when Demon spirits Soulslike fleshed out the genre, it also reimagined the RPG. Many of the later games adopted RPG mechanics of building a character and increasing their stats (sometimes with the help of level grinding) to survive a grueling battle.
However, as more and more Soulslike games appear, some have tried to move away from the traditional RPG elements that are usually featured. Although players can still upgrade certain abilities and weapons in an RPG-like fashion, it's hard to find a game that does this one way or another. Since the beginning of time, games have had power-ups. Here are some Soulslikes that stray away from RPG mechanics.
6 to condemn
Pixelated souls
With its dark and gothic art style, to condemn It's everything players expect from Solskjaer. However, while the style and brutal combat follow the genre's traditions, the game has its own clear identity as an action-platformer.
Among the action platforming, players face battles that require precise timing to defeat enemies and bosses. Each death will teach players how to navigate around enemy formations and get that timing right. Unlike other Soulslikes, to condemn No stat leveling or character building, swapping it out for Metroidvania-style exploration. Players will find new abilities, but they only enhance core combat mechanics and traversal.
5 Hollow Knight
Cute but deadly
Hollow Knight Has become a favorite among Metroidvania and Soulslike fans. The game explores the interconnected, labyrinthine world of Hallownest as players discover new abilities and reach new areas where they face challenging enemies and bosses.
The beautiful 2D hand-drawn art style may fool players at first, but beneath its presentation is a game that's as challenging as the best the Soulslike genre has to offer. There are soulful elements here, though, such as dark, gloomy environments, precision-based combat, and the collecting (and losing) of geos (the game's equivalent). spirits currency), instead trading RPG mechanics for Metroidvania features.
4 Sekiro: Shadows die twice
Souls without character building
Instead of customizing a player character's appearance, choosing a class, and then building them up with stats and leveling, FromSoftware departs from their usual formula to deliver something new. Sekiro. The player controls a specific character, a shinobi known as Wolf but later named Sekiro.
The emphasis on introducing mechanics, such as jumping and the use of grapple hooks, is a far cry from the down-to-earth nature of the developer's past. spirits series. But while the combat is still brutal, many of the RPG elements have been completely removed. As mentioned, there is no stat building, with progression coming in the form of unlocking skills and techniques instead, something found in many non-RPG games. This leaves the game harder than it should be Dark spiritsChallenging combat, focusing entirely on reacting, and parrying at the right time to ensure a successful playthrough.
3 Sifu
Every time you get older you die
Many games are compared Dark spirits Purely because of their difficulty, sometimes as a meme, with Cuphead is one of the best examples of this. However, it takes much more to fall under the umbrella of spirit than difficulty or beauty. While it's hard to find Soulslikes that don't include some sort of light RPG element, Sifu is one of the purest examples spirits-Inspired gameplay that lacks RPG mechanics.
Sifu Takes the precision and time-based combat from Soulslikes and puts it into a martial art form. It also takes spirits Basic losing currency after death game but with a unique twist. Instead of gambling at the loss of all precious “souls” (or equivalent) each time players enter combat, the player's character ages with a post-death penalty. This increases the pressure, especially since there are no RPG elements such as leveling.
2 Dead cells
Fusion of many genres (except RPGs)
Dead cells Its gameplay combines notes of Roguelike, Metroidvania, and Soulslike flavors. There is fast-paced action in the form of exploration and combat that sees players jump, dodge, and use special abilities.
Instead of losing currency or soul at death, everything is lost, like a morgue. However, exploration is very Metroidvania-esque while combat is very Soulslike, requiring precision and pattern memorization. With these elements combined, there's no room left for RPG elements, so once again, players won't find any leveling or stat building here.
1 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order And JD: Survivor
Jedi Spirits
The Star Wars Jedi The games are perhaps some of the best and most successful examples of action-adventure games incorporating elements of the Soulslike formula. Borrow heavily from spirits genre, JD There are many familiar mechanics, such as losing all XP on death and then finding an enemy that bests the player to regain the lost XP. Combat is also a challenging mix of stamina management, with a general focus on blocking and surprising enemies to avoid massive damage.
Attention points are also a borrowed feature, serving as the game's equivalent dark souls' Campfires. These act as checkpoints and fast travel spots where health is restored and skills are upgraded at the cost of recovering enemies. Although abilities can be upgraded during the game, JD The series doesn't go as deep as an RPG with its customization, instead resembling a Metroidvania in terms of progression. Players also control a specific character, Cal Kestis, instead of building their own.
