Underrated Soulslike Games As Good As Dark Souls

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Soulslike games have quickly become incredibly popular, but despite many interesting and creative new titles, few have truly surpassed the original Dark Souls. While FromSoftware continues to set the standard, newer developers like the creators of Lies of P are now producing games that are just as good, and sometimes even better, than the one that started the genre.

As someone who plays a lot of soulslike games, it’s easy to fall into comparing them and picking favorites. But honestly, that means some really good games get overlooked. These games often have cool, new worlds and interesting ideas, and they prove that if you’ve got the skill and drive, you can really push the boundaries of what’s possible in the genre.

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Ashen

The First Of The Open-world Soulslikes

Details:

  • Multiplayer focus
  • Open areas that encourage exploration

Ashen distills the core elements of soulslike games, emphasizing immersive atmosphere, exploration, and strategic combat within a vast, open world. The interconnected environment encourages players to discover secrets and alternate paths while constantly challenging them with both enemy encounters and interactions with other players.

The game might initially seem simple due to its clean, uncluttered look, especially compared to other games of its type. However, the actual gameplay is deeply rewarding, requiring precise timing and careful strategy to protect your resources. It doesn’t try to be revolutionary, but instead refines existing ideas, offering a similarly engaging experience to Dark Souls for players who prefer a more relaxed and peaceful playthrough.

Another Crab’s Treasure

A Very Bubbly Adventure

Details:

  • Comedic twist, yet still mechanically demanding
  • An engaging world full of side content

Unlike many similar games with dark settings, Another Crab’s Treasure is bright and colorful, filled with ocean-themed jokes. You play as Krill, a little crab on a quest to find his missing shell. Along the way, you’ll fight other sea creatures and use found objects as weapons and shields.

Though it looks adorable, the game features surprisingly precise and satisfying combat. Players can block and counter, using their shells for both defense and attack, creating openings during and outside of battles. It’s immediately engaging and enjoyable, and impressively rivals Dark Souls in almost every aspect – including challenging fights, memorable bosses, and the stunning, yet eerie, underwater world.

Salt And Sanctuary

Brutal From Start To Finish

Details:

  • Metroidvania with a huge amount of depth
  • Interconnecting areas are very akin to early soulslikes

Salt and Sanctuary is heavily inspired by games like Dark Souls, but it doesn’t simply copy them. It builds upon that foundation to create its own distinct experience. The game features a large, interconnected world that loops back on itself, giving players a feeling of constant forward momentum no matter how much they’ve played.

The game features a wide range of bosses and enemies, keeping players engaged and forcing them to try new strategies, even when facing tough situations. While it doesn’t reinvent the genre, it wonderfully evokes the thrill of exploring uncharted territory and gives players a satisfying sense of achievement as they complete their grand adventure.

The Surge 2

Taking What’s Rightfully Yours

Details:

  • Sci-fi setting with unique enemy types
  • Limb removal adds a strategic layer to the combat

The Surge 2 builds on the strengths of the first game, delivering a polished and challenging soulslike experience that rivals the genre’s best. Combat emphasizes careful timing and strategic thinking, especially with its unique limb-targeting system. Players can sever enemy limbs to acquire new equipment, adding a rewarding tactical element that encourages skillful play.

Despite having solid gameplay and better levels than the first game, this title doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, often overlooked because of its unique atmosphere and slightly easier challenge. That being said, the combat and exploration are still excellent, standing alongside the best games in the genre thanks to a focus on player freedom and intricate mechanics, rather than simply being overly difficult.

The First Berserker: Khazan

Stepping Up The Competition

Details:

  • Fast, parry-centric combat
  • Incredible boss lineup

Khazan is a fantastic soulslike game, built on fifteen years of experience in the genre, yet it doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. While recent games like Lies of P have gained a lot of attention, Khazan feels even more polished and complete, allowing players to truly immerse themselves in the role of a hero seeking revenge.

The combat in this game is a standout feature, taking the core concepts of blocking and attack combos and expanding on them in a really satisfying way. Players can mix up defenses and moves to defeat enemies. The boss fights are also excellent – each one feels new and challenging, even for those used to difficult ‘Souls-like’ games. While the straightforward level design might not appeal to veteran Dark Souls players, the game’s overall mechanics and design are exceptional and set a high bar for the genre, arguably surpassing many similar titles like Khazan.

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2026-03-31 14:08