Two Soulslike Games on Steam Are Strong Replacements for FromSoftware’s Officially Dead IP

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Today, FromSoftware is famous for its action-RPG games, achieving success with titles like Demon’s Souls in 2009 and Elden Ring in 2022. However, before these popular games, and even before Hidetaka Miyazaki became a key leader, FromSoftware created a different kind of RPG, best represented by the King’s Field series.

Looking back at the King’s Field series offers valuable insights into game development. Like the early Souls games, King’s Field attracted a dedicated, but small, audience. While some games had moderate success, the series was often dismissed by many players due to its slow pace, confusing design, and extreme difficulty. Interestingly, these criticisms echo those leveled at more recent FromSoftware games. Many found King’s Field too challenging and difficult to understand. However, its dark atmosphere, serious story, and complex, open-ended gameplay were crucial in shaping what FromSoftware later achieved with Demon’s Souls and its sequels, making King’s Field an important piece of gaming history, even if it doesn’t feel very modern today. Unfortunately, FromSoftware doesn’t seem interested in revisiting King’s Field or its related games, which creates an opportunity for indie developers on Steam to fill the void.

Labyrinth of the Demon King Is a Great Homage to King’s Field’s Unnerving Story andTough Gameplay

Labyrinth of the Demon King Has King’s Field’s Special Sauce, Modernized

The King’s Field series, similar to Dark Souls and Bloodborne, creates a creepy atmosphere without being outright scary. Players explore unsettling environments and battle spooky enemies, but it’s more about tension than jump scares. Labyrinth of the Demon King keeps that same atmospheric feel as King’s Field, but significantly increases the level of fear and dread.

Labyrinth of the Demon King is set during Dharma, a dark and chaotic period in Japanese folklore – comparable to the end of the world in Norse and Hindu traditions. This time is marked by widespread death, decline, and a surge in Yokai, or Japanese demons, creating a world filled with strange and frightening creatures. The game doesn’t just show this apocalyptic world, it focuses on the psychological horror and hopelessness of it all, making for a truly disturbing experience.

You play as a soldier whose commander has been deceived by a powerful, evil spirit – the Demon King. This deception leads to a deadly ambush by Yokai, leaving only you as the survivor. Driven by loyalty, you set out to avenge your fallen leader by venturing into the Demon King’s Labyrinth. As an ordinary foot soldier, you’re significantly weaker than most enemies, creating a challenging and frightening experience reminiscent of the classic game King’s Field.

The game deliberately evokes the look and feel of the classic King’s Field series. It’s played from a first-person perspective with deliberately slow movement and challenging combat, and features a visual style that intentionally resembles early PlayStation 1 games. While similar visuals in older horror games were often just a byproduct of the technology, Labyrinth of the Demon King uses them to build genuine and lasting fear, enhanced by its polished animations and cinematic presentation. Combined with a dark and thought-provoking story, the game successfully carries on the spirit of King’s Field, particularly in terms of its atmosphere and themes.

Players are really enjoying Labyrinth of the Demon King, which currently has a ‘Very Positive’ rating of 92% on Steam.

Lunacid Channels the High Adventure and Mystery of King’s Field

If you’re looking for a game similar to King’s Field but prefer something less scary and depressing, Lunacid could be a good fit. It’s a fantastical, high-fantasy adventure—not as bleak and dark as Labyrinth of the Demon King, and definitely not silly or cartoonish.

This game tells a dark and dramatic story set in a stunning but ruined world. A massive creature has emerged from the ocean, unleashing a deadly fog that has killed many and plunged the world into darkness. You begin your adventure in the Great Well, a deep and mysterious pit where outcasts are banished. Your goal is to venture even further down into the Well, seeking an ancient being known as the Old One, and hoping to find a way to save the world.

The developers of Lunacid, KIRA LLC – known previously for Lost in Vivo – have openly stated that King’s Field was a major influence, which is obvious when you play it. Lunacid clearly draws inspiration from the classic game, but updates the formula with modern features to create a better first-person action RPG experience. While combat and exploration retain the slow, deliberate pace of King’s Field, Lunacid adds a robust class system, a wide variety of weapons, and a story that responds to player choices – all things RPG fans expect today. Lunacid also improves upon King’s Field by offering much more visually appealing levels; instead of the often cramped, dull, and repetitive environments of the older game, Lunacid’s levels are vibrant, diverse, and interesting.

Players really like Lunacid, and it currently has a ‘Very Positive’ rating of 90% on Steam.

It’s doubtful FromSoftware will ever make another King’s Field game. They seem to see their current style of challenging action games as a progression from the original King’s Field, and probably don’t want to go back to that older formula. Luckily, independent developers are stepping up to create games inspired by it.

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2025-12-29 15:06