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It was only a given that this game would spawn a franchise, and the trilogy is considered by many to be one of the best video game franchises of all time. So, it’s only understandable that finishing Dark Souls would leave a void that most games simply won’t be able to fill. However, the popularity of this franchise has spawned a number of Soulslikes, some of which are definitely worth noting. So, for the people who wish to experience the same feelings they got when playing Dark Souls for the first time, here are some action RPGs that are quite similar to this groundbreaking title.
Updated on January 17, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: Dark Souls is one of the most important games released in the modern generation, defining an entire generation of gaming and allowing players to finally experience a hardcore action title that is full to the brim with interesting lore and secrets. Many players who go through this amazing trilogy might find themselves wanting to check out more titles in the same vein that treat players like adults and force them to take each and every encounter seriously. Thankfully, the following titles should be right up the alley of players who love Dark Souls.
20 Remnant: From The Ashes
Where to Play: PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One
Remnant: From the Ashes is a unique mix of two genres — Soulslikes and third-person shooters. The end result is something truly memorable, especially if players have other friends they can share this experience with.
The game wastes no time in letting players know that a single mistake will be punished severely. Players need to dodge and shoot with expert precision to get through some of the many tough bosses present in this game.
19 Thymesia
Where to Play: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox Series X/S
Speaking of Soulslikes, another great title that comes to mind is Thymesia. The game takes place during a plague that is rocking the game’s world, forcing players to fight against monstrosities and other humans that have been affected by the plague.
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The plague doctor aesthetic of the game is carried off pretty well, with the game featuring several tight encounters and enough combat nuances to keep most Souls veterans satiated for the longest time. It might not be the most unique title around, but Thymesia does more than enough to keep fans happy till the end.
18 Elden Ring
Where to Play: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC
Elden Ring is one of the most critically-acclaimed video games ever made and FromSoftware’s biggest success by a country mile. The open world of this game is truly mind-blowing, with each and every corner of the landscape hiding unique and beautiful secrets that players will find amazing to uncover.
It helps that Elden Ring is quite approachable as well, with players being able to get into the title and beat its many bosses after spending enough time preparing themselves by fighting the many optional challenges in the game. Fans are glad to see FromSoftware earn the title of being one of the biggest names in the gaming landscape, and it’s clear that the future of this company is a promising one indeed.
17 Monster Hunter: World
Where to Play: Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4
Monster Hunter: World is one of the best entries in the series. It’s one of the most accessible Monster Hunter games around and will keep players addicted for hours as they hunt down the toughest monsters to ever appear in a video game.
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Monster Hunter is not an easy game in the slightest, which is something that Dark Souls fans will obviously appreciate. The game can get grindy at times, but the gameplay loop of crafting, hunting, looting, and everything else along the same lines is still really engaging and a ton of fun!
16 Horizon: Zero Dawn
Where to Play: Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4
With its sequel right around the corner, there’s no better time to check out Horizon: Zero Dawn. The game pulls no punches with its combat, which can be downright brutal if players aren’t prepared.
Of course, it’s the story of Horizon: Zero Dawn that truly excels in every department — also an area that Dark Souls is subtly brilliant in. The scope of the story expands along with the world as Aloy sets off on her journey, making for a great time in this post-apocalyptic open world.
15 Hyper Light Drifter
Where to Play: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and iOS
An indie title that is absolutely excellent, Hyper Light Drifter combines the best facets of classic Zelda games and Soulslike gameplay. The end result is a challenging yet beautiful game that gamers will absolutely adore.
The art style of Hyper Light Drifter perfectly complements its brilliant sound design. The combat is definitely its biggest highlight, with players having a ton of fun as they upgrade the Drifter’s energy sword and master all the mechanics.
14 ENDER LILIES: Quietus Of The Knights
Where to Play: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5
Ender Lilies is easily the most recent release on this list. Boasting a great Metroidvania aesthetic that has served as a base for some of the best Souls-like games around, Ender Lilies has wowed fans all over the world with its impressive visuals and gameplay.
The idea of using the attacks of different creatures to fight enemies is extremely unique. This leads to satisfying gameplay challenges as the player goes through the game and tackles the various challenges that lie within.
13 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Where to Play: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch
If there’s one thing that Dark Souls is known for, it’s the wondrous sense of exploration that’s attached to the series. There’s one other title that feels quite similar in this regard — The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.
At a glance, Skyrim might not seem like a Souls-like game. However, it’s when players start exploring the land that they’ll experience the same sense of elation that they were overjoyed by with Dark Souls.
12 Code Vein
Where to Play: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One
Calling Code Vein an anime Dark Souls might be a rather simplistic way to describe this title. However, one can’t fail to make this comparison after playing through this title.
However, the high-octane combat and a focus on co-op make this game quite unique in its own right. So, one can confidently recommend Code Vein to any person looking out for games like Dark Souls.
11 Hellpoint
Where to Play: Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Google Stadia
Although set in a sci-fi universe as opposed to a dark fantasy one, Hellpoint still delivers immersive mechanics and a cool world full of sinister threats. The variety of weapons and powers give one as much freedom as a player could want; however, the challenging bosses and enemies will test one’s patience and prowess simultaneously.
Exploring a cryptic world is always intriguing, particularly when death has consequences. When dying in Hellpoint, the player will leave behind a ghost that they must exorcise via combat to get their currency back. With a ton of areas to adventure through and succulent secrets to uncover, Dark Souls fans will have plenty to do in this radical romp through space.
