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Growing up, I’ve always challenged myself in gaming. Whether it’s trying out the hardest difficulties, fighting the hardest bosses, or locating the ‘secret’ endings, these challenges have always influenced me to keep going. As I’ve grown older, met friends online, and even started streaming, I was introduced to other genres of games that I’ve never experienced.

One that has recently defined me as a gamer over the past eight years have been the “Souls-Like” games. I try my best to pace myself with these games as, you can imagine, are extremely challenging and can be frustrating at times. Getting stuck on a boss or an area that you’re unable to progress from can get to the point where you just need to put the controller down and walk away for a few hours, few days, or to some people, never return to the game.

I’m the type that’s extremely stubborn and will continue to push through until I get it done.

What is Considered a “Souls-Like” Game?

Each game defined as a “Souls-Like” game can start off differently; but have a similar presence. Typically, you’ll start the game not knowing what’s going on with little to no context provided. You’ll learn basic controls, take out a few enemies which provide experience points, and locate save points which can be used to heal, level up using the experience points earned, and unfortunately, respawn all the basic enemies you’ve recently taken out. On top of that, an extremely difficult boss will come out of no where and likely kill you in a hit or three. Beating the game results in an ‘ending’ which majority of these games will have several endings that you’ll need to replay the entire game for.

Now, this isn’t the same for *every* “Souls-Like” game out there. I would like to discuss a few that I’ve played over the years which got me to where I am now.

Bloodborne

Ah, my very first “Souls-Like” game and arguably, one of the greatest. I had no clue how difficult of a game Bloodborne was at the time. I got this when I purchased my PS4 and I needed something to play on it. I learned some hard lessons very, very early on. I want to say I did play this when it came out back in 2017 (and had a very, very large gap until I played another “Souls-Like” game.

In short, you play as the Hunter which you learn your objective is to transcend the hunt, or so you’re told. The game is set in the world of Yharnam and has a Gothic tone to it. Your save points are Lamps which work just as any other “Souls-Like” game would.

Now, when I said I struggled, I really struggled. I didn’t understand how stat allocating worked and when I saw big number go up, I figured “yeah, that’s probably a good thing.” I used the basic Saw Cleaver which I leveled for majority of the game and kept leveling up my Vitality for health, Endurance for stamina, and Strength for damage. That’s it.

As I mentioned early on, I can be stubborn and wanting to keep pushing to get through the game. However, this was the first instance in a “Souls-Like” game where I got to a boss, couldn’t understand why I was losing, and stopped playing the game for several months. I don’t want to say which boss in case of spoilers, but I was close to mid-game at the time.

Eventually, I did return to the game, found out what I did wrong, and managed to beat that boss before eventually finishing my first playthrough and getting an ending. I never did go back to do New Game+ to see other scenarios (I know, I’m ashamed of myself too), and one day, I should. Perhaps if the remaster ever comes out and I have the urge to play it again.

Hollow Knight

Like many people during the pandemic of 2020, I started streaming on Twitch as I really didn’t have many options. During that time, I played and experienced many new games and genres. In February 2021, however, I experienced Hollow Knight and let me tell you: Hollow Knight is without a doubt one of the greatest games I’ve ever played and experienced. Maybe it’s because of the friends and connections I made at the time and everyone was rooting for me to get past certain areas and bosses, but I had such serotonin completing this game.

Most people will look at Hollow Knight and think “No, Jason, this is a Metroidvania” which you are absolutely correct. However, this game does have the “Souls-Like” formula blended in: benches to save at to make upgrades with your badges, enemies respawning afterwards, death results in losing your Essence which can be retrieved if you make it back and not die again.

You play as “The Knight”, a discarded vessel exploring Hallownest and trying to find a solution behind a disease that’s spreading throughout the kingdom. The characters you encounter are extremely charming, relatable at times, and the bosses are just as challenging as any other “Souls-Like” game you’ll play. Along with the DLC, I managed to 112% Hollow Knight and was so proud of myself.

I’d like to discuss more Hollow Knight, possibly in a Metroidvania post down the line. Maybe this’ll be the year we also get Silksong….? One can still believe in miracles.

Dark Souls

2022 was the year of the Souls for me. While I didn’t play any other game that was a “Souls-Like” for the rest of 2021, a certain game called Elden Ring came out in February 2022. I knew many friends were playing it, and I wanted to save up some money before I experienced Elden Ring. While I waited, I was peer pressured into trying my first Souls titled game I already owned – Dark Souls.

I played the Remastered version of Dark Souls. As the player, you’re a cursed/hollow champion waking up in a cell in the kingdom of Lordran. While very little is explained to you (as with most “Souls-Like” games from FromSoftware), you come to learn that you need to discover what events occurred in the world, and understanding the meaning of the Age of Fire and Age of Dark.

This is considered the second Souls game (Demon’s Souls being the first) and I could tell going in that the controls were, at the time, not up to par with what I experienced in Bloodborne which is completely understandable. Gameplay itself resolved around the hollow/humanity system when it came to invading players and summons you can use. I went full Strength and Vitality again as I wasn’t experienced in magic (yet.) I enjoyed Dark Souls thoroughly and stopped after finishing my first playthrough. It’s been hard for me to go back after stopping many years ago, but I know there’s content I left undone that still urks me.

Elden Ring

Finally, I got to Elden Ring with what I perceive as my favorite Souls game and without a doubt the best entry point for anyone wanting to play a Souls game. The plot is explained immediately – you’re a Tarnished that needs to work their way into becoming the Elden Lord. Unlike Dark Souls and Bloodborne, Elden Ring is completely open-world where you can go wherever you want right away….if you can manage to live in the more difficult areas at a lower level. Consider this the “Breath of the Wild” of Souls games.

