Important takeaways
- Soulslike game developers don't just copy each other. Many of them focus on adding inventive mechanics to their games to set them apart from the rest of the pack.
- Games like The Surge integrate targeted looting, which improves combat complexity by offering options for quick kills or better loot.
- Deathbound has another unique system example where players control multiple characters in one body.
Everyone knows a Soulslike game at a glance these days. Checkpoints that respawn enemies, limited healing items, loss of exp/currency on death, and high octane boss fights are all clear indicators of this subgenre of games. But not every Soulslike that comes out is just a copy of Dark souls game or any of the other From Software iconic titles.
In fact, most of the Soulslikes coming out these days actually build on the subgenre, adding inventive new mechanics and systems on top of everything else. That's what we want to take a deeper look at today, the inventive and creative additions these developers make to their Soulslike games that help make their contributions so absolutely memorable.
8 Focus points
Black Myth: Wukong
Let's start with (at least as I write this) the latest AAA Soulslike to come out, Black Myth: Wukong. Black Myth: Wukong is a game that one could argue isn't even technically a Soulslike, but that's a conversation for another day. Instead, let's talk about one of the best new gaming systems that Black Myth: Wukong adds to this subgenre of games, the Focus Point system.
Tying heavy attacks to a specific resource that players earn during a fight by both hitting the enemy and expertly dodging attacks is a great idea. And increasing both the range and damage of these heavy attacks depending on how many focus points are used for the attack is also an ingenious way to reward players for learning and mastering the classic “player vs. scary” boss battle system. Wukong. While Focus Points wouldn't work in every Soulslike, there are many games that this system would work well in and we're excited to see how future games build on the system or even reinvent it.
7 Weapon combinations
Lies by P
Lies by P is such an incredibly polished entry into the Soulslike sub-genre of games. In fact, for many people, this is their favorite Soulslike game overall (not including any of the From Software games, of course). And much of this benefit comes from how fine-tuned many of the systems are Lies by P are like the Perfect Guard system and the Staggering system. But these systems aren't technically “new” to the subgenre.
But what this game adds to the Soulslike sub-genre that is completely new (outside of a whole bunch of lore) is the Weapon Assembly system where players can mix and match any blade and handle to create brand new weapons with combo moves. and fable skills. While there are some combos that are a little too strong compared to the rest, this system is incredibly well thought out, and it's one that we hope will return in future Soulslike games in some capacity.
6 Weapon position
Nioh & Nioh 2
The Nioh Games obviously weren't the first to come up with the idea of different weapon positions during combat, but they were the first Soulslike games to really popularize this mechanic and make it work in that specific game format.
Having different stances represent different playstyles for each weapon option in the game only serves to give players even more ways to feel like their playthrough is completely individual to them, which is awesome. Plus, when combined with all the other systems these two games introduce, such as Ki Pulses, Guardian Spirits, and more, it all blends together to make the end result feel so completely polished and deep.
5 Targeted attacks and loot
The Surge 1 & 2
Both The Surge game expertly managed to integrate a mechanic that Souls game fans had theorized for the longest time about From Software ever making a futuristic Souls game, targeted looting. To be more specific, i The Surge Gamers can actually go out of their way to target specific armored limbs on their enemies in hopes of severing those limbs and getting those exo-skeleton parts for themselves.
Thus, players must constantly decide whether to attack the unarmored area to get rid of enemies faster or target the armored areas for the chance to get new loot and potentially make themselves stronger in the long run, which only serves to adding a whole new level of complexity to the already complex Soulslike combat formula.
4 Gunfight and separate modes
Remnant: From the Ashes & Remnant 2
The Remnant games, both Remains: From the ashes and The rest 2 specifically, add a bunch of new stuff to the Soulslike subgenre. First, these games are primarily multiplayer focused gunfights in a Soulslike game, something that doesn't sound like it should work but it absolutely does. But these games also have a central game system that is equally inventive and unique, the re-rolling system.
Players essentially have three different “modes” they can interact with at any point in the hub in both games, Campaign Mode, Adventure Mode, and Survival Mode (Boss Rush Mode in The rest 2). Each mode is linked to the same character and hub, but player progress in each mode is separate from each other. This allows players to reroll their Adventure Mode as much as they want without affecting their progress in the Campaign Mode and vice versa. Because of this, farming for the absurd amount of articles in Remains: From the ashes and The rest 2 is much easier than it would be in most other Soulslike games, and it's a testament to the intelligent core game design that the developers at Gunfire Games managed to figure out.
3 Roguelike mode and modifiers
Lords of the Fallen (2023)
The original Lords of the Fallen back in 2014 still holds the metaphorical title of “first non-Software Soulslike game,” and for all its flaws, nothing can take it away from it. And while the second game that came out in October 2023 also had its fair share of problems, the game was leaps and bounds ahead of the original in terms of core design and creativity.
Additionally, the developers at Hexworks have also put in the work of patching the game, fixing bugs, updating systems, and even adding new mechanics throughout the game's lifespan, eventually adding a roguelike mode in their last free update for the game. After messing around with this mode, we can safely say that this is something that most Soulslike games would absolutely benefit from having, as it just adds so much more content to the game without technically “adding” too much on the whole.
2 Open world and unique combat mechanics
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is another Soulslike that came out in 2024 and one that doesn't get the amount of credit it deserves. This game is clearly inspired by the Souls games and all the other Soulslikes out there, but it also really innovates the subgenre and tries a lot of different ambitious things.
First, the game is essentially open world in a very similar way to many of Ubisoft's open world games. Players explore the world, unlocking new fast travel, regions with new side quests and new shops with cosmetics to buy. In addition to this, Flintlock also revamps the core combat system of Soulslike games in its own unique way with how Black Powder Charges work, almost all of Enki's combat mechanics, and more. It's a very defensive game by design, allowing players to deal massive damage to enemies as long as they use the right windows and either parry or counter enemy attacks effectively.
1 Multiple playable characters at the same time
Death bound
And finally, let's talk a little more about an indie Soulslike with Death bound. Death bound is an incredibly unique game that, like Flintlocktrying a lot of different ambitious things in it. And while the finished product is a little awkward to play and has some pretty obvious issues, there's also a lot that works in it. Thankfully, the game's main system, AKA the multiple characters in one body, works pretty well.
Mainly i Death boundplayers control 4 characters at a time, all of which are different souls trapped in one body. When fighting enemies, the player will switch between these characters mid-attack, mid-dodge, or basically whenever they want to take advantage of the unique skills and abilities each character has. It's an incredibly creative idea and in practice it works quite well, and most Soulslike fans would probably agree that this system or a system like it is something that other future Soulslikes should also implement or try to build upon.
