Important takeaways
-
Fire Ring
offers the greatest enemy variety in a soul-like open world, and offers a variety of challenging enemies. -
Black Myth: Wukong
features a wide variety of unique enemies, all deeply rooted in Chinese mythology. -
Nioh 2
excels in enemy diversity, with a mix of new monsters and many familiar enemies returning from the original.
Soul-like game have become some of the most popular action titles today, known for their intense combat, engaging exploration, diverse weapon choices, and challenging bosses. One aspect that is often overlooked is the variety of common enemies, which can greatly enhance the experience during long playthroughs.
Introducing new enemy types throughout the game is crucial to keeping players interested, as it forces them to learn new attack patterns and adapt to new challenges. Conversely, reusing the same enemies in different locations can quickly dampen the excitement and even make the game feel repetitive or trivial. Let's explore some of the best soul-like games that excel in enemy diversity, offering a wide variety of enemies that require unique tactics to overcome.
1 Fire Ring
The largest and most versatile
Fire Ringalong with its massive expansion Shadow of the Erdtreestands as one of the best soul-like open-world games available today. The game impresses on countless levels, and its unparalleled variety of enemies is a major highlight. For hundreds of hours, players will continue to face new challenges and unique enemies scattered across the vast expanse of the Lands Between.
From dangerous wildlife to battle-hardened warriors who wield a wide range of moves and special attacks, Fire Ring offers relentless surprises. Cunning mages cast devastating spells from afar, while dark, menacing shadows lurk in the deepest corners of dungeons and catacombs, waiting to pounce with deadly grapple attacks. With so many enemy types to discover, some players may not even encounter all of the unique enemies on their first playthrough, showing the sheer depth and variety the game offers.
2 Black Myth: Wukong
Surprisingly large enemy set in each new chapter
Black Myth: Wukong may be difficult to strictly classify as a soul-like game, as it balances traditional action RPG elements with some soul-like mechanics. However, the exact classification is not the most important thing here. What really stands out is that Game Science's debut title features an incredible array of unique and engaging enemies across its six chapters, keeping players consistently immersed.
The game's responsive combat system allows for different approaches, making each new encounter a joy to crack. Rooted deep in Chinese mythology, Black Myth: Wukong offers a constant stream of new challenges with enemy designs that are not only unique but also rarely seen in other games, further elevating the experience and keeping it engrossing for hours on end.
3 Dark Souls 3
Packed with tons of different creatures to fight
Dark Souls 3along with its expansions Ashes of Ariandel and The ringed cityis often underestimated for its variety of common enemies. Despite being a more compact and almost linear adventure compared to Fire Ringit still offers a comparable range of unique enemies to fight. Keeping true to FromSoftware's traditions, players are constantly faced with new and challenging enemies, each with their own dangerous habits and a wide range of combat abilities.
Adapting to these threats and learning their tricks is an important part of the satisfaction in Dark Souls 3. In addition, the campaign cleverly places tough enemies in the late game early on, protecting secrets meant to be revealed later, providing a rewarding backtracking component for players willing to rise to the challenge.
4 Nioh 2
Almost all of the enemies from the first entry return
Nioh 2 stands out for its impressive enemy variety, especially for players who did not experience the original. Almost all of the enemies from the first game make a return in the sequel, along with a host of new demons, humans, and yokai. Even Team Ninja's later titles, such as Wo Long: Fallen Dynastystruggling to match the diverse array of creatures found within Nioh 2.
The design of these monsters is a major highlight of the experience, with colorful, memorable and intricately detailed beasts and demons of all shapes and sizes just waiting for players to slide their way up. Along with the game's Diablo-like loot system and enemy drops – a feature rarely seen in the genre – the rich variety of enemies greatly increases the replay value of the game.
5 Lies by P
Many different enemies with minimal reuse
Lies by P may not reach the level of enemy variety seen in FromSoftware's titles, but for its almost linear structure and unique robopocalypse setting, the game performs admirably. Players mainly encounter three types of enemies – humans (alchemists), dolls, and corpses (monsters) – but each category offers impressive variety. Combined with the game's itemization system, players are encouraged to switch gears frequently to maximize effectiveness against different enemies.
From a design perspective, Lies by P is a visual treat. The intricate puppet models are particularly striking, with detailed animations that allow Pinocchio to dismantle them piece by piece during battle. Few non-FromSoftware soulful games manage to feel as distinctive and rewarding as Lies by P when it comes to enemy design and progression.
6 Blood borne
Unique environment and secret locations allow for great enemy diversity
Blood borne rightfully deserves its place among the best games for enemy variety, even a decade after its release. The game's unique, mysterious environment – with secret areas and wildly different locations such as catacombs, villages, city streets, castles and swamps – creates an immersive backdrop for an impressive selection of monsters. Some of the creatures players encounter could easily be classified as nightmare fuel.
True to FromSoftware's tradition, each enemy has a distinct set of moves and battle patterns, making encounters feel fresh even when fighting variants of the same enemy later in the game. From aggressive villagers with packs of dogs and rock-throwing giants to eerie cosmic creatures and unexplained horrors, Blood borne consistently delivers new challenges and keeps the experience engaging until the end.