Summary
Soulslike gameshave always been known for their grueling difficulty and rich, expansive worlds. Many titles, likeElden Ring,can take upwards of 50-100 hours to complete asingle playthroughand provide the player with virtually endless replayability.
However, sometimes these vast open worlds and longer runtimes can be quite daunting, time-consuming, and difficult to get through if players only have an hour or two to spare. Thankfully, there are plenty ofSoulslike titles that offer shorter, bite-sized experiencesthat still give the same rush of beating a final boss, but are condensed into a more digestible package that can be picked up quicker and sometimes beaten in a single session.
Fast-paced combat with satisfying animations and sound effects,Thymesiahas it all. It takes a lot of the best elements from mainstream Soulslikes and places them in a gothic, medieval world full of challenging knights and all manner of horrifying foes. The main gimmick is the plague weapons, where the player can steal the weapons of enemies and use them against their opponent in wild and interesting ways.
After defeating a boss, Corvus returns to ahub locationwhich presents a choice of location and objective, whether it be taking down the next main encounter or backtracking to increase in power. As the game is split into level-like stages, play sessions can be short and picked up quickly, and the game itself is filled with flavor and exploration despite only taking around seven hours to complete.
Soulslikes come in all shapes and sizes and, in this case,Death’s Dooris turned into a charming, isometric take on the formula. Tasked with claiming the souls of the dead, players traverse over mountains, lakes, and limbo itself, taking down puzzle-based boss fights with an arsenal of magic and melee weapons.
Exploration feels intuitive and rewarding, with each area providing a new set of enemies and paths to take that both expandskill treesand uncover the story, whilst allowing the player to exit at convenient times whenever needed. The combat variety is vast, as each boss demonstrates a unique set of moves that must be mastered, and the movement is crisp and responsive, rewarding good plays and punishing the bad.
Metroidvanias and Soulslikes go hand in hand, andBlasphemousis a contender for a top entry in both genres. A world inspired by Spanish architecture and religious imagery, coupled with visceral action that rivalsBloodborne, it’s a complete package that’s best enjoyed over many play sessions.
The winding paths, the expansive skill tree, and the trinket variety give players high levels of control over how the game plays out. In terms of difficulty,Blasphemoussets the bar high, and the entire experience is elevated to new heights in the sequel.
The aptly-named developer Aggro Crab, a newcomer when it comes to the Soulslike genre, delivered an unforgettable and distinct game that uses comedy, social commentary, and whimsical character design to tell the story of a crab who has lost his shell. Enemies inAnother Crab’s Treasurecan be tough, but it never takes more than a few tries to keep progressing and every time the game boots up, it’s never hard to continue from where it was left off previously.
Shell-on-shell combat takes the spotlight, swapping between tanky hard items and discarded balls for an additional movement ability. Whenever a new shell is discovered, there is a rush of joy as it’s either a level-up or a comedic beat that hits hard every time.
BeforeElden Ringthere wasSekiro,and before that wasNioh.Japanese aesthetic Soulslike encounters are placed in a level-based game that makes playtime vary between long boss-based missions to slowly chipping away at shorter side quests. While completing the game itself is a time-consuming process, each play session can be boiled down to one or two twenty-minute missions that keep things brief when needed.
The arsenal variety is vast, allowing players to swap between weapon types and stances on the fly, all the while growing stronger and stronger to take on the powerful Yokai that await.
The game that inspired its spiritual successor,Death’s Door,Titan Soulsticks all the same boxes but in a more simplistic and bite-sized format. There are no upgrades, no level-ups, just pure dodge-fueled boss combat from start to finish.
Though other games may offer more depth and longevity,Titan Soulshas a lot to offer in a short playthrough and scratches the Soulslike itch right from the start.
Old school never felt so good. Whether playing solo or with a friend,FlyKnightprovides a tactical dungeon-crawling adventure that doesn’t keep the player pinned down for days. Bugs, beetles, and other creepy crawlies roam the paths, and whether a player chooses to chop off an arm or a head dictates how the enemy will react and attack.
Take a break from fighting and do some fishing. Then, when ready, the bosses that await are fast and mighty, forcing theparty to work togetherto take them down and acquire powerful rewards that will help with the rest of the adventure.
This is the new gold standard and one that rivals legendary titles likeHollow Knight. Deflect mechanics are incredibly satisfying if done well, andNine Solsnot only accomplishes this, but elevates the dopamine kicks with each successive block, parry, and kill.
Enjoy a rich ‘TaoPunk’ art styleand a world filled with expressive and heartwarming NPCs that make the environment come alive with their dialogue and interactions. All the content can be enjoyed without much of a time investment and, thanks to the plentiful save points and simplistic map traversal, the game rewards exploration whilst avoiding roadblocks to keep the story going.
IfBloodbornewas a toe dip into Soulslike gunplay,Remnant: From the Ashesis a full-on cold plunge.Worlds are procedurally generated, providing a new experience for each playthrough, and loot becomes a necessity as the player becomes stronger and stronger to take down the tougher bosses in each world.
The game also offers co-op multiplayer with up to two other players, but going solo works fine for leveling up and finding new armor and modifications, or if the player is ready to take on the next big story encounter. Breaking the game apart into stages and levels allows each session to end with some progress made but leaves players still wanting more.
