FromSoftware's Demon's Souls, and more influential Dark Souls series have practically birthed a new genre of video games, the Soulslike. With the genre still being in its infancy, the exact rules of what define a Soulslike are still a little disputed, but there are a few common characteristics that can be found in every game under the banner. Enemies that pose significant challenge, a range of unique bosses, some light RPG elements like a gear and skill system, a stamina management system, and slow and methodical combat are all just a handful of traits that can be found in the majority of Soulslikes out there.
Though the Soulslike genre is still finding its feet, a vast array of indie and AAA titles have decided to adopt the genre and make it their own. While some Soulslikes fail to live up to their inspiration, there's a good handful out there that have put in the effort, and have advanced the genre in their own way, creating some of the best and most popular video game experiences in recent memory.
Nioh
Coming two years before FromSoftware's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Nioh is the first notable Soulslike set in the feudal Japan era. Originally released in 2017, Nioh sees players take on the role of William Adams, allegedly one of the only ever samurai who came from the West. Developed by Team Ninja, Nioh is the perfect blend of fast-paced hack-and-slash action and the Soulslike genre's methodical dodging, parrying, and weapon systems. Along with fighting other human enemies, the player will come up against some tough bosses, each one inspired by the Yokai, Japanese supernatural entities.
In 2020, Nioh received a sequel in the appropriately titled Nioh 2. Bringing even more weapon classes, skills, and special abilities to the table, Nioh 2 is a much more fleshed out experience, with even tighter Soulslike mechanics. Another improvement over the first is that Nioh 2 allows players to harness the powers of their Yokai foes, using Soul Cores to develop devastating new attacks and abilities.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Released in 2019, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is widely considered to be one of the best pieces of Star Wars media released in recent years, and is certainly one of the best Soulslikes in recent memory. Though some have criticized Fallen Order's lightsaber combat, believing that Cal's lightsaber acts more like a stick than a red-hot beam of energy, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order does an excellent job of taking the Star Wars license and applying it to a mechanic-rich Soulslike experience. With a variety of Force powers at the player's disposal, along with different lightsaber forms, combat in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order feels satisfying at all times. With a stellar Star Wars story to boot, Fallen Order is definitely worth picking up. Further, with the sequel Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on the way, now's the perfect time to check out the original.
The Surge
It isn't perfect, but The Surge series does offer a Soulslike with a unique Sci-Fi aesthetic. Developed by Deck13, the same studio behind the early Soulslike Lords of the Fallen, The Surge series debuted in 2017 and its sequel dropped in 2019. The unique hook of The Surge is its exoskeleton mechanic, whereby players can attack different body parts in order to earn armor specific to that region. Though its controls are a little clunky, and the difficulty isn't quite as balanced as its inspiration, The Surge series has some impressive presentation.
Hollow Knight
While it might not technically count as a full Soulslike, Hollow Knight is still worth a mention here. It doesn't fit most of the Soulslike criteria, but Hollow Knight's interconnected level design, tough bosses, and combat mechanics do feel highly reminiscent of Dark Souls, as does the game's obtuse method of storytelling, which relies on environmental clues and hidden lore tidbits. Hollow Knight is one of the most popular Indie games of the last few years, and its sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, looks to be bringing the same level of quality.