The Souls genre is responsible for many things within the world of gaming. It’s responsible for the industry-wide raising of standardsregarding interconnected world design.
It’s responsible for a resurgence of genuinely challenging games within an era of map markers and hand-holding. But most of all, Souls games are responsiblefor the slew of Souls-likesthat have come along replicating their formula.
DualShockers Definitives: Best Indie Games of 2024
2024 has been an absolutely awesome year for indies, so let’s go over the best.
While some shoot for the stars and come laughably short, some do a fine job and add their own unique spin on the established FromSoft formula. Which is what we want to focus on today.
We want to celebrate those who bravely try to tweak and, even better, what FromSoft has to offer. It’s a pretty impossible task, but we love a trier, and we love having more Souls-likes to play. So here are the best Souls-likes that 2024 had to offer us.
While Shadow of the Erdtree was a wonderful experience, we are saving the spots on this list exclusively for Souls-likes not associated with FromSoftware. Plus, we will be including souls-lites, Sekiro-likes, and games with Souls-like elements.
10Weko The Mask Gatherer
Zelda Does Dark Souls
In a bid to make this a fleshed-out top ten, I’ll admit that we have a couple of games that are perhaps only in here to make up the numbers. But, other options were available, such as Deathbound, so consider this entry the best of the rest.
Weko is very accessible and Souls-like by all accounts, acting as a beginner-friendly Souls-lite. Essentially, you have the art style of OMNO, combined with puzzles and exploration akin to the likes of Zelda, and the precision combat of Souls games. It’s a strange little cocktail but one that offers a surprisingly tasty flavor.
The mask system is an interesting enough gimmick to mess around with,and the open-world settingis a satisfying one to explore.
So, all in all, this is the open-world Souls game for all those hopeful Elden Ring players who rage quit after one too many deaths to Margit. So put those foolish ambitions to rest and play this one instead.
9Morbid: The Lords of Ire
A Gritty World To Explore
Morbid: The Lords of Ire
I’m going to be very honest about this one. I know that Morbid: The Lords of Ire wasn’t as good as many of us might have hoped. So, know that I am acutely aware of that. But, as someone who remembers how good the original Morbid was, I still found a lot here to appreciate.
The game takes the isometric combat of the original and trades it in for a more modern Souls formula that feels tight and refined for the most part.
Not to mention, the game manages to craft adark and grotesque worldthat might not achieve the same eerie and unsettling heights as the original, but still has its moments.
Aside from the performance issues that still persist, my main criticism is that it’s a game that offers decent souls combat, but very paint-by-numbers souls combat that doesn’t really push the boat out and try anything new.
But, if you’re okay with some milquetoast Souls games to fill the void, this is one that’s worth adding to the backlog at the very least.
8Bloodless
Violence Is Not The Answer
Okay, things start to pick up pace now, I promise. Here we have Bloodless, a gamethat is all about Pacifismand defeating your foes without ever landing a single blow.
It seems like a pretty dull concept for a Souls-Like, but when you add into the equation that you’ll be using unique unarmed dash combat to disarm foes, suddenly things get way more interesting.
Strictly speaking, this one is a Sekiro-like and forces the player to engage with a tight dash and disarm system that requires precise inputs, and anyone that has played Sekiro will know, in these games there’s no grinding, so you have no choice but to get good.
The retro visuals, emotive story, and killer bosses all add to the spectacle, but it’s refining your non-lethal dash combos and defying the odds against multiple mobs that make Bloodless stand out from the crowd.
So, if you’re tired of always role-playing as the merciless bloodletter, maybe this is your way to become a hero with honor.
7Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
A Souls-like With Slick Movement
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
Souls games tend to be affairs where the player is very much a boots on the ground fighter, to the point that most souls games don’t even employ a traditional jump button.
I mention this because Flintlock decides to do things a little differently and allows the player to make use of one of themost robust and satisfying traversal systemsin recent memory to get around in this Napoleonic setting.
I’ll be blunt, the game doesn’t come close to matching most souls games in terms of world building and storytelling.
But, where it lacks in narrative, in makes up for it with refined gameplay, smooth combat, and an accessible Souls-lite approach to design, that means even the most casual of Souls players can hop into this one and not miss a beat.
Many say that this game is like a love child of a traditional souls title and the modern God of War series, and in my humble opinion, I don’t think that’s too far off. So, if that sounds like something you might enjoy, it’s time you picked this one up.
6Rise of the Ronin
Fight With Honor
Rise of the Ronin
You know when you’re hungry for some Ghost of Tsushima, and your mum tells you we have Ghost of Tsushima at home? Well, Rise of the Ronin is that game in this labored analogy.
But, here’s the thing, playing second fiddle toone of PlayStation’s finest exclusivesis hardly something to hold against this game, as it’s a samurai Souls-lite that more than holds its own.
In terms of combat, much like GoT, this one is closet to a Sekiro-like if we need to put it into a bracket, but because of the flexibility of the combat mechanics that allow you to play a traditional, honorable samurai, or a gun-toting Ronin, the fact is you can play this one however you choose.
It’s a game that perhaps doesn’t have the striking visuals we have come to expect of PlayStation Exclusives, nor does it have incredible quest design. But it’s got fun moment-to-moment gameplay, an interesting open-world setting, and the core narrative is deeply underrated.
