Summary
Despite its brutal difficulty,Dark Soulsis a popular game. Its heavy combat, Lovecraftian enemies, and extensive RPG mechanics handicap players while simultaneously elevating them. That sounds like a contradiction, but many fans find it infectious. That’s why it’s spawned an entire subgenre.
Within the past decade, the industry has seen several games emulatingDark Soulsexperience. These are collectively known as “Soulslikes.” They mirror the punishing difficulty, sluggish gameplay, and character-building. Regarding the latter, many Soulslikes have excelled, delivering experiences on par with their namesake. Such addictive customization means players are willing to soldier through the constant losses.
5Lords Of The Fallen
Lords of the Falleninitially seems shallow with its measly three classes: brawling magic, deception magic, and solace magic. However, these are just categories and rough estimates of the player’s style; players can fine-tune them from here.
Each has three classes, making for nine in total. Players' choice of class determines their starting equipment. For example, warriors wear heavy armor, a steel sword, and a kite shield. The characters obviously grow more as they progress through the medieval dungeons, but the brunt of the work occurs at the start.
The elaborate foundation inLords of the Fallengives players a better idea of their chosen class. They immediately know if it’s a good fit, letting them grow in subtler ways later on. The approach is unconventional yet surprisingly effective.
4Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
MergingFinal Fantasy–a predominantly turn-based series–with theDark Soulsformula seems like a random combination.Stranger of Paradiseis certainly a strange animal, but that doesn’t change the fact that the progression system excels.Final Fantasyusually has a ton of depth in character growth, withthe various classesbeing key to the methodical strategy.
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Though not developed by Square Enix,Final Fantasy Originmaintains that depth. The party hasdozens of available jobsutilizing melee strikes, ranged attacks, and magic. These all have numerous tiers of abilities–both active and passive. Leveling these up unlocks more powerful jobs. In that,Stranger of Paradisetakes a cue fromFinal Fantasy 14. Bringing such a multi-faceted system to aSoulsgame is a match made in heaven, as it brings the same enduring appeal and incentives to keep playing.
3Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
At first,Star Warsfans may balk at how limitingJedi: Fallen Orderis compared to otherStar Warsgames. Protagonist Cal Kestis doesn’t have the crazy abilities of other Jedi because of his severed connection to the Force. Regaining that connection, though, makes for some of the most tangible progression in anyStar Warsadventure or Soulslike.
ThroughoutFallen Order, Cal unlocksnew Force powers, lightsaber techniques, and survival skills. The relatively small number of upgrades ensures that each feels like a meaningful addition; these eventually add up. Players go from struggling against a few Stormtroopers to decimating entire battalions. Sure, the role-playing is thin in that they don’t have much freedom to build their own class, but this lets the game craft a more focused, nuanced path down its intended journey. Cal is going to become a Jedi Knight, but it’s immensely rewarding when players earn it along with him.
2Nioh 2
Like any good sequel,Nioh 2expands on its predecessor’s approach of progression by weapon. Players wieldodachis, axes, spears, swords, tonfas, and more. These all have dedicated skill trees, letting players become proficient in whichever area suits their preference.
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That mentality extends to more specialized categories. Players have samurai, ninja, magic, and spiritual skill trees. Not only do these hold valuable stat boosts, but they further enhance weapon use. Suffice it to say,Nioh 2has numerous facets to fine-tune combat.
That works to its benefit. These factors are easy to grasp and challenging to master, and they let the game have a scripted protagonist while still allowing freedom for players. That freedom simply comes from combat: players choose how their Shiftling dispatches the legions of feudal foes.
1Mortal Shell
More than other entries,Mortal Shelllooks like the poor man’sDark Souls, complete with medieval weaponry and a gothic aesthetic. Thankfully, the title distinguishes itself in the gameplay. Rather than selecting one class, players juggle four fighting styles or “shells.” These are the Acolyte, the Scholar, the Vassal, and the Venerable. They aren’t the clichéd classes that RPG fans have come to know, and they don’t radically change the gameplay.
Rather, they deal with effects that occur when naturally engaging with the mechanics. For instance, players might regain resolve when being hit in a hardened state, which staves off recoiling in a pseudo-block. While this admittedly diminishes the replay value, it allows the different elements to mold organically, thereby adding complexity to the core gameplay loop.
On top of that,the relatively small amount of upgrades means it’s feasible to make significant progress in each shell. It also paves the way for complementary skills between said shells. One might work in tandem with another to siphon health or amplify status effects. The system encourages experimentation from top to bottom. Like other Soulslikes,Mortal Shellcompensates for its small scale with increased depth and nuance.
