The Best Action RPGs Like Dark Souls

Highlights

• Dark Souls revolutionized the gaming industry by combining old-school gaming with modern sensibilities, creating a unique and challenging experience.
• The popularity of the Dark Souls franchise has led to the creation of many great games with similar gameplay mechanics and atmosphere, providing players with a chance to experience similar feelings.
• Soulslike games, such as Remnant: From the Ashes and Lies of P, offer engaging combat, randomized elements, and intense boss battles that will appeal to fans of Dark Souls and its challenging gameplay.

When one talks about some of the greatest games of the past decade, it goes without saying that Dark Souls would be an inevitable part of the conversation. Released during a time when AAA publishers were becoming more and more averse to adding a substantial level of challenge in their games, Dark Souls made a resounding wave in the gaming industry with its highly effective combination of old-school gaming along with modern sensibilities to create something truly unique and revolutionary to boot.

It was only a given that this game would spawn a franchise, and the trilogy is considered by many to be one of the best video game franchises of all time. So, it’s understandable that finishing Dark Souls would leave a void that most games simply won’t be able to fill. However, the popularity of this franchise has spawned a number of Soulslikes, some of which are definitely worth playing. So, for the people who wish to experience the same feelings they got when playing FromSoftware’s modern classic for the first time, there are many great games like Dark Souls they can check out,

Updated on November 4, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: Soulslike games have become all the rage in modern times, in no small part due to FromSoftware’s immense success in this department. The idea of playing tough yet rewarding games appeals to many people, and it’s easy to see why so many players want to try out more action RPGs like Dark Souls to enjoy this fun gameplay loop.

22 Remnant 2

Soulslike third-person shooter with roguelike elements

Remnant: From the Ashes was an ambitious mix of third-person shooting, roguelike elements, and Soulslike combat that was a huge success. The sequel had some huge shoes to fill… and Gunfire Games didn’t disappoint. They developed a sequel that was bigger and better in almost every department.

Level layouts weren’t the only things that switched out in each run — now, NPCs, quests, bosses, and other such elements were randomized in each run, making its roguelike design more apparent. This, coupled with engaging combat and amazing visuals, makes for a sequel that any fan of the first game should definitely check out.

21 Lies Of P

Bloodborne-inspired Soulslike with intense bosses

Lies of P is a game that came out of nowhere and rode the Bloodborne hype train, wowing players with its amazing combat, great visuals, and unique aesthetic. As a result, many players couldn’t wait to get their hands on this title… and the game certainly didn’t disappoint!

The game’s over-the-top nature can work against it sometimes, with the exhaustive nature of the title’s many bosses feeling rather uninspiring after a point. However, that’s a small gripe in what is otherwise a masterful experience that Soulslike fans should definitely try out!

20 Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night

Revolutionary level design that Dark Souls took inspiration from

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is another game that kickstarted an entire genre, making it far more similar to Dark Souls than most people would assume. The game’s combination of RPG elements along with traditional platformer action was a thing of beauty that paid dividends, and fans loved just how engaging the game’s boss fights and progression system were.

Alucard is a great protagonist who has a wealth of weapons and abilities that he can use to dispose of his enemies. The title is pretty challenging but accessible at the same time, and players can always grind if they feel like they’ve hit a brick wall. Of course, the real solution may just be to uncover a secret passageway, but getting stronger is never a bad thing.

19 Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor

Dark fantasy action-adventure game in an accursed land

No one expected Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor to be a hit, and it’s easy to see why so many fans were tempering their expectations. Despite the good previews of this game, players have been betrayed by video games based on other IPs over and over again. As a result, fan expectations weren’t all that high, which is why most of them had their minds blown when this game was finally released to rave reviews.

The tale of revenge told in this game is pretty riveting if somewhat simplistic, and Talion is a great protagonist to root for. His Wraith powers feel extremely satisfying to use in battle, with combat being a gory dance of blades as players get used to the same fighting mechanics that made the Arkham games so beloved. As a cherry on top of this wonderful experience, the game has a Nemesis system where players can create unique stories with the many orcs that stand in their way, leading to memorable rivalries and betrayals that are a joy to see play out firsthand.

18 Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade

Action-packed RPG with multiple party members

Many players were elated by the fact that the legendary Final Fantasy 7 would finally be remade for modern systems after what felt like eons of waiting. Square Enix took extra care to make sure the game could convey the epic scale of the adventure present in the first game.

