9 Games That Aren’t Soulslikes But May As Well Be

No matter who you are, we humans love a good bit of organization. We love fitting things into nice little boxes with labels on them, and we also love creating things that break those labels at the same time. There are plenty of video game genres that have been broken into small subgroups over the years. JRPGs are an infamous example, but we really need a roundtable on what defines a Soulslike.

If you've been around gaming spaces online, you're probably aware that a new challenging or dark fantasy game gets called a Soulslike every other week. It's all posturing and posing, because there's a lot more that goes into a Soulslike than getting skill checked at the first legitimate boss of the game.

Typically, a Soulslike game is open-world and they usually allow players to explore freely. If they run into enemies stronger than them, there's usually a way to succeed and beat them through trial and error, strategy, and careful character building. The combat thrives on the concept of dodging and waiting for openings to strike down enemies. Most lore in Soulslike games is introduced piecemeal, and prominent games like Elden Ring leave lots of room for personal interpretation.

Now that we've set the stage for a general idea of a Soulslike, let's take a look at some games that aren't Soulslikes, but may as well be in spirit.

9 Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm

It Was Here First

Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm Released June 21, 2000 Platform(s) Sega Dreamcast

Hang on. Demon's Souls was made in 2009. Why am I talking about a Dreamcast game from 2000? Well, because it ticks a lot of Soulslike boxes way before Dark Souls was even a thought in FromSoftware's head. Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm takes place in a fantasy realm, you mainly fight with a sword and a shield, and fighting enemies takes careful observation and attack timing. (Even if Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm was classified as a hack-and-slash RPG back in the day.)

Looking at Draconus now, after Soulslikes had become such a phenomenon in the video game industry, the resemblance feels a bit uncanny. At the same time, it's clear as day as to why this Dreamcast game fell into obscurity over the years. It's incredibly simplistic, both in design and difficulty. The camera is also so glued to your back that playing Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm actively makes me nauseous. Even with its issues, it's surprising that another game could have dominated the Soulslike conversation years ahead of its time.

8 Blasphemous

Castlevania's Atmospheric Cousin

Blasphemous Metroidvania Soulslike FX Wiki Wiki Released September 10, 2019 Developer(s) The Game Kitchen Publisher(s) Team17 Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Genre(s) Metroidvania, Soulslike

Out of the games on this list, Blasphemous is one of the few games on here that wears Dark Souls inspiration on its sleeves. It certainly deserves to be called a Soulslike, but at the end of the day, Blasphemous is a Metroidvania. It's way more "-vania" than it is Metroid, unlike another game we'll get into later. And the "-vania" goes hand-in-hand with the gritty aesthetic that Blasphemous is known for and Soulslikes feel right at home in.

Blasphemous has the trademark difficulty fans look for with this subgenre, with the plethora of items for unique builds to go with it. It's not as open-ended as, say, Elden Ring, but it would fit very nicely with ER on collector's shelves. Even still, though, Blasphemous is a Metroidvania first and foremost, and its fantastic movement and platforming elements will remind you of that every step of the way. Or, at least it will, once you get good at it.

7 Sifu

Who Needs Builds When You Have Your Fists?

Sifu Roguelike Beat 'Em Up Released February 8, 2022 Developer(s) Sloclap Publisher(s) Sloclap Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Genre(s) Roguelike, Beat 'Em Up

Calling Sifu a Soulslike might be a warning sign that we need to be more strict on this genre by itself, but somewhere, there's an alignment chart of Soulslikes, and Sifu is likely on it. It sits around Lawful Evil, in my opinion. It has the makings: combat that demands that you master it, necessary parries, and a difficulty that won't let you just button mash your way through it, unlike many other beat 'em ups.

There are a lot of parts to the Soulslike experience that Sifu lacks, but at the same time, many people feel like it itches the same spots. Especially if you find yourself craving a challenging game. If you ask me, more Soulslikes could take a note or two from Sifu's art direction. The level of detail and color in Sifu is beautiful to look at every step of the way. But I know I'm biased in that I'm getting bored with dark fantasy Soulslikes coming out every other month or so. I'd love to see more variety, and that's exactly what Sifu brings to the table.

6 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

The Blueprint for Any Future Sci-Fi Soulslikes

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Action Adventure Released November 15, 2019 Developer(s) Respawn Entertainment Publisher(s) Electronic Arts Platform(s) PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC, Stadia Genre(s) Action, Adventure

In terms of honorary Soulslikes, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has earned that title long, long ago, but in a galaxy not so far away. (It's this one, if you're keeping track.) The Jedi games are truly special in many ways, including the execution of Lightsaber fights.

There are a few natural pieces to fighting with a Lightsaber that are also the bread-and-butter of most Soulslike combat styles. You get to parry laser blasts, use the Force, and all of this flows the best with reactive enemies to dodge and strategize around. As good as it might feel to play Bloodborne and Star Wars Jedi: Survivoron rotation, the Jedi games aren't Soulslikes.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor are fantastic at capturing what made Star Wars great. I would know. I fell out of Star Wars as I grew up and playing these games feels like coming home to my old family. The Empire-controlled mess that the galaxy finds itself in does fit well with the ruined worlds Dark Souls fans adore, though, and it helps that the Jedi games are just as incredible in their own right to boot.

