Soulslike Games More Like Bloodborne Than Dark Souls

Over the past decade, the Soulslike genre has quickly exploded in popularity thanks to FromSoftware's Dark Souls series. With an intricate combat system, obscure lore, and punishing difficulty, Dark Souls served as the blueprint for countless Soulslike games that would be released over the years. Similarly, Bloodborne would build upon the mechanics found in Dark Souls while adding Lovecraftian influences and a Victorian setting.

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Although Bloodborne is similar to Dark Souls, the biggest difference is that Bloodborne has a much faster pace that rewards aggression. Compared to Dark Souls games, which allow players to block some hits entirely, Bloodborne requires players to be constantly on the move as they dodge or counter hits. With more Soulslike games being released, fans have started to look toward those that emphasize a fluid, fast-paced style of combat resembling Bloodborne. Fans looking for games like Bloodborne can give a number of games a try.

Updated on July 5, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Dark Souls is a game that took the world by storm, and fans were disappointed that Miyazaki wasn't at the reigns for a second game in the series. However, there was a valid reason for this — Miyazaki was hard at work directing a Gothic action game that would go on to become a masterpiece that fans couldn't get enough of. Bloodborne was a step in the right direction for FromSoftware, introducing fast-paced combat and a unique way to counter enemies that players loved. There are players who genuinely love this game more than Dark Souls, which is an understandable opinion. Players who want to check out more games like Bloodborne will find a ton of games to be right up their alley.

17 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Being A Jedi Entails That Players Are Aggressive Against Their Opponents

Despite its bugs, Fallen Order is a game that wowed players with an excellent story in the Star Wars series coupled with combat that is very much inspired by the Soulslike genre. Expectations were high from its sequel, and Jedi: Survivor exhibited a ton of strengths despite the game's technical issues weighing it down quite a bit.

However, fans who love the fast-paced combat of Bloodborne will love what this game has to offer. The difficulty of this game is nowhere near as high as FromSoftware's Gothic masterpiece, but players are still encouraged to be aggressive and use a combination of lightsaber strikes and Force techniques to take out the enemies standing in their way.

16 Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

Each Job Enables A Unique Moveset, Just Like Bloodborne's Small Selection Of Unique Weapons

A huge part of what makes Bloodborne such a special game is how it prioritizes quality over quantity, with the number of weapons significantly reduced from Dark Souls. However, this is far from a bad thing, since each weapon features a unique moveset that completely changes one's play style. Players who want to check out more games like Bloodborne that promote this build variety will love Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.

The story may be as cheesy as they come, but Final Fantasy Origin makes up for it with a job system that lets players use a wealth of different physical and magical techniques to take out their foes. With 28 jobs that feature unique movesets of their own, players who loved the varied weapons of Bloodborne will have a great time playing through this retelling of the first Final Fantasy game that brings a lot of unique ideas to the table.

15 Another Crab's Treasure

Features An Innovative Parry Mechanic, Something That Bloodborne Fans Will Love

Most people thought that Another Crab's Treasure was nothing more than a joke game that used the Soulslike moniker to tailor its combat system accordingly. Instead, what players were greeted with was a riveting action-adventure title with a solid combat system that has its own take on the parry system, much like how Bloodborne innovated on this mechanic by using countershots.

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Another Crab's Treasure uses a parry mechanic where players must release the block button moments before an attack lands to carry out a parry. It's a simple and engaging way to improve this high-risk-high-reward mechanic, making this game feel like Bloodborne in ways that players couldn't imagine. Sure, the aesthetic of Another Crab's Treasure is pretty colorful and charming, but the combat is something that Bloodborne fans will be right at home with.

14 Mortal Shell

Combat That Rewards Good Timing With The Harden Mechanic

A game that most people haven't played yet, it's a shame that Mortal Shell flew under the radar for most gamers. The world design may not be anything to boast about, but the game's combat and unique take on using a shell to dictate combat makes for a great time.

