While one could argue that the term Soulslike has been overused to the point that every marginally challenging game and open-world is given the same label, some legit Soulslike games have been released since. Even more are also coming within the next couple of months or years, which is what this list is all about. Just in case you’re looking for something to look forward to as you work your way through FromSoftware’s long list of titles, these games are for you.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight isn’t just one of the best Soulslike games ever. It also happens to be one of the greatest video games ever made. Thus, it would only make sense that the sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, would end up being just as good if not better than the original Hollow Knight game. Silksong was originally meant to be just an expansion that revolved around Hornet, the mysterious princess-protector of the ruins of Hallownest. However, right in the middle of development, Team Cherry decided that Silksong was too big and too good to just be DLC content. Because of this, the studio turned Silksong into a full-fledged game that will still revolve around Hornet’s adventure in a new and mysterious kingdom. One of the biggest changes to Silksong, outside of the new protagonist, is that it will invert what the original title did with its underground kingdom. Silksong sees players journey from the depths of the new location up to the top. Given what we’ve already seen so far, Silksong could end up being the Bloodborne to Hollow Knight’s Dark Souls.
Elden Ring
Elden Ring has been in development for pretty much forever after it was first announced back in 2019. And, oh, did we mention that it has an all-star cast of people behind the scenes working on it? On top of the genre progenitor, FromSoftware, and original Dark Souls creator, Hidetaka Miyazaki, it will also feature Game of Thrones, George RR Martin. Martin will reportedly be in charge of creating the game’s mythos, which is a guarantee that it’s going to be good. FromSoftware’s latest title is easily one of the most hyped games of all time. Will it join the shortlist of overhyped games that lived up to expectations? That, we can’t say for sure. We do know that it has all the right ingredients.
Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong will serve as the international debut of Chinese studio, Game Science. It is mostly compromised of ex-Tencent staff and was established back in 2014. Judging from the trailers that we’ve seen so far, Black Myth: Wu Kong is looking a lot like a Soulslike take on the popular and classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West. Much of the details of the game remain unknown at this point. However, we do know that you’ll get to play as the Monkey King himself, who has as many as 72 different abilities. How black Myth: Wu Kong will diverge from the original Journey to the West story and the Dark Souls formula will be a point of interest when it launches.
Thymesia
Thymesia is set to arrive sometime in 2021 and should give Soulslike fans a reason to get excited. Thymesia is being developed by Team17, an indie games label that made a name for itself with the Worms series of games. The game puts players in the role of Corvus, a mysterious character who must traverse a world that’s not unlike that of the one that you find yourself immersed in Dark Souls and Bloodborne. According to its Steam page, Thmeysia will be set in a decrepit kingdom that has seen much better days. It is then up to the players to try and piece out what happened to the once-powerful kingdom while also battling monsters and diseases.
Sands of Aura
Sands of Aura is a post-apocalyptic fantasy title that’s set in a world where sand has taken over everything. According to the developers, Sands of Aura will see players sail the vast and open sea of sand while also engaging in complex combat and dive deep into the game’s RPG system. Being that it is coming from a relatively unknown studio, Chashu Entertainment, these words could all just be marketing jargon. If it lives up to its ambitious promises, Sands of Aura has a chance to become something special.
Lies of P
Most people associate the story of Pinocchio with the Disney cartoon. What a lot of people don’t know is that the original Italian story is less cheerful. This is where Lies of P will be based, although it’s probably going to take a lot of liberty in its storytelling, as it rightfully should. The story of Lies of P revolves around mecha Pinocchio waking up to a note telling him to find his creator, Mr. Geppeto. For some reason, doing so involves fighting against all sorts of machinations throughout the ruins of the city of Krat. The game will also let you alter Pinocchio’s body to gain new skills and craft weapons to better fight off all the enemies. Unfortunately, the developers of Lies of P, Round8 Studio, haven’t really shown off much of the game’s combat system yet, which should feature the same tight and fast-paced action combat that the Soulsborne games are known for. For now, Round8 Studios seem keen on selling audiences to the story of Lies of P. It will reportedly feature “interconnected procedural quests that play out depending on how you lie” and the story will have multiple endings.
Bleak Faith: Forsaken
Bleak Faith: Forsaken is the brainchild of just two people. No, we’re not joking. Only two people are in charge of the development of Bleak Faith: Forsaken. The game was funded through Kickstarter and met its goal of $30,000 in due time, raising over $31,000 for the development of the Soulslike game. Although expecting the duo behind Archangel Studio to come close to creating a game with the same quality as the Souls games, it’s not exactly impossible. Not to mention, from the extensive 14-minute gameplay trailer the studio showed off, Bleak Faith: Forsaken is looking every bit like the title that it was billed as. Using a mix of unique mechanics that aren’t typically used in Soulslike games with massive boss fights and survival horror elements, Bleak Faith: Forsaken could very well be one of the biggest surprises in Q4 2021.
Moonray
Moonray will take the Soulslike genre to a relatively unexplored area in space with a combat system that seems geared towards more hack-and-slash than the typically defense-oriented gameplay featured in most Soulslike games. In Moonray, players take control of a golem that’s been created by a deity to help end a mysterious cult. The story was written by Grim Wilkins with a soundtrack from Lithuanian Ten Walls, so we know that both are going to be good. While Moonray isn’t expected to release until October 2022, it is already available as an Early Access, so you can check it out now and maybe even fund it to make sure that it achieves its fullest potential.
Lords of the Fallen 2
Lords of the Fallen 2 might or might not end up releasing. We’ll never know with these guys, as the sequel to 2014’s flawed but enjoyable take on the popular Soulslike genre, has already been in development for quite some time. During the time that Lords of the Fallen 2 has spent in development, the publisher, CI Games, has taken on development studios only to partner with an indie studio, Defiant Studios, in 2018, and later on, replace the said studio with its new subsidiary, Hexworks, in 2020. This makes it three developers with no proper release date in sight. If it’s any consolation though, the publishers have confirmed that Lords of the Fallen 2 will still very much take heavy inspiration from the Dark Souls games. It also claims that the sequel will improve on what the community had to say about the first game. Among the many changes include the shift to dark fantasy from power fantasy.
Sand is the Soul
Think of Bloodborne and make it a 2D sidescrolling action RPG and you’ll get Sand is the Soul. MPG Studios definitely isn’t afraid to show off its inspiration, especially with how the protagonist is looking. However, Sand is the Soul is also looking to establish itself as a different game. For one, it plans to one-up most Soulslike games with over 30 different endings to choose from, as well as a heavy focus on its morality and sanity system that will affect its storytelling and lore. If nothing else, Sand is the Soul should be playable on a $500 gaming PC once it is released, which should help you scratch that Soulslike itch even when you’re playing on your laptop.