5 Sonic Frontiers: The Final Horizon

So Difficult it Was Literally Patched Out of Existence

Sonic Frontiers Action Adventure Released November 8, 2022 Developer(s) Sonic Team Publisher(s) Sega Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Genre(s) Action, Adventure

Look. I know that Sonic Frontiers isn't a particularly hard game. Its combat lets you freely spam attacks with hardly any push back, you can hold the parry button with no consequences because none of it is timed, and you can even fish to get resources at any point instead of putting in the work to engage with the game's combat. I say that last one affectionately, but still. Sonic Frontiers wasn't particularly hard at first, but all of that got thrown out when the free Final Horizon DLC dropped.

As a big Sonic fan, I dove back into Frontiers to play it on day one. Playing as Tails, Knuckles, and Amy in a 3D Sonic game after decades without it was great, but I wish someone would have warned me about Sonic's quarter of the DLC. There were trials that required you to understand exactly how bosses functioned, parries were now frame-perfect if you dared to play on hard, and beating the new final boss required you to be ready for a small window of opportunity to lock onto its weak point at just the right time.

It was tough, and a lot of fans were warning each other to switch it to easy to save themselves the headache if they weren't ready for it. The Master King Koco Trial fundamentally changed my understanding of video game difficulty for the better. Now, The Final Horizon's content has been patched to be more balanced than it used to be, so now I feel like no one will ever believe me about the time a Sonic game was one of the harder games out there. But it was, once upon a time.

4 Darkest Dungeon

So We Put a -Like in Your -Like....

Darkest Dungeon RPG Released January 19, 2016 Developer(s) Red Hook Studios Publisher(s) Red Hook Studios Platform(s) PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Switch, PC, iOS Genre(s) RPG

On the subject of difficult games that deserve to be honorary Soulslikes in their nature, I'd like to nominate Darkest Dungeon. Darkest Dungeon feels right at home with a lot of Soulslikes in many ways. It's known for being difficult, thanks to its overarching and overlapping mechanics. It also borrows a dark gothic aesthetic that feels like a good blend between Elden Ring and Bloodborne.The only thing leaving it on the edge of being called a Soulslike like many other games that don't fit the bill is the fact that it's obviously a Roguelike first.

Yes, yes. The Soulslike and the Roguelike. Together at last. As much as I feel like we need to start defining what a Soulslike is a bit more closely, I do feel like we could take how many different Roguelike games there are these days to strengthen and broaden what we expect from a Soulslike. Darkest Dungeon is a prime example, with strategy at the forefront of everything it demands from the player. Like many a challenging Soulslike, slow and steady wins the Darkest Dungeon playthrough.

3 Hollow Knight

The Master of Disguise

Hollow Knight Metroidvania Released February 24, 2017 Developer(s) Team Cherry Publisher(s) Team Cherry Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux Genre(s) Metroidvania

I first jumped into Hollow Knight ages ago, thinking it was just another popular game with an art style that drew me in. As a fan of Tim Burton's stop-motion films, I love a little bit of creepy with my cute things, you know? I got skill-checked at the door thanks to Hornet, like a bunch of other people do. When I looked it up in my frustration, I found out that Hollow Knight was considered a Soulslike when I had never played a Dark Souls game in my life before.

Yeah, I'm not afraid to say it. A lot of us have considered Hollow Knight a Soulslike because of its dark fantasy elements, general control scheme, balancing, and difficulty. But there's a big difference between borrowing elements and actually being something. Hollow Knight is another Metroidvania, again, but more Metroid than Blasphemous' Castlevania. At the same time, as my introduction to this genre built on everything that makes a challenge worthwhile, Hollow Knight certainly fits in like a glove.

2 Kingdom Hearts

If You Know, You Know

Kingdom Hearts Action RPG Released September 17, 2002 Developer(s) Square Enix Publisher(s) Square Enix Platform(s) PS2 Genre(s) Action RPG

This one goes out to everyone else who has suffered through playing the original Kingdom Hearts on the PS2 with me. You can't really say anything about how Kingdom Hearts isn't hard (and every other KH game really isn't) unless you've beaten KH1 wholesale.

A lot of people have come out and admitted that they found the first Kingdom Hearts game harder than Elden Ring lately. And I have to agree with that statement as someone who had to suffer through fighting Riku-Ansem without a cutscene skip button. It broke me, and the friends watching me waited patiently for me to struggle just as much with the final Ansem confrontation.

With some careful dodge rolling, careful monitoring of his moves, and sheer dumb luck, I beat him first try. My friends' jaws fell to the floor, and I got to smile at them and ask them where the tough boss they thought I'd struggle with was. It was honestly very reminiscent of some lucky boss fights in a Soulslike game, looking back. You have got to love the dodge roll.

1 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Deathmarch Difficulty is Worth Every Risk

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt RPG Action Adventure FX Wiki Wiki GGMods Mods Released May 19, 2015 Developer(s) CD Projekt Red Publisher(s) CD Projekt Red Platform(s) Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Genre(s) RPG, Action, Adventure

So I've already mentioned a Sonic game, Kingdom Hearts, and pulled the wool off of the eyes of the people who think Hollow Knight is a Soulslike. Now, on top of that, I'm throwing a difficulty mode into the mix. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on Deathmarch difficulty is really that game-changing. Literally. It's generally widely accepted that Deathmarch mode is the best way to play Witcher 3 because of how it makes you engage with the world and mechanics in a way that the other modes let you take at your own pace.

In my opinion, The Witcher 3 fits in perfectly with the debates regarding how hard Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and other games tend to be. A lot of people, myself included, feel like The Witcher 3 is just another WRPG on the other difficulties. I feel like it shines an important light on the evergreen debate about the difficulty expected of Soulslikes. While there's room for games like Elden Ring to give players the chance to play on an easier difficulty just to experience the game, is it really the same without the stakes and risks that come with its challenges?