5 of the best games like Dark Souls

The gaming community had become somewhat accustomed to the trappings of the modern AAA videogame and had become somewhat formulaic. Many in the gaming community feel that challenging video games have become a thing of the past, as regenerating health, adjustable difficulty and auto-save, became industry standard.

This would set the stage for developers FromSoftware and Hidetaka Miyazaki to bring about a revolution in modern gaming. Thus was born Demon's Souls and then subsequently, the birth of an entirely new genre with Dark Souls.

Dark Souls would go on to become one of, if not the most, influential games of the last decade and spawn not just fantastic sequels but an entire genre of its own called "soulslike". There have been plenty of games in the soulslike genre, and here are 5 of our picks for some of the best ones.

5 of the best games like Dark Souls

Noteable exclusions: Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

5) Lords of the Fallen

One of the first few games to recognize the value of the structure of a soulslike games, Lords of the Fallen was one of the first few soulslike titles. The game has enough in the way of originality to stand on its own two feet and its approach to storytelling and lore is what truly makes the game stand out.

The combat comes at you hard but somewhat lumbering, as the combat's pace is decidedly more methodical that fans might be used to. Lords of the Fallen is one of the best in its class and deserves more praise than it gets.

4) The Surge

Often referred to as "Dark Souls, but with robots", that moniker doesn't exactly do justice the well-polished and balanced experience that is The Surge. The game has a whole lot of originality on display, which is essential in a genre that is predominantly the product of a singular game.

The Surge's strength lies in its depth in combat and its brilliant progression system that keeps the player coming back for more. The game's controls might appear to be a bit clunky at first, but the game does a great job of building upon the initial base with a solid progression system.

3) Hollow Knight

Do not let appearances deceive you as Hollow Knight might appear charming and light-hearted but it will punish you relentlessly until you're practically in tears. Hollow Knight is absolutely brutal, but fair, which is how every game under the soulslike umbrella should be.

Hollow Knight wears its metroidvania influence on its sleeve, and makes no secret about its love for the soulslike genre. As a result, Hollow Knight comes off as an evolution of the soulslike genre by simply going back to its roots and delivering a well-polished experience.

2) Nioh

Nioh possibly does the most out of any game in the somewhat reductive genre "soulslike" to separate itself from the myriad of imitations. Nioh has a clear narrative and a rigid storyline, which is in stark contrast to Dark Soul's incoherent narrative that the player must piece together themselves.

In addition to that, the game is incredibly fast-paced, unlike Dark Souls, which forces players to play more aggressively. Nioh, and its sequel, are incredibly well-made games that deserve to be looked at as an original title.

1) Mortal Shell

Mortal Shell is the newest kid on the block. It weilds an enormously large axe to boot, and its already turning into one of the more popular games of the year. The game is incredibly rich with dark lore that fans have come to expect of the genre.

The game might be a tad bit too aggressive with its incredibly dark themes, but it is precisely what fans come to these titles for. Mortal Shell is an incredibly well-made game with a strong focus on cinematic combat, which is achieved by very movie-like camera movements, even during combat.