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"Soulslike" (games with gameplay like Dark Souls) Thread

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ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#51: Dec 27th 2022 at 11:59:57 PM

That's exactly it. If it cannot accept failure in executing its core game design, it's not a genre, it's more of a medal of honor.

Indeed, I do agree then I believe.

... no, it doesn't nearly look like a Soulslike, but it does have a similar focus of combat in dodging enemy attacks and learning their patterns ...

In that case I indeed wouldn't call it a "Soulslike"—as I said, my comments regarding the combat were specifically about the combat, rather than a full definition of the genre, as I recall.

Although, I am firmly on the side of 'it doesn't really matter what it looks like, gameplay elements are more important'.

I'm inclined to agree!

(Edited for page-topper.)

Edited by ArsThaumaturgis on Dec 28th 2022 at 10:01:15 PM

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eagleoftheninth Shop all day, greed is free from a dreamed portrait, imperfect Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Shop all day, greed is free
#52: Dec 28th 2022 at 2:11:40 PM

Mortal Shell is free on the Epic Games Store for today.

One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.
Noaqiyeum we must dissent (it/they) from across the gulf of space (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
we must dissent (it/they)
#53: Dec 29th 2022 at 2:47:52 PM

Again, your definition excludes Nioh (it's pretty colourful and fairly bright all things considered, it's also smack bang in feudal japan which dictates a lot of visual elements), which would make it kind of unworkable.

In fact, from what I've seen, Elden Ring is pretty bright and colourful overall. Limgrave and really most of the rest of the surface world looks more or less like The Fellowship of the Ring, with the additions of visible trees of Valinor and incongruously terrestrial marine life.

Strongly gothic horror-fantasy art direction is pretty strongly associated with it, though, probably both because Fromsoft did it first and because it resonates well with common mechanics like restricted healing, experience as currency, and the gameplay loop of dying repeatedly until you succeed.

(On the subject of which, I'm hopeful about Nazralath almost entirely because of the environment and sound design, despite a couple of obvious placeholders making it clear it isn't publication-ready yet.)

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Mullon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
#54: Dec 30th 2022 at 9:50:00 AM

I would pay good money for a soulslike game that looks like original Star Trek.

Never trust anyone who uses "degenerate" as an insult.
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#55: Dec 30th 2022 at 7:15:32 PM

[up][up] Elden Ring is a world in ruins, though.

And you do get the gothic feel once you get through to Leyndell.

Noaqiyeum we must dissent (it/they) from across the gulf of space (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
we must dissent (it/they)
#56: Dec 30th 2022 at 9:23:47 PM

Middle-Earth is a world in ruins, too, though. :P Raya Lucaria is pretty gothic, and Leyndell has some of that as well, but it also reminds me a lot of Minas Tirith and Osgiliath. (This may admittedly have more to do with LOTR not actually being as High Fantasy as most of its imitators.)

Edited by Noaqiyeum on Dec 30th 2022 at 5:30:01 PM

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M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#57: Dec 30th 2022 at 9:34:18 PM

Elden Ring gets dark fast after leaving Limgrave.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Resileafs I actually wanted to be Resileaf Since: Jan, 2019
I actually wanted to be Resileaf
#58: Dec 30th 2022 at 10:03:31 PM

Darkness comes and goes in Elden Ring. I think the only place that is universally crappy is Caelid.

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#59: Dec 30th 2022 at 10:03:58 PM

[up][up][up] Most of Middle-Earth that has people in it is inhabited. Unless you go to Ost-in-Osgiliath, you're not likely to find ruins lying around everywhere (Beleriand obviously being inaccessible), you're going to find people living in settlements except in Eriador. Minas Tirith is disproportionately depopulated, but making a comparison between Middle-Earth and the post-apocalyptic Lands Between is a bit of a stretch.

Eriador is that sort of emptiness (if you go out of your way to avoid Lindon, Imladris, Bree, and the Shire), but that's merely one area. [lol]

Edited by RainehDaze on Dec 30th 2022 at 6:04:10 PM

Noaqiyeum we must dissent (it/they) from across the gulf of space (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
we must dissent (it/they)
#60: Dec 30th 2022 at 11:39:12 PM

The Fellowship literally does find ruins lying around everywhere (Weathertop, the Barrow-Downs in the book, Moria, Amon Hen). It spends a lot of time in the wilderness and very little in populated places. Numenor fell, the elves are leaving, and Gondor is a Vestigial Empire. Even Mordor is less powerful than it used to be. Middle-Earth is full of the remnants of past golden ages, and all the countries are smaller and emptier than their predecessors until after the Third Age comes to an end.

The appearance of the Lands Between is similar. I wasn't talking about anything like population density, because it's harder for a game to portray enormous territories and busy cities as a limitation of the medium, just what the environment contains and how it looks.

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RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#61: Dec 31st 2022 at 12:24:42 AM

I did say except in Eriador. Gondor's in decline, but it's not that depopulated aside from Osgiliath. Similarly, the elves are in decline but they don't leave all that many ruins—Ost-in-Edhil would be in ruins, but all we see of that is the end of the road to Moria.

Although, I will admit that I accidentally interpreted it as Lord of the Rings as a whole instead of Fellowship, but I must object to the notion of treating it as a stand-alone story in any fashion. [lol]

PaulonBrave Since: Mar, 2023
#62: Apr 11th 2023 at 5:37:29 PM

Started a page for Little Witch Nobeta though it needs more work.