As I explored The Lands Between, I finally had a better understanding of the leveling system and started to have proper builds. I worked with a Faith/Blood build in my first playthrough and respec’d several times in upcoming playthroughs of the game to experience Arcana and straight Melee. The reason I say this is the best entry point for a Souls player is mainly due to exploration. Stuck at a boss? Leave, go elsewhere to level up, find new weapons or other bosses, and come back later whereas other Souls game you’re stuck in the area you’re at.

Without a doubt, Elden Ring was the most fun I had with a Souls game as I’m still playing Elden Ring today! As in, I finally started Shadow of the Erdtree which is kicking my butt. I ended up getting all of the achievements on Steam and even tried out the Seamless Co-Op mod several times with friends. There’s a lot of variety to this game and I can’t recommend it enough.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

I took a break for several months after finishing Elden Ring and, with peer pressure coming around, I was told that I should try another FromSoftware “Souls-Like” game – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. This still had your typical “Souls-Like” traits. Save points are Sculptor’s Idols and you had a leveling system using prayer beads. After that, everything’s completely different.

This game takes place in a fictional Japan during the Sengoku period. Unlike other Souls games from FromSoftware, you have an actual character to roleplay and not one you create. The character, Sekiro, a shinobi dubbed at The Wolf, is left for dead after losing his arm from a samurai encounter and is set on rescuing a young lord that was taken from him.

Gameplay drastically changes as the focus is on blocking, countering, and breaking the Posture bar to defeat enemies and bosses. I did manage to finish one playthrough and did start a second playthrough…several times. I ended up stopping mostly due to the fact that I was in a mood for more samurai games, and I fell in love with Ghost of Tsushima. In short, this is also on my list of “I need to go back and get the rest of the endings.”

While I can understand veteran players not enjoying this game compared to the rest of the “Souls-Like” games provided by FromSoftware, this was a unique game that I would recommend giving a try. I’m a huge fan of rhythm games and I’d consider Sekiro the rhythm game of Souls.

Demon’s Souls

I took a two year break from Souls games as I felt burnt out and eventually got lost enjoying the heck out of Baldur’s Gate 3 in 2023. When 2024 came around, I was yet again peer pressured into Demon’s Souls – the original Souls.

While I did play the PS5 remaster, I couldn’t help but finally understand the similarities that Demon’s Souls had with Dark Souls. You wake up in a cell yet again playing as a character unofficially dubbed the Slayer of Demons that works under the Maiden in Black to, as the name suggests, slay demons. As you explore Boletaria, you’ll find Archstones that can be used to level up. Stats are very similar to that of Dark Souls as well as the combat system having Human and Soul forms which also lack health. I could easily see how the developers took this game and did their own twists into developing Dark Souls.

Overall, I found Demon’s Souls to be the easiest Souls game I played to date. Experienced players like myself getting to Demon’s Souls can likely get through it vastly quick. The remaster was extremely polished, and if you wanted to get into a Souls game that wasn’t 100-150 hours long like Elden Ring, this may be right up your alley as the first Souls game to try if you have a PS5.

Lies of P

The last “Souls-Like” game I’d like to discuss, and one that’s not from FromSoftware, is Lies of P. This takes place in a fictional 19th century city called Krat where you play as the soulless puppet, Pinocchio. While there’s a petrification disease and a rise of murderous puppets in the city, Pinnocchio seems to have the ability to ‘lie’ which the player has to decide whether it’s good or bad too based on situations encountered.

The setting and gameplay feels very inspired by Bloodborne. You can level up at Stargazers using Ergo, customizable arm like Sekiro, and has its own twist of customizing weapons to benefit your builds. I found this to be a perfect blend of Sekiro plot, having a given character to roleplay, with a mix of Souls gameplay you’d typically find in most FromSoftware games.

I did manage to finish this game last summer on several playthroughs and got 100% of the achievements on Steam. There’s also a DLC coming out (rumored for 2025) which I’m looking forward to seeing how they add onto the gameplay and plot of the game.

The rest of the “Souls-Like” games…

I could go on for paragraphs more as I’ve remembered other “Souls-Like” games I gotten to play. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor I found more enjoyable as Star Wars games, but were solid for the genre.

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is more Hollow Knight/Metroidvania inspired, but I thoroughly enjoyed. Its sequel, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, just released out of early access on January 22nd, 2025 and is on my list of next game to play.

Remnant 2 was the last “Souls-Like” game I played and finished with friends as well as solo. Unlike any of the other games mentioned, Remnant 2 is more of an action, third-person roguelike shooter that’s far more forgiving in terms of dying. However, it is a unique experience to the “Souls-Like” genre which I’d recommend if you can get some friends together.

To Summarize

Never in my mind did I think I’d ever enjoy the “Souls-Like” genre after playing Bloodborne. The games were extremely challenging and having to learn a completely new style of roleplaying/leveling system irked me in so many ways.

Yet, if it wasn’t for my friends pushing me in the right direction, I’d never get to experience a master piece in Hollow Knight which would lead me to a catalogue of FromSoftware games that I now deeply adore. I struggled with a boss recently in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, but I had reassurance to keep going and after a few hours, I managed to win.

It’s understandable to be scared and terrified of playing these types of games. Heck, you could relate it to a lot of situations in life. If any of these games seem like something you’d enjoy, give it a try. There’s still many games in this genre I’d yet to experience. You may never know what treasures you’d end up finding.