Summary
Soulslike games are known for their notorious combat difficulty and depth. These games typically involve a class system that allows players to min-max their builds to overcome difficult fights. However, newcomers to the genre can find the traditional class mechanics overwhelming, which can prevent them from giving this underrated genre a shot.
Fortunately, there are a few excellent soulslike games that dropped the traditional class system, making these games approachable to newcomers. The following examples encourage players to face fearsome enemies, explore captivating environments, and challenge the skill ceiling.
The Surge 2is set in a dystopian future where players must navigate through a labyrinth of robotic enemies. Instead of being funneled into traditional classes like warriors and mages, inThe Surge 2, players must depend on their exoskeleton suits and make the most of them in battles.
The game is about challenging fearsome enemies and focusing on strategically targeting their limbs to bring them down. Players must then scavenge the dismembered limbs to acquire implants to upgrade and enhance their exosuits for tougher challenges.
Hollow Knightis a beautifully crafted2D side-scrollerthat combines soulslike gameplay with a metroidvania. Players explore a sprawling, decaying underground kingdom where they must master their platforming skills and overcome brutal boss encounters.
There are no classes inHollow Knight, and players must entirely depend on their movement and combat abilities. However, players can find and collect anassortment of charmsthat enhance the character’s navigation and combat abilities, which is a saving grace for the game.
Blasphemous 2is a 2D side-scroller featuring a retro art style. The game builds upon its predecessor’s twisted and dark religious themes, where players navigate haunting dungeons and engage in fast-paced combat. The combat demands precise timing and mastery of parrying. Dying in battle drops all currency, and players must recover it from their corpses.
While there is no traditional class system inBlasphemous 2, players can challenge themselves through unlockable penances that add to the gameplay variety and modify the difficulty curve.
Ashenthrows players into a desolate world that is filled with challenging enemies and environmental hazards. There is a strong emphasis on exploration to gather necessary resources and upgrades.
The game also features a unique cooperative mechanic, where a friend can seamlessly join a session to assist them against difficult bosses. The lack of a class system is replaced by a skill tree that enables players to tailor their character, allowing them to come up with aggressive and damage-tanking builds.
Thymesiadraws a ton of inspiration from FromSoftware’sBloodborne. However, there are no classes in the game. Instead, players must master thePlague Weapon systemto overcome the toughest of the enemies. The talent tree allows players to customize their characters and tailor them for a specific playstyle.
The interconnected world encourages exploration, where players must discover new locations and unlock shortcuts. The game focuses on environmental storytelling, and players learn more about the cryptic and decrepit world as they progress through the narrative.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivorbuilds upon the RPG elements of its predecessor and the gameplay focuses solely on Cal’s mastery over his swordsmanship and using the Force effectively. The game maintains the soulslike experience throughout, pitting players against challenging bosses and punishing mistakes.
Players must not only improve their lightsaber skills but also employ a variety of abilities, like using the Force strategically and maneuvering effectively to rise above tough challenges.
Coming from the makers of theSoulsborne games,Sekiroditches the traditional class system while focusing on strict melee combat with an emphasis on deflecting enemy attacks.
Instead of magic, players must depend on their unique prosthetic arm to create offensive openings or fall back into defense. The game rewards an aggressive playstyle and punishes those who are overly reliant on defense. Dying inSekiroleads to loss of resources and has a chance of spreading a disease across the land.
