Soulslike game with better boss fights than dark souls

Dark souls is known for many things. Kickstart the soul-like wave, brutally punishing combat, but perhaps most of all is the iconic list of bosses that keep players coming back for more time and time again, despite being well over a decade old at this point.

But despite some incredible fights, like Artorias, and Ornstein and Smough, there are a lot of soul-like games that make for a slightly better boss-fighting experience. Some focus on pure numbers, while others focus on creating cinematic moments that will keep players glued to their screens until the fight is over.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

The best in the genre

Details:

• A combination of dueling samurai combat and larger opponents

• Each battle offers a unique style, and all are incredibly fast-paced and satisfying

Sekiro is widely considered one of, if not the best, soulslike ever made, and a large part of that praise comes from the bosses. Right from the start, players are pushed to their limit against Gyoubu, but it doesn't get any easier from there on out.

What makes the bosses so great is how well they handle the game's various mechanics. Some attacks can be parried or countered, while others must be dodged and jumped over, creating a perfect rhythm that ensures no two fights are the same and players are constantly tested at every stage of their playthrough.

Lies by P

Mechanical giants and master swordsmen

Details:

• Combat allows even larger enemies to be parried consistently

• Good variety of fight types, such as interesting ganks and multi-stage encounters

Lies by P has quickly become a fan favorite in the soul-like community, with many praising its unique fighting style and gorgeous aesthetics that stand out from the rest of the crowd. But when it comes to bosses, the game sets a new standard for difficulty and progression, making it easier for players to come in with a few clever giants and quickly ramp up to some of the toughest opponents in the genre.

The first obstacle for many will be the King of Puppets, and from there the fights get tougher, more punishing and deeply engaging. The parrying style really helps make the fights feel weighty, as players aren't forced to approach encounters in a specific way and can instead choose to dodge, parry, or shoot their way through the wide variety of opponents ready to take them on.

The First Berserker: Khazan

Not a moment to breathe

Details:

• Challenging bosses that constantly push players to adapt

• Wide variety of moves, attacks and counters to use against each enemy

Khazan came out of almost nowhere and completely subverted all expectations of an indie soul-like. Its unique art style and challenging combat made it an instant hit, and the level of boss quality far exceeds that of the original Dark souls.

There is no right or wrong way to approach each fight, and rather than having any set moves, bosses can instead chain together different attacks that each need to learn, giving the player more things to avoid but also more chances to counter. There's a good amount of enemy variety too, with some bosses being towering dragons, and others pitting players against an equal with as much speed and power as themselves.

Black Myth: Wukong

Cinematic doesn't even begin to describe it

Details:

• Fights are placed at meaningful points of progression

• Greater battles that take the fight to the skies and far above the battlefield

Black Myth: Wukong is an exceptional soul-like with an absurd amount of bosses that each present a different challenge to the player. Across the six chapters, players will encounter everything from giant bears to trained samurai, having to adapt to different damage types, status effects, and absurd moves that can often come out of nowhere.

Due to all the different moves and abilities that players can do, the fights turn into breathtaking duels full of crazy effects and constant movement, making every battle feel like a dance of strikes. Later, the bosses get pretty absurd, with a different kind of scale that very few games have ever even attempted.

Nine suns

Challenging and stylish at the same time

Details:

• A boss representing each area/attack team

• Fairness throughout, i.e. player skill takes precedence

Nine suns draws heavy inspiration from Sekirobut puts a unique spin on the parry-based combat, allowing players to move smoothly around each arena, while countering every attack that comes their way. Each fight has a meaningful place in the world and marks a transition to the next episode, allowing the short list to feel more impactful than other games with a wider variety of fights.

Despite being two-dimensional, the fights manage to utilize space so well, forcing players to run from end to end over and over again just to have a chance to survive. And the final matches will make even veterans feel out of their depth, severely punishing small mistakes and demanding an unprecedented level of concentration from the player.

Nioh 2

Brutal fights from creatures to spellcasters

Details:

• A huge list of bosses of completely different types

• Absurd list of styles to approach every fight with

Nioh 2 delivers one of the densest collections of bosses of any soul-like character, with players pitted against a towering Yokai one minute and a lightning-fast swordsman the next. The rhythm shifts all the time and unlike Dark soulswhere stamina and positioning matter most, players must instead master a much larger list of systems in order to compete with the toughest enemies.

The great flexibility of its combat system means that no two players tackle bosses in the same way. The various abilities, counters and build synergies mean that fights can be approached aggressively, defensively or a combination of the two, providing an unparalleled sense of freedom that turns even simple bosses into engaging encounters.

The rest 2

Mixing horror into a shooter

Details:

• Bullet-hell style fighting

• Tactical repositioning requires constant focus

The rest 2 takes a completely different approach to soulful boss design, trading swords and shields for guns and grenades and placing players in nightmarish scenarios where the only way out is to shoot. The fights are designed more like complex bullet hells that combine barrages of ranged attacks with quick melee strikes, creating a fine balance of evasive styles that players must adapt to.

Instead of just being sponges for shots, the bosses are much more mechanically intensive, requiring players to constantly move around rather than holding a single location. The variety may make things seem easy at first, but players will quickly wish they were back and dodging slow skeletons rather than giant ghouls from another dimension.

Hollow Knight

Fight your way to freedom

Details:

• Distinct enemies that require sustained attention to take down

• Hidden HP adds a huge amount of excitement

Hollow Knight's managers thrive on precision and unpredictability. With no visible health bars, each encounter becomes a battle of endurance, with players only allowed to make a few mistakes before having to run back and retry the entire fight.

Each boss enemy introduces unique movement patterns and overlapping attack strings, forcing players to balance aggression with restraint. Unlike Dark soulswhere shield usage and stamina management often dictate pacing, Hollow Knight relies on flawless positioning and flight control, making every small input feel meaningful right up until the final blow lands.

Fire Ring

A new enemy around every corner

Details:

• Over 100 unique boss types

• The main story's encounters feel exciting and genuinely meaningful in the world

Fire Ring sets a new standard for the soul-like genre, giving players an open world filled to the brim with challenging bosses of virtually every kind imaginable. There are dozens of dragons, knights and abominations of all kinds, with many of the best fights actually being found off the beaten path.

The reason the bosses feel so good is because of where they are placed and how the players approach them. Major battles, such as Godfrey, are set at the top of a long climb, allowing the build-up to speak to the enormity of the battle, and the level of challenge dictated only by the player's own build, creativity, and ability to adapt to the near-endless list of attacks and strikes that come their way.