The Harden mechanic rewards a player's foresight and timing, similar to the Countershot mechanic that's infinitely satisfying to execute in Bloodborne. While Hardening is more forgiving and trivializes the combat in the eyes of some, that's doing a disservice to an original idea that Soulslike fans will love to mess around with.

13 Blasphemous 2

The Heavy Christian Imagery Will Feel Right At Home For Bloodborne Fans

Blasphemous 2 is the sequel to a beloved Soulslike platformer that wowed players with its dark Christian imagery, brought to life by stunning pixel art, that was full of disturbing visuals and bloody scenes. Fans of the first game will be glad to know that Blasphemous 2 is a massive improvement in every way.

The platforming is less frustrating, combat is more fun, and the game features numerous quality-of-life improvements to make the entire experience more seamless. The amazing art style is a huge draw that fans of Bloodborne's attention to a dark, brooding aesthetic will love.

12 Salt And Sacrifice

A Sequel To A Beloved Soulslike With A Dark, Brooding Atmosphere

Salt and Sanctuary is a game that most players are pretty familiar with. This title was one of the first Metroidvania Soulslikes to grab people's attention with its successful amalgamation of both genres, making for a great time as players mastered the tough-as-nails combat and enjoyed a satisfying sense of progression.

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Some people found Salt and Sacrifice to be a bit disappointing despite the lengthy wait for this sequel. However, the game is still a great game worth checking out for any fan of dark Metroidvania games. The vibes of this title are very similar to Bloodborne, making it clear why fans of that title will have a great time checking out everything Salt and Sacrifice has to offer.

11 Remnant 2

A Perfect Sequel That Improves On Every Department, With The Fast-Paced Combat Being A Huge Bonus

Gunfire Games surprised everyone with the release of Remnant: From the Ashes, a title that no one thought would take off. The combination of Soulslike and third-person shooters sounded like a rough fit, but Remnant managed to make this work in a brilliant fashion.

This led to many players getting quite hyped for Remnant 2, and the game didn't disappoint. The title is an excellent sequel that expands upon the first game in every way, leading to every run feeling unique as NPCs, weapons, areas, bosses, and item drops are all switched up every single time to make for a pretty fresh and rewarding experience.

10 Lies Of P

The Closest Thing To A Bloodborne Sequel

Lies of P is a game that intrigued everyone with its reveal. The unique setting and Bloodborne-esque art style hooked many people, and the game showed that it deserved so much more than just being compared to FromSoftware's Lovecraftian action RPG when it launched.

While boss fatigue is a pretty notable problem in this game that sets in later on, the first fifteen or so hours that players spend in the game can feel breathtaking. Areas are packed with detail, enemies are tricky to deal with, and the overarching narrative serves as a great hook to draw players into this world.

9 Hollow Knight

An Indie Gem Where Players Explore A Dying World With A Gothic Atmosphere

Hollow Knight has safely cemented a spot as one of the greatest Metroidvania Soulslikes ever made. The fact that this game manages to combine the best of both genres so easily should definitely be commended.

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Fans who want to check out a charming game that takes place in a rich world with amazing combat should look no further than Hollow Knight. The wait for Silksong has become excruciating at this point, to the point where a retread of the first game might not be the worst idea. A lot of fans will take a suspicious leave from work the moment this sequel comes out, showing just how strong Hollow Knight's impression was.

8 Remnant: From The Ashes

A Fast-Paced Combination Of Third-Person-Shooter Gameplay And Soulslike Elements

It's easy to label Remnant: From the Ashes as nothing more than a third-person shooter Soulslike. The game is extremely challenging and players need to time their dodges immaculately to get through this game unscathed.

The co-op gameplay of this title is pretty interesting and certainly makes some boss fights more manageable. Given how tight the gameplay is, it's genuinely surprising to find out that the world of this game is somewhat randomly generated! It's just one of the many ways that Remnant keeps things fresh and engaging. Exploring the world with a friend makes for an engaging co-op experience that more fans will have a great time with.