Despite being rather popular for over a decade, I’m still a newcomer to the Soulslike genre. I occasionally tried some games in the past — successfully bounced off Bloodborne during the first 20 minutes, beat titles like the first Lords of the Fallen before discovering that it’s actually one of the least-regarded ones, and gritted my teeth while playing RPGs like Darksiders 3 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which borrowed heavily from Miyazaki’s formula. Then, just several months ago, Elden Ring finally entered my life, changing my perception of the genre, forever.
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Bosses and graphics — in that order.
Today, Soulslikes are dominating my gaming psyche, comprising almost half of my most anticipated upcoming games. Over the past months, I’ve digested Elden Ring, the Demon’s Souls Remake, Bloodborne, Lies of P, and Dark Souls 3 — and I’m still hungry for more. Luckily, 2024 is already shaping up to be a strong year for the genre and might go down in history as its new peak.
2023 Was Just A Warm-Up
Looking back now, I realize just how good 2023 was for Soulslike fans before I joined their ranks — some even say it was too much. Let’s just count the most notable examples: Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Remnant 2, Lies of P, and, finally, the Lords of the Fallen soft reboot, which is in much better shape today than on its launch day — seriously, give it a try.
As good as it is to have a decent choice of titles that are ‘like Dark Souls’, the most important aspect, though, is how each of them tries to introduce something new to this refined formula. Whether it’s a second parallel realm to explore or the ability to set your own checkpoints in Lords of the Fallen, an intriguing take on post-campaign randomized adventures in Remnant 2, or interchangeable weapons you can combine from spare parts and recharging during combat pulse cells that give the mentality to keep trying and push a bit further in Lies of P — there’s no shortage of distinct features.
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There are several Soulslike games that recapture the same magic while also introducing some innovative gameplay elements.
Sure, these games could be bolder in challenging the most annoying tropes of the genre, such as the dreadful platforming sections. However, it would be a mistake to say that they don’t bring anything new to the genre. Therefore, I’m most curious to see how the upcoming games will build upon those ideas and continue enriching the player experience.
2024 Could Be A Year To Remember
It seems that this year is shaping up to be even better for fans of tough bosses and respawning enemies. There are tons of Soulslikes in development for every taste, and if the majority will deliver on what they promise now, then we’re in for a real treat.
To begin with, let’s address a hissing Messmer the Impaler in the throne room — Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. FromSoftware is making a grand return this summer, expanding its biggest and most successful work yet, so there’s little doubt that the upcoming expansion will turn out to be everything fans want. Whether it’ll offer something unexpected or give us more of what Elden Ring already excels at is an open question.
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But even setting aside Shadow of the Erdtree, the current lineup has plenty of exciting titles to offer, and what I’m personally most pleased with, is each of these is a new IP with new takes and ideas — no tiresome sequels with little originality that plagues the modern triple-A segment.
One of these new Soulslikes is Black Myth: Wukong, an exciting new IP based on Chinese mythology. One of its most interesting features, besides the new setting, is how it places various magic spells front and center of its combat system, offering a wide variety of ‘superpowers’ available to every player. Developed by Game Science, the project has never ceased to amaze me with each new showcase, and judging from the first positive reactions, it just might be the game that I have wanted to play for a very long time now.
Another promising upcoming title is Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, by A44 Games, creators of Ashen, another Soulslike. Flintlock appears to be a much more confident game, boasting a unique world and fast and fluid combat system that combines melee and ranged weapons akin to Bloodborne, and some original features like a magical fox-like pet companion Enki, who seemingly plays a major role in the game’s traversal. Movement and acrobatics appear to play a pivotal role here, not something you usually associate with the genre.
There are a ton of smaller titles, too, like Enotria: The Last Song, Witches of the New World, and Phantom Blade Zero (although the latter is not confirmed for a 2024 launch yet) that Soulslike players should be keeping their eyes on. The future seems bright, and I can’t wait to get more.
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