This clearly required a ton of work, and the company decided to take a risk and split the game into three parts, fleshing out the experience with their own unique additions along the way. The end result was Final Fantasy 7 Remake, a bold attempt to retell the story of the game that paid off pretty well. The game received a DLC that focused on Yuffie, allowing players to try out this character for themselves before she would join officially in the next title.

17 Remnant: From The Ashes

Unique combination of the Soulslike genre and third-person shooting

Remnant: From the Ashes is a unique mix of two genres — Soulslikes and third-person shooters. The end result is something truly memorable, especially if players have other friends they can share this experience with.

The game wastes no time in letting players know that a single mistake will be punished severely. Players need to dodge and shoot with expert precision to get through some of the many tough bosses present in this game.

16 Thymesia

Bloodborne-esque Soulslike

Speaking of Soulslikes, another great title that comes to mind is Thymesia. The game takes place during a plague that is rocking the game’s world, forcing players to fight against monstrosities and other humans that have been affected by the plague.

The plague doctor aesthetic of the game is carried off pretty well, with the game featuring several tight encounters and enough combat nuances to keep most Souls veterans satiated for the longest time. It might not be the most unique title around, but Thymesia does more than enough to keep fans happy till the end.

15 Elden Ring

An open-world Soulsborne game

Elden Ring is one of the most critically acclaimed video games ever made and FromSoftware’s biggest success by a country mile. The open world of this game is truly mind-blowing, with each and every corner of the landscape hiding unique and beautiful secrets that players will find amazing to uncover.

It helps that Elden Ring is quite approachable as well, with players being able to get into the title and beat its many bosses after spending enough time preparing themselves by fighting the many optional challenges in the game. Fans are glad to see FromSoftware earn the title of being one of the biggest names in the gaming landscape, and it’s clear that the future of this company is a promising one indeed.

14 Monster Hunter: World

Immense enemy variety and a combat system dependent on the player’s weapon class

Monster Hunter: World is one of the best entries in the series. It’s one of the most accessible Monster Hunter games around and will keep players addicted for hours as they hunt down the toughest monsters to ever appear in a video game.

Monster Hunter is not an easy game in the slightest, which is something that Dark Souls fans will obviously appreciate. The game can get grindy at times, but the gameplay loop of crafting, hunting, looting, and everything else along the same lines is still really engaging and a ton of fun!

13 Horizon: Zero Dawn

Open-world game with tense combat against mechanical beasts

Horizon: Zero Dawn is a tremendous game that stands out with its superb combat, which pulls no punches and can be downright brutal if players aren’t prepared.

However, despite the excellent combat mechanics, it’s the story of Horizon: Zero Dawn that truly excels in every department — also an area that Dark Souls is subtly brilliant in. The scope of the story expands along with the world as Aloy sets off on her journey, making for a great time in this post-apocalyptic open world.

12 Hyper Light Drifter

A mix of Zelda and Soulslike gameplay

An indie title that is absolutely excellent, Hyper Light Drifter combines the best facets of classic Zelda games and Soulslike gameplay. The end result is a challenging yet beautiful game that gamers will absolutely adore.

The art style of Hyper Light Drifter perfectly complements its brilliant sound design. The combat is definitely its biggest highlight, with players having a ton of fun as they upgrade the Drifter’s energy sword and master all the mechanics.

11 Ender Lilies: Quietus Of The Knights

A 2D Metroidvania Soulslike

Boasting a great Metroidvania aesthetic that has served as a base for some of the best Souls-like games around, Ender Lilies has wowed fans all over the world with its impressive visuals and gameplay.

The idea of using the attacks of different creatures to fight enemies is extremely unique; this leads to satisfying gameplay challenges as the player goes through Ender Lilies: Quietus Of The Knights and tackles the various challenges that lie within.

Incredible sense of exploration and discovery

If there’s one thing that Dark Souls is known for, it’s the wondrous sense of exploration that’s attached to the series. There’s one other title that feels quite similar in this regard — The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.

At a glance, Skyrim might not seem like a Soulslike game. However, when players start exploring the land, they’ll experience the same sense of elation that they were overjoyed by with Dark Souls. Although Skyrim lets players enjoy a passive lifestyle in-game, it also offers some truly memorable enemy encounters for those looking for a Soulslike challenge.

