Best Froftware -Games for people who don't like soulsikes, ranked

FROMSoftware can be the studio most associated with brutal difficulty nails and cryptic lore drops, but that does not mean that everything it does is designed to kick people in the skins and whispers “Git God.” Long before Dark souls Became a genre for itself, the studio experimented with wild ideas, niche genres and tone shifts so sharp that they would give a mech -whiplash.

For players who have dropped out of soulski's (or never dared to touch one in the first place), there is a surprising eclectic mix of FROMSoft titles that offer action, creativity and even absurdist humor without the punitive loop. This list is not about tinting things; It is about going sideways into some of the studio's most fascinating, undervalued or simply strange work.

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10 FROMSoftware -games with the best stories, ranked

The best frontstware games are not only known for their fantastic graphics, level design and challenge, but for their incredible and dark stories.

5

Lost Kingdoms 2

Card -based battle from the studio that would later crush players with it

Before The fire ring Let players call jellyfish and mimic tears in the battle, Lost Kingdoms 2 Was already mixed creature called with Action RPG elements in a way that felt both experimental and strangely relaxing. This sequel was released on Gamecube in 2003 and took the original's short-based combat system and pulled up the pace, which made it more dynamic and more chaotic-without ever be overwhelming.

Players take on the role of Tara Grimface, a mysterious protagonist with a connection to antique rune stones, and fight through real -time battles by throwing magical cards that turn into monsters, magic formulas or traps. The short deck system means that no two players approach meet the same way, and the fighting rarely feels repetitive. It is a game that rewards creativity, not timing windows.

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7 Most ambitious games by FROMSoftware, ranked

FROMSoftware has been the source of some truly groundbreaking games, but these special examples are undoubtedly the most ambitious.

Visually, Lost Kingdoms 2 Looks exactly like an early 2000s from soft rpg: dark, muddy environments filled with gothic vibes and creatures that feel a bit. But despite the aesthetic overlap, it never falls into soul -like territory. There is no liquid or endurance or endurance. Only tire building, monster fusion and the silent satisfaction of calling an avalanchem that can clear a room. And in a very UN-Fromoft-twist, this game actually lets players grind.

4

Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors

FROMSoft can be good looking without being sadistic

Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors

Published

December 25, 2003

If Seekiro is a razor Katana duel in a field of flowers, Otogi 2 is a fever dream from 2004 where mythological Japanese warriors tear through demons while sliding over crumbling architecture in a haze of cherry flowers and particle effects. Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors expands all that made the first Otogi interesting. Instead of focusing on a main character, this players give a complete list of spirits, each with distinct playing styles. Some have massive swords. Others use varied magic or float like ghosts over destroyed temples. The struggle is fluid but elegant, with midai combinations, destructible environments and surreal beauty.

There are no tight Dodge rolls or backstab -pear to master here. This is not Soulsike Training Camp. It is a spectacle-first action game based on speed, style and pure mystery. And the world design is not supposed to catch players in loops or maze-like layouts-it is there to fall apart beautifully below them.

Also worth noting: Otogi 2 is still stuck in time. No remaster, no PC port, no fanfare. It is a hidden gem buried during years of Fräsoft's newer inheritance, but for anyone who wants to see the studio's creative range on full screen without being thrown off a cliff 18 times in a row, it is.

3

Evergrace

Everyone looks like they cosplay their dreams

Evergrace

System

Published

April 27, 2000

ESRB

Teen // animated violence

There is jank, and then there is Evergrace Shake. And somehow it just adds the charm. Released as a PlayStation 2 launch title, Evergrace Feels like it belongs in Uncanny Valley of Fantasy RPGS: Full of strange fashion, dreamy music and mechanics that feel like they were Jananed from an alternative universe version of Zelda.

Rather than the death from the death would be famous for, Evergrace is about adaptation and exploration of equipment. Characters carry tools that physically change their appearance, which – together with the vaguely haunting soundtrack and surreal environments – creates a vibe that is more worrying than really difficult. There is no endurance meter, no punishment for curiosity and no cryptic NPCs who speak in riddles.

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6 Undervalued FROMSoftware -Franchiser and Games

In addition to the fire Ring and Dark Souls, these games and franchise departments of FROMSoftware deserve much more attention and love than they receive.

It is one of these games where nothing really works as a player expects. The struggle is basic and the movement is difficult. The object system involves a strange Palmira crystal enhancement mechanic that is never really explained. But everything is combined into something convincing. Evergrace Does not try to imitate any trend. It is an early look at a studio trying to find his voice and creating something that feels like a strange dream player once had and forgot until now.

The president is fighting terrorism in a mech

This one can be the longest possible point from Dark souls It still falls under the Fräsoft umbrella. Originally released exclusively in Japan for the original Xbox, Metal wolf chaos Was some political satire, some mech shooter and ten parts absolute chaos. It was never supposed to be taken seriously, which is why it is incredible that it got a proper Western release in the form of Metal Wolf Chaos XD.

US President, Michael Wilson, climbs into a gigantic armor Mech to stop a military coup led by his treacherous vice president. He launches rockets from Oval Office and shouts things like “Let's party!” When you blast thoughts. It is less of a story and more of a patriotic fever dream directed by a team that has only ever seen American media through a VHS band of Independence Day or Gi Joe.

Gameplay, it is a third person MECH shooter where players replace weapons on the go and leave cities in ulcer ruins. There are no statistics for Min-Max or Lore drops to interpret-only raw destruction and single-feeds shouted through ball storms. The Remastered XD version cleans up the visual and adds modern controls but keeps it completely Bonkers tone intact. FROMSoft does not do much comedy, but Metal wolf chaos is the rare example where it became involved in the bit and somehow made it work. For players who have never clicked with the studio's darker tone, it may be the only time they go away and laugh.

1

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

It doesn't have to be a soul -like to be brutal

Armored Core 6 Has boss struggles that absolutely chew players up and spit them out, but it is not a soul -like. Instead of swords and shields, it is about booster beams, plasmal guns and the freedom to build a destruction machine from dozens of modular parts. If it sounds scary, it is – but in a way that rewards experiments, not reflex perfection.

What is doing Rubicon fires The work for players who usually do not enjoy from Soft's usual formula is its structure. The assignments are tight, varied and often short enough so as not to exceed their welcome. Loading can be switched between assignments, letting players tailor their attitude to every challenge rather than slamming into a brick wall and be told to try again until they suffer enough to grow. There is a joy in zipping over a battlefield, avoiding missile fields and loosening a shoulder -mounted laser canon to a rival mech's weak place. And for all its grains and industrial ruin, AC6 Is also stylish, with elegant menus, incredible sound design and a soundtrack that hits like a gut punch.

Souls DNA is slightly detectable, especially in how it asks players to learn and adapt. But Rubicon fires Do not require memorization of parry frames or decipher cryptic NPC dialogue. It wants players to find the right building, drive the boundaries of what their mech can do and maybe blow up a moon or two in the process.

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10 games to play if you love Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

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