Soulslikes that perfectly balance difficulty and enjoyment

Soulslikes have been coming out fast and loose lately, offering a wide variety of variations on the beloved genre, giving you some incredibly challenging experiences to more accessible ones, which can serve as a great on-ramp for players looking to break into the genre for the first time. And even if you love FromSoftware's more challenging offerings, it's nice to have some entries that don't push you to your limit.

This genre is meant to be very punishing, rewarding you for being patient, observant, and adaptable, but that doesn't mean every post has to be that way. We love this genre to bits, but that's because we were there from square one and crave the near-impossible challenges they can present. But we also love relaxing with the tamer titles!

Code Vein

Anime Souls Strikes A Solid Balance

When we launch, we have Code Vein. This excellent anime-inspired soulslike does a fantastic job of balancing its difficulty, with many in-game options that make your experience much more manageable and less frustrating. While some encounters will still pack a punch, you won't feel as helpless as you might in other massive titles the genre has to offer.

Code Vein has many co-op companions that you can bring along to help you in battle, who are actually quite competent, allowing you to focus on other aspects of the fight. Again, it will still be quite challenging from time to time, but nothing too drastic!

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

An approachable soulmate with a heart

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is next, and is another solid choice for anyone looking to dive into the soulful genre for the first time. If you're looking for a title that isn't nearly as punishing as the others in the genre, this is for you. It also helps that the story, characters and level design are excellent throughout.

While Fallen Order can get quite challenging at times, it never feels unfair or impossible, allowing you to spot your mistake, adjust your next attempt, and likely succeed. Its sequel is also pretty solid and ticks all the same boxes!

AI limit

A focused newcomer enters the fray

After that we have this year's AI frontier, a soul-like that flies a bit under the radar compared to the excellent Wuchang: Fallen Feathers and The First Berserker: Khazan. But unlike those entries, AI Limit takes a much more focused approach and offers a much more manageable experience in comparison.

Don't get us wrong, AI Limit still offers a very fun, challenging and rewarding experience, but it feels fair. There are very few moments where you'll wonder what happened, or swear the game is trying to pull one over on you. Every boss encounter and death feels very grounded and fair across the board, and we love it for it!

Another crab's treasure

Enjoyable in all the right ways

Speaking of fair soulslikes, Another Crab's Treasure is as fair as it gets, as it allows you to tweak many of its gameplay systems and mechanics, allowing you to tweak it to your liking. Want to give yourself extra Dodge Invincibility and extend the parry window? Done. How about reducing incoming damage and increasing your shell durability? Yes, it's there too.

Another Crab's Treasure can be a surprisingly challenging title in some aspects, but you just can't tackle it if you want to, which is perfectly acceptable. We're not sure if there's a better title to help players into the genre than this one, and it's a must-play!

Fire Ring

FromSoftware has a perfect balance

Ooooh, Elden Ring, FromSoftware's first stab at a sprawling open-world soul-like. And, of course, with Miyazaki at the helm, they knocked it out of the park. While it still has the expected FromSoftware spice that makes you feel like you've never played the genre before as you get yelled at by a boss for six hours straight, it's also their most accessible title to date.

Being able to use its online co-op aspects, calling NPCs and using Spirit Ashes can really make your experience much more manageable, while still offering the challenge that everyone knows and expects. If FromSoftware games were always a little too scary for you in the past, don't sleep on Elden Ring, because it's a great entry point to the best of the best in the genre!

Nostalgain's last hero

Charming, manageable and surprising

Finally, we have The Last Hero of Nostalgaia, a surprisingly fun, charming and generally fair experience from start to finish. It's chock full of pop culture references, has a wonderfully unique art style, and is a joy to explore, with very few moments where we left feeling like the game was cruel just for the sake of it.

Every boss encounter in The Last Hero of Nostalgaia felt balanced, and progression feels steady and rewarding. If you're looking for one of the more understated and whimsical experiences the genre has to offer, this is the title for you!