Now I am hooked (souls-likes)! What to play next?

[Rallianto]

This game got me into souls-like genre, so since this game barely works with patch #2, I decided to try out Life Of P, and I never thought I would have this much fun playing a souls-like game! Just completed it today. What else souls like game would you recommend? Elden Ring is an obvious one, isn't it?

[Amene]

Sekiro is one of the best if not the best - without all the ranged/magic/build ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. Similarly I rate Sifu quite high as well.

Other than that there are plenty good titles, both bigger (e.g. team ninja games - Nioh 1, Nioh 2, Wo Long; other from soft games, even if a bit aged) and smaller (e.g. Thymesia).

[ひちみこ・ハスキア]

Have yet to play Lies of P, but from my understanding from online. Its parry heavy game right ?
Sekiro is king of parries of souls-like. The main thing it deviates from traditional souls-like is no leveling up. It can be played twice ( at 1 point there is a story deviation with new bosses)

Elden Ring is well ofc good one.
Dark souls 3 is same quality.
Dark souls 1 is amazing, but its sligthly harder to get into, sligthly less modern feeling etc.
dark souls 2 is wierd, it has cool ideas, but many bad. Its a game for if you need more.
Salt and sacrifice -> similarly to NRFW what if diablo was dark souls, this game is what if dark souls was 2d metroidvainia
surge 2 - many like it, but i couldnt get into it, maybe smb else will write why they like this.
star wards jedi games - easy from souls like side, but good fun games.
nioh 2 - what if dark souls, had way more moves like a figthing game & diablo loot.
ff origin - what if nioh was simplier and in ff world.

[Rallianto]

Originally posted by Amene:

Sekiro is one of the best if not the best - without all the ranged/magic/build ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. Similarly I rate Sifu quite high as well.

Other than that there are plenty good titles, both bigger (e.g. team ninja games - Nioh 1, Nioh 2, Wo Long; other from soft games, even if a bit aged) and smaller (e.g. Thymesia).

I put Sekiro on the list, thanks! Might check out the smaller ones, if I still thirst for brutal games at that point :p

[Rallianto]

Originally posted by Hichie The Husky:

Have yet to play Lies of P, but from my understanding from online. Its parry heavy game right ?
Sekiro is king of parries of souls-like. The main thing it deviates from traditional souls-like is no leveling up. It can be played twice ( at 1 point there is a story deviation with new bosses)

Elden Ring is well ofc good one.
Dark souls 3 is same quality.
Dark souls 1 is amazing, but its sligthly harder to get into, sligthly less modern feeling etc.
dark souls 2 is wierd, it has cool ideas, but many bad. Its a game for if you need more.
Salt and sacrifice -> similarly to NRFW what if diablo was dark souls, this game is what if dark souls was 2d metroidvainia
surge 2 - many like it, but i couldnt get into it, maybe smb else will write why they like this.
star wards jedi games - easy from souls like side, but good fun games.
nioh 2 - what if dark souls, had way more moves like a figthing game & diablo loot.
ff origin - what if nioh was simplier and in ff world.

You can build towards dodge or parry yeah.
I already played both Star Wars Jedi games, didn't realize they were souls-like, they are not that difficult imo.
I'll put Elden Ring and Sekiro on the list, might check out the others after, thanks!

[MPN64]

Originally posted by Amene:

Sekiro is one of the best if not the best - without all the ranged/magic/build ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. Similarly I rate Sifu quite high as well.

Other than that there are plenty good titles, both bigger (e.g. team ninja games - Nioh 1, Nioh 2, Wo Long; other from soft games, even if a bit aged) and smaller (e.g. Thymesia).

Sekiro my favorite from soft game but not really a souls like. No builds, one main weapon etc but it is awesome.

Lies of P is the best non from software souls game imo

Sifu is also great.

[ひちみこ・ハスキア]

Star wars jedi games are sometimes called souls-lite, like iv seen people use it as an example, that people who are scared to play souls-likes have already played a similar game, these other ones are more difficult, but similar

[k9]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1887840/Another_Crabs_Treasure/

[Sgt.JESUS]

Originally posted by Hichie The Husky:

Salt and sacrifice -> similarly to NRFW what if diablo was dark souls, this game is what if dark souls was 2d metroidvainia

Salt and Sanctuary is better, its the first one.

[Knavenformed]

Elden Ring is the obvious one yes

But if you already liked P, then go for Dark Souls 3 first
The experience from 3 to the expanded moveset in Elden is much better, than going from Elden Ring to Dark Souls 3
Both are bangers, but Elden Ring just expands the game with jumping that it feels off playing Dark Souls 3

[ひちみこ・ハスキア]

Originally posted by Sgt.JESUS:

Originally posted by Hichie The Husky:

Salt and sacrifice -> similarly to NRFW what if diablo was dark souls, this game is what if dark souls was 2d metroidvainia

Salt and Sanctuary is better, its the first one.

100% correct, remembered the wrong name

[The Undead Watcher]

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Sekiro (both of them Focus mostly on parrying, with the first one being from Team Ninja and the latter being from Fromsoft) are my most favorite Souls-like games of all time.

Another game that doesn't necessarily focus on parry but has an interesting Damage System is Thymesia. Basically you attack enemies with light attacks to create wounds that can heal over time if you don't attack, but can be removed with special heavy attacks (called claw attacks). It's definitely an interesting system and i did enjoy the game, especially since it has Bloodborne aesthetics.

Close towards my all time favorites though are Nioh 2 (and Nioh 1) both of which are also made by Team Ninja. These are more "traditional" Souls-like (they focus less on parrying and more on dodging). Nioh 2 has a bit of a learning curve since you need to manage 3 stances and Ki pulsing (recovering huge chunks of Stamina at once), but once it clicks it feels really good to trash a boss in minutes.

Another Honorable mention from Team Ninja is Strangers of Paradise: A Final Fantasy Origin Story. I was spooked by the Final Fantasy part as i don't like the Final Fantasy games, but this was an awesome game to play, since it focuses more on the Souls-like part instead of the story part; and since it's Team Ninja, the gameplay is phenomenally god-like IMO.


Now going away from Team Ninja and onto The Surge (and The Surge 2): The main addition to the souls formula is that you can target the limbs of your enemies and given enough damage is inflicted upon them and the enemies health is low you can then cut that limb off in some stunning animation and receive the armour of weapon that it was carrying.
The Surge 2 had some perfomance (or just outright crashing issues) that have been resolved (?, since i didn't have them).

I can only echo Another Crabs Treasure, it is a really hidden gem of a game that i found out via Iron Pineapple on Youtube. Definitely check out his Playlist as he keeps testing/playing smaller, more unknown Souls-like games.

[Amene]

++ for both Surge games as well, these two kind of slipped my mind.