoyed by many more. Within the tight scope of this game - a few weapons, a handful of locations - something truly marvelous came through, not just a loveletter to the originalSoulsgames but a fantastic video game in its own right with incredibly graceful and slick combat mechanics, an interesting setting, and a novel concept that reframes the very idea of ‘builds’ so central to the identity of many soulslike games.
Changing betweenthe handful of shellsavailable in game provides an incredibly different experience through each encounter and area explored, further diversified by the individual abilities and the separate weapons the player can equip to their liking. It leaves a lot of variation despite the small number of shells on hand, and plays very differently to traditional stat systems people might be used to in these types of games.