So, provided you can accept that this isn’t Ghost of Tsushima, then you just might have a blast with this one.
5Void Sols
Stripped Down Souls
Souls games are usually about offering amazing feats of graphical fidelity, world-building prowess, and peppering endless amounts of subtle lore into every nook and cranny of the experience.
But what if you just stripped all that back and aimed to offer the most simple, straightforward, and minimalist Souls experience possible? Well, the answer is a little something called Void Sols.
This oneis a real hidden gemof 2024, offering an experience that feels like a concoction consisting of retro Asteroids, Minishoot Adventures, and traditional Souls games.
A bizarre combo, but one that leads to an easy to pick up and play but deeply hard-to-master experience that feels like a breath of fresh air in the Souls-Like genre.
This experimental format is a geometric delight, and one that, contrary to what I said before, actually does have a surprising amount of lore to dig up if you’re willing.
So, if you want less grit in your Souls games and want a laser light show instead, there’s no better option out there than Void Sols.
4Enotria: The Last Song
The World Is A Stage
Enotria: The Last Song
I’ll admit thatEnotriawas a Souls title that snuck up on me this year. I had written it off as a run-of-the-mill, dime-a-dozen-souls clone from the offset. Which, as I came to find out, was a real error on my part as Enotria is the full package as far as Souls Likes are concerned.
Right from the moment youstep out into the Sunflower abundant starting area, you immediately learn that the game’s world is loaded with eye candy. Which serves as a helpful device for delivering a rather impressive storyline steeped in Italian folklore and theatrics.
DualShockers Definitives: Best Puzzle Games of 2024
2024 has had quite a few unique, small puzzle games, and here are 10 great ones.
Speaking of theatrics, this game takes the phrase ‘All the world’s a stage, and we are all merely players’ very literally. You’ll adorn different masks in lieu of a traditional class system, which is an inspired idea that works delightfully.
I will admit that the bosses are a little bit forgettable which is a real faux pas in the Souls Genre, but that aside, this is a sublime title well worth checking out.
3Another Crab’s Treasure
A Shoals-Like Adventure
Another Crab’s Treasure
For the most part, over the last decade and a half, Souls games have graced our gaming systems, and there has always been a rite of passage.
Players who wanted to add Souls games as part of their gaming repertoire would need to pick one, die endlessly, and eventually do as all the veteran players in the Reddit forums suggested and ‘git gud’.
However, over the last few years, there has been a push to offer Souls' games that are most accessible and give a clearer path of progression leading up to harder Souls titles, and the first rung on that ladder is undoubtedly Another Crab’s Treasure.
This Pixar-adjacent shoals-like is a phenomenal title that blends traditional souls mechanics with others you might find in action adventures and mascot platformers. All the while weaving a happy-go-lucky tale of an underwater world and a crustacean that just wants his shell back.
It’s undeniably cute but also offers a steep enough difficulty curve that, if you master this game, you’ll have the basic skill set needed to take on a FromSoft classic.
We aren’t saying you won’t still die lots, but thanks to this colorful adventure, you might die a fraction less.
2Nine Sols
The Art Of Counter-Attacking
2024 really hasbeen the year of the Metroidvania. Whether that’s because the genre is enjoying a bit of a Renaissance, or because Silksong’s endless delays have created a hunger for new Metroidvania experiences, I don’t know.
But what I do know is that in a sea of prime candidates for best of the bunch this year, I will boldly say that Nine Sols is the cream of the crop.
This Sekiro-like is a true test of your mettle as you need to have sharp reflexes to parry with precision. You need to be agile enough to platform with care through this hostile, Tao-inspired world, and just when you think you have a grasp of things, you’ll have a hulking boss to take on that will put you in your place.
Nine Sols is a magnificent showcase that proves 2D Souls games can be every bit as impressive as their 3D counterparts.
Not to mention, it’s one of the hardest Souls games in recent memory, which is sure to attract more than a few, as Souls fans are gluttons for punishment. So, for a gory 2D treat, add this one to your library.
1Black Myth: Wukong
Become The Monkey King
Black Myth: Wukong
Souls titles are beloved for a number of reasons among fans, and each will have their favorite thing that keeps them coming back for more. However, if we took a poll, I reckon the top answer would be ‘the bosses’ by a landslide.
This is something that the Journey to the West-inspired adventureBlack Myth: Wukongleans into heavily, playing more like a boss rush than a Souls game in a lot of respects.
It’s a game thatdines out on grueling boss encounters, each with its own tight choreography that you have to learn to perfection, and if that’s not music to Souls fan’s ears, I don’t know what is.
Alongside a slew of memorable bosses, you also have a game that is a visual spectacle from start to finish, with tight combat mechanics that blend high-octane hack-and-slash and Souls principles to create a dynamic yet thoughtful combat experience.
Sure, you might get a little irked by the abundance of invisible walls to keep you in bounds. And truth be told, the game really tails off after chapter four.
But as a holistic experience, it’s a seminal Souls-like that you simply need to play, as it’s one of the finest of all time, let alone this year.
10 Easiest Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Bosses
The DLC is known for its difficulty, but not all enemies with a health bar are a challenge.