HamburgerTime Since: Apr, 2010
#63: Feb 25th 2024 at 8:49:27 PM

Anything new on Nazralath the Fallen World, the Beksinski-inspired one? It looks great but I haven't heard a peep of it since its announcement.

Omega1065 Since: Nov, 2023
#64: Feb 26th 2024 at 12:59:57 AM

Does Hollow Knight count as "Souls-like" for you?

ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#65: Feb 26th 2024 at 4:40:50 AM

[up] I'm not sure of to whom that was addressed, but speaking for myself, I'd call it one, yes.

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Omega1065 Since: Nov, 2023
#66: Feb 26th 2024 at 4:42:33 AM

I was talking in general, anyone reading it basically

ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#67: Feb 26th 2024 at 6:01:53 AM

Fair enough! Well then, you have my answer, for one!

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FOFD Since: Apr, 2013
#68: Feb 26th 2024 at 8:03:09 AM

[up] (5) Can't say I have sorry.

Looks neat though from the trailer

FergardStratoavis A Fluff Ringer from Bellveins (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: A gay little love melody
A Fluff Ringer
#69: Feb 26th 2024 at 8:05:32 AM

[up]x5 Without thinking too hard about it, I'd say it qualifies.

When thinking about it, it becomes a question of what a "Soulslike" really is. By the definition in this very thread name, Hollow Knight wouldn't count; it's a 2D metroidvania with no stamina meter and no real weapon selection unlike, say, Dark Souls 1. It does feature some of DS's gameplay elements - chiefly regaining your lost stuff by picking up your bloodstain/killing a Shade.

Now, in terms of presentation and the narrative side of things, I would say it qualifies. It's probably one of the stronger contenders here; it has a long-ruined kingdom, a dark prophecy, a plague that sweeps the land, a selection of often doomed-but-spirited adventurers you meet around the world. It's more optimistic than Dark Souls since you can enact real change through some of the endings rather than simply kick the can down the road, too.

Unfortunately, the term "Souls-like" can mean so many things it's genuinely hard to be academic about it - but on vibes alone, I'd say Hollow Knight counts and is as close to it as possible without being an outright ersatz. (like Salt and Sanctuary)

Edited by FergardStratoavis on Feb 26th 2024 at 5:05:56 PM

ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#70: Feb 26th 2024 at 9:54:27 AM

By the definition in this very thread name ...

The thing is, it's a fairly vague definition: just how like Dark Souls need a game be in order to qualify?

I mean, taken far enough, Sekiro wouldn't qualify, as it has certain mechanics of its own. Taken not far enough, and Uncharted would qualify, as it's a third-person action-game.

Regarding Hollow Knight specifically, I'd argue that while there is no selection of weapons or stat-keeping, the actual combat does resemble that of Dark Souls: there's a focus on dealing with enemy attack-patterns, as well as a relatively-punishing amount of damage dealt to the player.

Not to mention saving (other than save-and-quit) being available only at checkpoints; and enemies that respawn (and that, if I recall correctly, respawn on using checkpoints).

That, combined with the above-mentioned elements of recovery runs and scattered NPCs, is to my mind pretty Soulslike.

Unfortunately, the term "Souls-like" can mean so many things it's genuinely hard to be academic about it ...

And I suppose that's the thing: genres tend to not be hard-and-fast things, but rather "I know it when I see it" things.

They're a bit like species: On the face of it, they seem clearly separated. But when examined more closely, edge-cases start to appear, and the borders begin to shade into each other...

Edited by ArsThaumaturgis on Feb 26th 2024 at 7:57:35 PM

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Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#71: Feb 26th 2024 at 10:28:49 AM

Hollow Knight is a souls-like by coincidence. Team Cherry has said that they didn't play the game much at all before making hollow knight and that it's likely that they and fromsoft just have very similar inspirations.

ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#72: Feb 26th 2024 at 11:06:45 AM

That is interesting! A bit of convergent evolution, or unconscious inspiration, perhaps! ^_^

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Noaqiyeum we must dissent (it/they) from across the gulf of space (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
we must dissent (it/they)
#73: Feb 26th 2024 at 10:22:37 PM

I think the thing is that Dark Souls was both distinct and innovative in a wide variety of ways, to the point that two Souls-like games can both be clearly imitating it but not strongly resemble each other. And not everything that made it distinct was original to it (its strong gothic fantasy art direction, for example), but combining so many previously-unrelated elements meant it was a game where many players were exposed to them without realising something else inspired it.

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Lyendith Since: Mar, 2011
#74: Oct 16th 2024 at 4:14:44 AM

I’m currently on Elden Ring and will be for a little while longer, but I’m considering trying out one of the Dark Souls games next year… Which one would you recommend, if any?

I wanted to try out Bloodborne too but I don’t have a PS4 and there’s no PC port apparently…

Lyendith Since: Mar, 2011
#75: Oct 25th 2024 at 8:30:21 AM

Sorry, bumping this for my question above.

Now the list in this thread is gonna be pretty helpful, since I’ve become curious about this subgenre in general. surprised I’ve heard good things about Lies of P lately.

Edited by Lyendith on Oct 25th 2024 at 9:05:28 AM


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