10 Dark Devotion
Where to Play: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox One
As a 2D game, there are some inevitable differences from 3D ARPGs like Dark Souls due to physical constraints, though this does not detract from games in an older-school style. Dark Devotion puts players in the boots of a templar tasked with exploring an ancient temple and freeing their people’s god from imprisonment at the hands of deep beings.
There is a lot of original, deep lore that is only explained through item descriptions and books found around the world, which gives the setting a sense of ominous mystique, much like how FromSoftware’s games deliver their stories. The weapons in Dark Devotion are all very fun to use, especially the boss weapons. Lighting-launching greatswords spells with beams of energy, and much more await those in this addictive game. The structure and map progression is also set up for lots of replay value in that it operates as a rogue-like. However, there are also consistent paths and many shortcuts that cut down on any overly tedious traveling.
9 Demon’s Souls
Where to Play: PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 5
There would be no Dark Souls without Demon’s Souls. There were a lot of janky issues with the original ‘Souls’ game, though that did not stop it from being tremendously fun for many gamers the world over. In fact, many players prefer the imbalance as it allowed for absurdly fun and broken builds in both the original for the PS3 and the remake for the PS5.
For traveling a dark fantasy world full of dragons, demons, and much more, there is no better game to pick up if one seeks the kind of block-parry-dodge action they desire in their ARPGs. The structure of the game is a bit different from Dark Souls in that the world is not open and free to explore but instead arranged in a level-by-level format that makes things a bit easier to get into for many gamers who like compartmentalization.
8 Death’s Gambit
Where to Play: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows
Death and rebirth are common traits in Dark Souls, themes that transcend gameplay and speak of the infinite power held by players: immortality. One’s demise is only permanent if they give up, and Death’s Gambit runs with this idea, starting the player off confronting the Grim Reaper themselves in a chilling conversation that sets the tone for this atmospheric and polished 2D souls-like.
An intimidating world with cool bosses, highly variable area design, and a plethora of weapons and abilities make this game one to check out for all Dark Souls fans. There are even a ton of hidden quests and character dialogue to uncover that can tie a player’s attention to this fascinating foray into death’s embrace.
7 Dragon’s Dogma
Where to Play: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo Switch
There are similar elements to Dark Souls in Dragon’s Dogma, but it is not a game that can be considered a souls-like as it does maybe things differently, albeit while giving off a similar vibe to FromSoftware’s masterpiece. Players will find that Dragon’s Dogma plays more like a traditional ARPG in that there is more focus on exchanging blows with foes as opposed to avoiding the damage.
However, the stakes are just as high due to the setting’s dominating draconic antagonist, who literally steals the player’s heart, which forces them to get strong enough to find and challenge the winged fiend. A long and arduous journey awaits one in this game, but it is an adventure full of crazy mechanics like being able to lift, carry, and throw NPCs, unleashing ridiculous elemental spells, and cleaving through waves of skeletons and bandits with a trove of weapons.
6 Salt And Sanctuary
Where to Play: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One
Salt And Sanctuary is another side-scrolling souls-like that most people have unfairly overlooked since its launch in 2016.
People who decided to give this game a chance ended up with what is undoubtedly one of the more unique and challenging gameplay experiences around, coupled with an art style that is hauntingly beautiful, despite seeming somewhat minimal at first glance.
5 The Witcher 3
Where to Play: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Nintendo Switch
The Witcher 3 is easily one of the best video games of all time, and one need only look at the massively positive critical and commercial reception of this title to understand why this is the case. The combat of the game is definitely reminiscent of Dark Souls, albeit with more things to do in any given situation.
Players who enjoy great games like Dark Souls as the sum of its parts will definitely find themselves fawning over pretty much everything in this legendary title.
4 The Surge 2
Where to Play: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One
For the most part, Deck13 was considered to be nothing more than the poor man’s FromSoftware… but that was before the release of The Surge 2.
The first Surge game wasn’t anything to write home about — in fact, some might argue that the title was painfully mediocre in comparison to some of the other great souls-likes out at that time. However, The Surge 2 completely blew its predecessor out of the water, featuring better combat, visuals, and a story that was actually quite coherent.
3 Nioh 2
Where to Play: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, and PlayStation 5
Nioh 2 decided to delve completely into the spirit of Soulsborne games, featuring a custom-made character, a lesser focus on an in-your-face story, and some of the most challenging combat that the gaming industry has seen.
Any fan of Dark Souls will find themselves right at home with the combat system of Nioh 2, which is brutal yet fair in its execution.
2 Mortal Shell
Where to Play: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S
A recent souls-like to come on the market is also considered to be an absolute gem of a title that, while sporting a somewhat short runtime, still managed to capture fans’ attention with its deep lore and intricate gameplay mechanics.
Mortal Shell might not be as challenging as any of FromSoftware’s games — or any of the other souls-likes on this list for that matter — but there’s no denying that the game is an absolute blast to play through.
1 Bloodborne
Where to Play: PlayStation 4
Bloodborne is easily one of the greatest games that FromSoftware has ever developed. The Gothic architecture and Lovecraftian influences turn the game into a hauntingly beautiful nightmare of sorts, which engrossed players from the first few minutes itself.
FromSoftware’s first experimentation with advanced dodging mechanics, as opposed to blocking, was done in this title, which has some of the most nerve-wracking combat one can enjoy in a video game. Every perfect dodge feels like a massive accomplishment, surpassed only by the joy of stunning an enemy with a perfectly timed countershot and following it up with a powerful visceral attack.
Dark Souls is available for PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
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