9 Hellpoint

Sci-fi Soulslike set on an abandoned space station

Although it is set in a sci-fi universe as opposed to a dark fantasy one, Hellpoint still delivers immersive mechanics and a cool world full of sinister threats. The variety of weapons and powers gives one as much freedom as a player could want; however, the challenging bosses and enemies will test one’s patience and prowess simultaneously.

Exploring a cryptic world is always intriguing, particularly when death has consequences. When dying in Hellpoint, the player will leave behind a ghost that they must exorcise via combat to get their currency back. With a ton of areas to adventure through and succulent secrets to uncover, Dark Souls fans will have plenty to do in this radical romp through space.

8 Dark Devotion

A dark, brooding 2D game mixing Metroidvania and Soulslike elements

As a 2D game, there are some inevitable differences from 3D ARPGs like Dark Souls due to physical constraints, though this does not detract from games in an older-school style. Dark Devotion puts players in the boots of a templar tasked with exploring an ancient temple and freeing their people’s god from imprisonment at the hands of deep beings.

There is a lot of original, deep lore that is only explained through item descriptions and books found around the world, which gives the setting a sense of ominous mystique, much like how FromSoftware’s games deliver their stories. The weapons in Dark Devotion are all very fun to use, especially the boss weapons. Lighting-launching greatswords spells with beams of energy, and much more await those in this addictive game. The structure and map progression is also set up for lots of replay value in that it operates as a rogue-like. However, there are also consistent paths and many shortcuts that cut down on any overly tedious traveling.

7 Demon’s Souls

The game that started it all

There would be no Dark Souls without Demon’s Souls. There were a lot of janky issues with the original ‘Souls’ game, though that did not stop it from being tremendously fun for many gamers. In fact, many players prefer the imbalance as it allowed for absurdly fun and broken builds in both the original for the PS3 and the remake for the PS5.

There is no better game to pick up if one seeks to travel to a dark fantasy world full of dragons, demons, and much more. The structure of the game is a bit different from Dark Souls in that the world is not open and free to explore but instead arranged in a level-by-level format that makes things a bit easier to get into for many gamers who like compartmentalization.

6 Death’s Gambit

Metroidvania Soulslike with great pixel art

Death and rebirth are common traits in Dark Souls, themes that transcend gameplay and speak of the infinite power held by players: immortality. In Death’s Gambit, a player’s demise is only permanent if they give up. They start off confronting the Grim Reaper in a chilling conversation that sets the tone for this atmospheric and polished 2D Soulslike.

An intimidating world with cool bosses, highly variable area design, and a plethora of weapons and abilities make this game one to check out for all Dark Souls fans. There are even a ton of hidden quests and character dialogue to uncover that can tie a player’s attention to this fascinating foray into death’s embrace.

5 Dragon’s Dogma

A surprisingly deep and engaging combat system

There are similar elements to Dark Souls in Dragon’s Dogma, but it is not a game that can be considered a Soulslike as it does many things differently, albeit while giving off a similar vibe to FromSoftware’s masterpiece. Players will find that Dragon’s Dogma plays more like a traditional ARPG in that there is more focus on exchanging blows with foes as opposed to avoiding the damage.

However, the stakes are just as high due to the game’s dominating dragon antagonist, who literally steals the player’s heart, which forces them to get strong enough to find and challenge the winged fiend. A long and arduous journey awaits one in this game, but it is an adventure full of crazy mechanics like being able to lift, carry, and throw NPCs, unleashing ridiculous elemental spells, and cleaving through waves of skeletons and bandits with a trove of weapons.

4 Salt and Sanctuary

One of the very first games that combined Metroidvania and Soulslike design

Salt And Sanctuary is another side-scrolling Soulslike that most people have unfairly overlooked since its launch in 2016. Like many 2D Soulslike games, Salt and Sanctuary incorporates a Metroidvania-style level design.

People who decided to give this game a chance ended up with what is undoubtedly one of the more unique and challenging gameplay experiences around, coupled with an art style that is hauntingly beautiful, despite seeming somewhat minimal at first glance.

3 The Witcher 3

A dark fantasy action-RPG with similar-feeling combat

The Witcher 3 is one of the best video games of all time, and one need only look at the massively positive critical and commercial reception of this title to understand why this is the case. The combat of the game is definitely reminiscent of Dark Souls, albeit with more things to do in any given situation.

The main difference between the games is that The Witcher 3 is wholeheartedly a story-driven experience, with the game’s stellar narrative being its standout feature, as players are forced to make many difficult decisions to decide the fate of various characters.