FromSoftware have enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity over the last decade. The spike in success is fully deserved, as the Japanese studio has created a new subgenre of action-RPG and action-adventure that has been a huge hit with hardcore gamers and is now even starting to enjoy mainstream success.
Replayability is an important factor for many people when buying single-player games today, especially when there are so many free games and value-for-money subscription services available. FromSoftware's Souls-like games are applauded for their replayability, but which game has players coming back for more the most.
7 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is considered to be a Souls-like, but it sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the others. The main difference is that Sekiro is an action-adventure game, while the others are all action RPGs. As such, there are no classes and no vast range of weapons and armor to choose from.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is still a highly replayable game, as there are plenty of things to collect and work towards, such as Prosthetic Tools upgrades and Combat Styles, though there are nowhere near as many variations as other games. The game also has fewer secret areas and bosses than most other games in the series, with the unsettling Headless mini-bosses and second Great Serpent being rare exceptions.
6 Demon's Souls
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Demon's Souls was the game that started it all. Originally released in 2009, Demon's Souls introduced many of the core mechanics that are now synonymous with the Souls-like subgenre.
The game is the least replayable of the action-RPG Souls-likes as it is considerably more linear than the other titles. Demon's Souls uniquely splits its areas into various stages that are accessible by the game's hub area. Demon's Souls' replayability largely stems from the variation in builds that players can construct and choose from.
Demon's Souls has since been remade on the PlayStation 5, giving more people the chance to play the influential adventure.
5 Dark Souls 3
Truth be told, the Dark Souls trilogy are very similar in terms of replayability, and it could be argued that all three positions on this list could be switched. We've decided to put Dark Souls 3 as the least replayable of the trilogy, as it's slightly more linear than its predecessors. Still, Dark Souls 3 has a great range of builds for players to choose from and a handful of secret areas and bosses that many players will miss on their first playthrough if they're playing without a guide.
4 Dark Souls
Although Demon's Souls was the game that started the Souls-like movement, Dark Souls is considered to be the subgenre's most influential and impactful release, as it fine-tuned the subgenre's formula, creating one of the best action RPGs of all time in the process. In fact, according to the Golden Joystick Awards, Dark Souls is the Ultimate Game of all Time.
Dark Souls stood out in 2011 for how much content is optional and easily missable, something that would become a common theme of Souls-likes but was exceedingly rare in AAA gaming at the time.
3 Dark Souls 2
Dark Souls 2 is perceived by many fans as the ugly duckling of FromSoftware's Souls-like games, who believe that it is the weakest in the series. Though it's hard to deny that the game does fall short of the incredibly high standards set by the other games on this list, it's still a great action RPG that is packed with content.
Dark Souls 2 has considerably more bosses that the other Dark Souls games and also has a decent range of convoluted quests that many players will miss on their first playthrough.
2 Bloodborne
The debate as to which is the best Souls-like game is one that will never land on a definitive answer and one that will often see a different game come out on top, depending on who is asked. It is worth noting, however, that Bloodborne's name tops ranking lists on an impressive amount of occasions.
Bloodborne differentiates itself from the other Souls-like games with its gothic setting, which unpredictably descends into Lovecraftian horror. The game ranks highly on this list for its Chalice Dungeons, which are procedurally generated, giving players hundreds of hours of extra content.
1 Elden Ring
Elden Ring is the most recent Souls-like game released by the subgenre's creator, FromSoftware. The game boldly takes the series' mechanics and puts it in an open-world environment, which, unsurprisingly, sent hype levels through the roof when it was announced.
Despite the enormous weight of expectations on its shoulder, Elden Ring didn't disappoint, offering an epic adventure with hundreds of hours of hand-made content packed with secret areas and bosses. The game also has a ridiculous range of possible builds that alone offer numerous playthrough ideas.
Elden Ring is already considered by many people as the favorite for 2022's end-of-year Game of the Year awards, as it is one of the best-reviewed games of all time, exemplified by its whopping 96 Metascore.