7 Best 2D Soulslikes

Born from a mix of difficult combat and minimalist in-game storytelling, the Soulslike genre has become one of the industry's most prominent genres. It has humble beginnings in the Dark Souls franchise, as FromSoftware's fascinating blend of quiet world building and white-knuckle combat took gaming by storm, inspiring a host of AAA and indie developers to try their hand at it. But while the Soulslike genre is generally associated with 3D titles, the 2D side of this complex style of game is just as exciting and potentially even more compelling.

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By  James Houghton

As the Soulslike genre already borrows its use of high difficulty from 2D action games of the 1990s, it feels right at home within this retro style. Some of the best Soulslike games have been 2D, as they have done their best to translate the systems and mechanics from their 3D counterparts into some outstanding games. The innovative mix of forceful combat, the best of which features excellent player feedback, and exploration, is a winning formula for developers across the world. These 2D Soulslike games have helped push the genre forward, offering some truly remarkable titles and showcasing the depth of this massively popular genre.

7 Unworthy

Brutally Difficult Game Set In A Dark World Is A Challenging Experience

• Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X/S
• Release Date: May 29, 2018
• Developer: Aleksandar Kuzmanovic Games

Featuring a stark, ominous art style and some of the most challenging combat one can find in a 2D Soulslike, Unworthy is an unforgiving, tremendously difficult action rpg that puts a heavy focus on combat. It does not let up on the player one bit, tasking them with fast-paced and highly difficult encounters. Even mob enemies feel more challenging than normal, as the game attempts to owe up to its promise of deeming the player unworthy.

Unworth y also features some fun map design and a host of intriguing weapons and items, all of which come into play to uncover more of its devious design. Backed by a stellar soundtrack and some moody art direction, Unworthy is one of the more overlooked 2D action games of the past several years and is worth checking out, no matter what system you play it on.

6 Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight

Underground Soulslike Franchise Hits Peak With Fourth Entry

• Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X/S
• Release Date: March 4, 2016
• Developer : Bombservice

Momodora is an ongoing series of action rpgs, all of which star different female leads in challenging and engaging quests in beautifully designed worlds. Through its humble beginnings as free games on digital marketplaces like itch.io, Momodora has quietly become one of the industry's best Soulslike franchises, and with the fourth entry, Reverie Under the Moonlight, developers Bombservice delivered an absolutely stellar action game that is still worth playing eight years after launch.

In Reverie Under the Moonlight, players control a priestess named Kaho in a tightly connected world, one filled with deadly enemies and some truly fierce bosses. The combat feels outstanding, with light flashes and effects delivering excellent feedback to the player. Kaho is a blast to control, as she leaps and darts through the air with crisp animation. It's an altogether fantastic package, and this lovely Soulslike game is a standout entry in an already incredible franchise.

5 The Last Faith

Stylish Blend Of Castlevania And Dark Souls

The Last Faith gained quite a following in the time following its announcement to release, as it hearkened back to not just classic Castlevania, but looked like a brilliant fusion of the gothic world of the Belmont clan and the harsh, unforgiving worlds of FromSoftware. The final product achieved exactly that, as this brutally difficult action rpg meshes the interconnected exploration of the Metroidvania genre with the nasty, violent combat from games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne.

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Players take control of Eryk, a man on a quest for revenge that takes him through a world influenced by various bits of gothic horror and is dripping with atmosphere. The combat is precise and efficient, with a feeling of speed and visceral feedback. The Last Faith is available now on all major platforms, and is absolutely worth jumping into as one of the best 2D Soulslike games ever made.

4 Blasphemous

Gorgeous 2D Soulslike Explores Ominous World

Taking strong visual influence from Catholic symbolism and Spanish iconography, Blasphemous was developed by The Game Kitchen, a team of 17 people that combined the best elements of the Metroidvania genre with Soulslikes. The world is wonderfully interconnected, and the combat is some of the best seen in a contemporary 2D action game.

Players control The Penitent One, an exile on a quest across the land of Cvstodia as he engages with all manner of nasty monsters and frightening bosses. Blasphemous levels challenge with exploration with an expert hand, as the world is filled with a sense of escalating challenge and gives the player all they need in order to overcome its steep difficulty.

3 Salt And Sanctuary

The Journey Of The Saltborn Is One Of The Best 2D Soulslike Games Ever

Salt and Sanctuary expertly combines the elements of Soulslike games and Metroidvanias into one package, resulting in an outstanding effort from Ska Studios. In this dark and dreary world, the player controls the Saltborn on a hostile island filled with dangerous enemies and a looming sense of terror.

Backed by a furious, fast-paced combat system and some brilliant enemy design, the world of Salt and Sanctuary is a treacherous one to explore, but worth the effort. Uncovering its numerous secrets, defeating its numerous bosses and surviving the harsh reality of the Saltborn's fate are just a few of the reasons Salt and Sanctuary is still one of the finest 2D action games of its generation. In terms of 2D Soulslikes, it transfers the brutal combat difficulty mixed with in-game storytelling of the genre perfectly.

2 Hollow Knight

Smash Hit Indie Soulslike Still One Of The Best

Even with news of the long-awaited sequel, Silksong, still eluding fans, Hollow Knight is still one of the most engaging and exciting 2D Soulslike games of all time. As most Soulslike games share DNA with the Metroidvania genre, it's no surprise that Hollow Knight excels at both game styles. The world of Hallownest is an erosive, intoxicating world that is absolutely phenomenal to explore and in doing so, the player encounters a host of ferocious enemies and boss battles.

The tiny little knight that players control is nimble and feels fantastic to control, with a slew of powers and abilities to acquire. Using these powers in tandem with the terrific feedback from combat, a key component of the Soulslike genre, allows Hollow Knight to unfold at a brisk pace. New abilities and magic spells are acquired at perfect intervals, and the stylish, yet dangerous, world of Hallownest is still worth diving into as fans wait for Silksong.

1 Ender Lilies: Quietus Of The Knights

A World Cursed By A Deadly Plague Soars As Best 2D Soulslike Game

Soulslike games tend to take place in desolate worlds, ones devastated by war, famine or some sort of curse. And within those ominous settings, a stark beauty can emerge, something that Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights pulls off flawlessly. In Ender Lilies, players control a priestess named Lily in Land's End, a world afflicted with disaster, as she and her faithful knight companion journey to purify the cursed souls of the world.

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What makes Ender Lilies and the combat so fulfilling is how it isn't Lily who is doing the fighting, rather her spectral knight companion is the one dealing out damage. As the game progresses, the player can gain more spirits that utilize different abilities, and they all feel terrific. This sinister world and the effects of the Blight, a deadly rainfall that turns people mad, is endlessly compelling. Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights deftly combines the haunting exploration of a decaying world with tactful combat, and is one of the finest 2D action games on the market today.