The release of Dark souls 2011 will likely be one of the game's most defining moments, but looking back with hindsight, it's a wonder the game was as successful as it was. The movement is somewhat clunky, the story and objectives are obtuse at best, and the game and its world are actively trying to kill the player at every turn. But despite that, and partly because of that, Dark souls would inspire a whole host of games to follow in its footsteps, with Jyamma Games' Enotria: The Last Song simply the latest in a long list of contemporary genre titles. But despite all its similarities, Enotria works itself out in some important ways.
Like other modern Soulslikes and games that borrow parts of the FromSoftware catalog, Enotria: The Last Song owes the original a great debt of gratitude Dark souls. But it also introduces several new ideas, whether through the mixing of gene promoters such as Lies by P or branch out on your own Lords of the Fallento help it stand out in an increasingly crowded subgenre. Borrowing the core elements of a classic title and adding modern sensibilities, these games show that the genre continues to evolve from the blueprint FromSoftware created nearly 15 years ago.
Enotria's complete lack of multiplayer is a double-edged sword
The worlds of Soullike games are often dreary places where the sense of isolation adds to the atmospheric qualities of the genre. But that never stopped multiplayer from being a core component, too Dark souls significantly improving the PvE and PvP multiplayer modes introduced in Demon's Souls. Since then, most Soulslikes continue to incorporate some type of co-op against challenging bosses or a PvP mode for players to duel each other, but not all. Key outliers show that Soulslikes can be satisfying as single player experiences alone, and EnotriaThe lack of multiplayer continues this trend.
Jyamma Games' breakout title joins an esteemed list of games that Sekiro, Lies by Pand Respawns Star Wars Jedi games that offer high-quality single-player experiences without the need for multiplayer. But it also begs the question of what the game could have been like with a co-op PvE mode, especially when it comes to some of its more challenging boss battles. While Soulslike games don't necessarily live or die by their multiplayer component, the inclusion of one is rarely something players would see as a mistake.
Enotria and other modern soulslikes raise the question of how the genre can evolve
Outside of the core mechanics that players have come to recognize as the basis of Soulslikes, the modern non-FromSoftware games continue to establish that there is still room for evolution within the genre. Enotria has plenty of elements that go against what players might expect from a Soulslike, whether it's through its uncharacteristically bright and beautiful environment, multiple builds, lack of an equipment durability system, or complete lack of stealth mechanics. And it is simply the latest game in the genre to do this, with other notable entries such as Lies by P, Lords of the Fallenand The rest 2 proving that there is still room for innovation, even when following FromSoftware's plan.
Fifteen years ago, the idea of a game that Demon's Souls or Dark souls incorporating third-person shooter mechanics would have seemed impossible, but Gunfire Games has proven not once but twice that it's a formula that players enjoy returning to time and time again Remnant game. Lords of the Fallen mixed The legacy of Cains dual-world traversal mechanic to a high-impact soul-like with its Umbral Realm. Similar, Enotria takes some calculated risks in how it deviates from the established conventions of the Soulslike genre, but those risks landing with players creates air and opportunity for future games to innovate in surprising ways.
