Best Soulslike From Every Console Generation

by

Considering how huge and popular Soulslike games are today, it’s amazing to remember that the genre really only started becoming popular on newer consoles.

Some might argue that the original Dark Souls didn’t actually have many ‘Soulslike’ features, but even if you ignore that comparison, there were still key elements that influenced the genre. These elements range from ideas that are over twenty years old to more recent innovations.

I’ve created this list to highlight the best soulslike games from each console generation, considering what critics thought of them and how much they shaped the genre.

5. King’s Field

5th Generation

Considering we’re essentially starting over, it’s important to bring up King’s Field. Many consider it the game that originally established the core ideas and gameplay mechanics that still define the genre today.

Hidetaka Miyazaki, the CEO of FromSoftware, often cites this game as one of his earliest inspirations. It’s clear looking back that many of the ideas from this title went on to shape games like Demon’s Souls and the entire Dark Souls series.

This game is a truly unforgiving classic. It doesn’t offer any guidance – no helpful hints or quest markers – leaving you to navigate a series of daunting dungeons filled with unsettling silence. In fact, its challenging, first-person exploration and reliance on player instinct served as the foundation for the design of later ‘Souls-like’ RPGs.

4. Shadow Tower Abyss

6th Generation

As the PlayStation 2 gained popularity and became a legendary console, a lesser-known FromSoftware game called Shadow Tower Abyss was released. It’s understandable if you’ve never heard of it.

Shadow Tower Abyss shares a spiritual connection with King’s Field, but offers a richer, more detailed world with characters and creatures beyond just a single, empty dungeon. It stood out from other PlayStation 2 action RPGs of its time by deliberately creating a feeling of unease, loneliness, and difficulty—a challenging atmosphere that later became a hallmark of the Soulsborne series.

Beyond its established strengths, this game introduced a groundbreaking feature that would later define Dead Space: the ability to strategically dismember enemies. This encouraged players to carefully target enemy limbs, as otherwise, foes could recover, even if decapitated, and become even more dangerous.

Ignoring the charging attack system from King’s Field, this game essentially created the stamina-based combat system found in most Soulslike games. It also required players to strategically choose from four different attack animations. As a quirky addition, you could even use pistols and shotguns – pretty unusual for the time!

3. Dark Souls

7th Generation

I know a lot of you love Demon’s Souls and might disagree, but choosing between it and Dark Souls was really difficult! I enjoy both games a lot. However, when it comes to how much of a splash each one made and how well they were received by critics, I think the original Dark Souls had a bigger impact.

It’s hard to fault a game so innovative and mechanically rich, particularly for its era. While many role-playing games of the time, like Skyrim and Dragon’s Dogma, focused on player freedom and vast open worlds, Dark Souls deliberately stood out by prioritizing challenge and difficulty as its defining features.

The game’s combat feels rewarding when you finally learn a boss’s patterns through practice, and encourages you to keep playing to unlock different endings and complete the stories of various characters.

I think everyone owes a huge thanks to Demon’s Souls for paving the way, but Dark Souls was the one that really blew up. It wasn’t just a hit game, it felt like it changed everything! I started seeing references to it everywhere – in other games, movies, even just online. It felt like the whole way games were designed started shifting because of it, and it basically defined a whole new genre. It was a big moment for gaming, honestly.

2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

8th Generation

While I respect fans of Bloodborne, I personally prefer a game that feels truly polished, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice achieved that perfectly. It almost felt like FromSoftware’s greatest work – though of course, everyone has their own opinion.

Many Souls-like games from that era focused on managing stamina, dodging attacks, and carefully positioning yourself. Sekiro, however, changed things up with a system centered around breaking an enemy’s posture. This demanded players master a challenging, fast-paced combat style. While a few boss fights felt a bit unusual, most required a skillful mix of constant attacking and well-timed defenses.

I lost count of how many times I had to fight Owl, Lady Butterfly, Genichiro, and Isshin, only to be defeated again and again. Despite the frustration, it ultimately made me love the game, and I was thrilled when it won Game of the Year awards.

1. Lies of P

9th Generation

While FromSoftware deserves recognition, I think Lies of P is the best Soulslike game on current-generation consoles. Beyond its commendable inclusivity, the game simply stands out for its high quality, which is unusual in this genre.

Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper Soulslike picks

Dive further into Soulslike analysis and curated generation-by-generation picks—subscribe to the newsletter for expert breakdowns, platform-focused recommendations, and similar deep-dives across the wider world of gaming.

Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper Soulslike picks

Dive further into Soulslike analysis and curated generation-by-generation picks—subscribe to the newsletter for expert breakdowns, platform-focused recommendations, and similar deep-dives across the wider world of gaming.

When you sign up, you’ll get our newsletter and marketing emails, and you agree to Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can stop receiving emails at any time.

This story is deeply satisfying and emotionally resonant, and it creates one of the most captivatingly eerie atmospheres we’ve seen in a while. The world of Krat is beautifully and meticulously built, full of towering structures and a pervasive sense of sadness, with haunting figures around every turn.

Lies of P truly excels in its combat, which feels precise and methodical, taking inspiration from games like Bloodborne and Sekiro, but forging its own unique style. The game never feels repetitive thanks to the Weapon Assembly system, letting you constantly customize your weapons with different handles and blades.

Pinocchio’s Legion Arm makes the game more flexible, offering different special abilities depending on the arm you equip. This can be a huge advantage during certain boss battles.

Everyone’s been raving about the Overture DLC, so I finally started playing it – and I think you should too. Right now, I consider Lies of P the best Soulslike game available on current-generation consoles.

Read More

2025-12-29 18:43