FromSoftwarehave enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity over the last decade. The spike in success is fully deserved, as the Japanese studio has created a new subgenre of action-RPG and action-adventure that has been ahuge hit with hardcore gamersand is now even starting to enjoy mainstream success.
RELATED:Elden Ring: Hardest World Bosses, Ranked
Replayability is an important factor for many people when buying single-player games today, especially when there are so manyfree gamesandvalue-for-money subscription servicesavailable. FromSoftware’sSouls-like games are applauded for their replayability, but which game has players coming back for more the most.
7Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis considered to be aSouls-like, but it sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the others. The main difference is thatSekirois an action-adventure game, while the others are all action RPGs. As such, there are no classes and no vast range of weapons and armor to choose from.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis still a highly replayable game, as there are plenty of things to collect and work towards, such asProsthetic Tools upgradesand Combat Styles, though there are nowhere near as many variations as other games. The game also has fewer secret areas and bosses than most other games in the series, with the unsettling Headless mini-bosses and second Great Serpent being rare exceptions.
6Demon’s Souls
Demon’s Soulswas the game that started it all. Originally released in 2009,Demon’s Soulsintroduced many of the core mechanics that are now synonymous with theSouls-like subgenre.
RELATED:Things 2009’s Demon’s Souls Does Better Than Any Other FromSoftware Game
The game is the least replayable of the action-RPGSouls-likes as it is considerably more linear than the other titles.Demon’s Soulsuniquely splits its areas into various stages that are accessible by the game’s hub area.Demon’s Souls' replayability largely stems from the variation in builds that players can construct and choose from.
Demon’s Soulshas since been remade on the PlayStation 5, giving more people the chance to play the influential adventure.
5Dark Souls 3
Truth be told, theDark Soulstrilogy are very similar in terms of replayability, and it could be argued that all three positions on this list could be switched. We’ve decided to putDark Souls 3as the least replayable of the trilogy, as it’s slightly more linear than its predecessors. Still,Dark Souls 3has a great range of builds for players to choose from and ahandful of secret areasand bosses that many players will miss on their first playthrough if they’re playing without a guide.
4Dark Souls
AlthoughDemon’s Soulswas the game that started theSouls-like movement,Dark Soulsis considered to be the subgenre’s most influential and impactful release, as it fine-tuned the subgenre’s formula, creating one of thebest action RPGsof all time in the process. In fact, according to the Golden Joystick Awards,Dark Soulsis the Ultimate Game of all Time.
Dark Soulsstood out in 2011 for how much content is optional and easily missable, something that would become a common theme ofSouls-likes but was exceedingly rare in AAA gaming at the time.
3Dark Souls 2
Dark Souls 2is perceived by many fans as the ugly duckling of FromSoftware’sSouls-like games, who believe that it is the weakest in the series. Though it’s hard to deny that the game does fall short of the incredibly high standards set by the other games on this list, it’s still a great action RPG that is packed with content.
RELATED:Reasons Why Dark Souls 2 Is The Best Souls Game (& Reasons Why It Isn’t)
Dark Souls 2has considerably more bosses that the otherDark Soulsgames and also has a decent range of convoluted quests that many players will miss on their first playthrough.
2Bloodborne
The debate as to which is the bestSouls-like game is one that will never land on a definitive answer and one that will often see a different game come out on top, depending on who is asked. It is worth noting, however, thatBloodborne’s name tops ranking lists on an impressive amount of occasions.
Bloodbornedifferentiates itself from the otherSouls-like games with itsgothic setting, which unpredictably descends intoLovecraftian horror. The game ranks highly on this list for itsChalice Dungeons, which are procedurally generated, giving players hundreds of hours of extra content.
1Elden Ring
Elden Ringis the most recentSouls-like game released by the subgenre’s creator, FromSoftware. The game boldly takes the series' mechanics and puts it in an open-world environment, which, unsurprisingly, sent hype levels through the roof when it was announced.
Despite the enormous weight of expectations on its shoulder,Elden Ringdidn’t disappoint, offering an epic adventure with hundreds of hours of hand-made content packed withsecret areasand bosses. The game also has a ridiculousrange of possible buildsthat alone offer numerous playthrough ideas.
Elden Ringis already considered by many people as the favorite for 2022’s end-of-year Game of the Year awards, as it is one of the best-reviewed games of all time, exemplified by its whopping96 Metascore.
MORE:Awesome Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do In Elden Ring
