Hardest Soulslike RPGs, Ranked By Difficulty

Fans of FromSoftware's Dark Souls know the franchise has made an unforgettable mark in the gaming industry. Dark Souls jump-started the popularity of brutally unforgiving yet extremely rewarding game mechanics. Thanks to Dark Souls, more games have begun upping the ante in terms of dynamic gameplay options for their action RPG offerings.

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Players nowadays have a wealth of options when it comes to games that say they're "like Dark Souls", but not all Soulslikes on the market can offer the same compelling experience as Dark Souls. In fact, only a few RPGs manage to capture Dark Soul s ' signature rewarding gameplay and mechanics.

Updated January 19, 2025, by Hamza Haq: The Soulslike genre has evolved massively over the past decade or so, with dozens of game studios, large and small, throwing their hat in the ring set by FromSoftware. Sifting through the trash to find the true gems is a painstaking task and one that not every player has the time to do in their free time. Being the 'hardest' doesn't necessarily mean being the best when talking about a game, but it is a huge factor for Soulslikes in particular because being hard is part of the genre's identity and what makes overcoming and achieving success in these games so satisfying.

21 Code Vein

Stylish Action with a Soulful Edge

The idea of an anime Soulslike sounds pretty interesting, and Code Vein makes for a really unique experience in this regard. The surprisingly decent story coupled with great combat makes for a great time indeed.

That being said, Code Vein does suffer from unbalanced bosses and gameplay at times, along with some truly horrid art and level design. Playing this title in co-op makes most boss fights trivial, while other enemies are so powerful that most players would need to get through these unfair difficulty spikes.

20 Remnant: From The Ashes

Modern Firepower, Classic Souls Tactics

Fans of Dark Souls would get quite a modern take on its theme with Remnant: From the Ashes. In this game, players fight the tree-like Root, who has begun invading the Earth. As such, players need to rely on a variety of modern weapons and special abilities to take the fight back to the Root. Unfortunately, players quickly find themselves outnumbered as the Root come in various shapes and sizes. Moreover, the technical nature of the game makes enemies extremely unforgiving for careless players.

Similar to Dark Souls, Remnant places a heavy focus on strategic battles. As such, players are expected to master not just aiming, but also proper dodging. Enemies can easily eliminate players with a few strikes, which demands players to be more careful with their approach to any battle.

Having lots of guns to choose from allows gamers to customize their loadout to suit their preferences. Since the damage the player can do is much greater, due to a gun's range over melee weapons, the developers of Remnant: From the Ashes have made it so that one is constantly being assailed by a multitude of enemies. Thankfully, they have balanced these waves of adversaries so that it feels like just enough to be hectic and dangerous, yet not enough to feel ridiculous and unplayable.

19 Dead Cells

Roguelite Action with Soulslike Depth

It's a shame that the majority of Dead Cells' coverage in the media came from the plagiarism controversy surrounding it. That being said, some people would argue that this controversy is what brought more eyes towards this title in the first place, and Dead Cells is definitely a game that deserves a ton of fame for its innovative combination of the roguelite and Soulslike genre.

Each run through Dead Cells feels fresh and engaging, with players slowly understanding the gameplay mechanics and brutal combat of this title. The sense of progression in this game is quite rewarding indeed, and blasting through enemies that posed a major problem at one point never ceases to be entertaining.

18 Mortal Shell

Dark Soulslike with a Distinctive Twist

In Mortal Shell, players get an experience that is recognizably inspired by Dark Souls but offers a darker take on esthetics. In the game, players need to find Shells that will help them in their journey throughout the game's vast open world. These Shells, which act like classes, provide players with different abilities and skill sets.

Mortal Shell's slower take on combat makes it incredibly unique compared to other titles. In fact, this rather "slowed" pace serves as the main highlight of the Mortal Shell experience. This caveat can be incredibly frustrating for players, but also welcoming to those looking for new challenges.

The slower gameplay makes it feel much more like the first Dark Souls game as opposed to later FromSoftware titles like the much speedier Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne. There is a definite rhythm to the gameplay that feels right for the setting, though this slower pace does not make things easy, as enemies can be unpredictable and deal massive damage.

17 Nioh

Samurai Soulslike with High-Octane Action

Nioh wears its Dark Souls influences on its sleeve and isn't afraid of being accused of copying FromSoftware's homework because it's comfortable being put under the microscope. Why? Because where most Soulslikes are content to put a different coat of paint on the tried-and-true and call it a day, Nioh takes risks and diverges its direction in a way that feels like a natural evolution of the genre.

Nioh's combat mixes the slower, deliberate pace and stamina management of Soulslikes with over-the-top action, combo meters, and dynamic fighting styles that change a weapon's entire moveset with a press of a button. Where Dark Souls strips away the frills of powerups and skills for pure skill expression, Nioh brings it back in a way that doesn't trivialize the experience.

16 Blasphemous

A Grim Soulslike with Metroidvania Flair

Soulslikes and Metroidvanias are two genres of gaming that have combined quite successfully, allowing players to experience some truly unique and excellent games. Blasphemous is one such title that deserves the limelight for being a great 2D Soulslike.

Blasphemous' art style and bleak atmosphere are the first things that players will notice while trying out this excellent title. The combat is pretty vicious, with the player being punished for being greedy or making too many mistakes — a common trait across most Soulsborne games.

15 Blasphemous 2

A Smoother, More Satisfying Sequel

The art style of the first Blasphemous game was truly sublime, and this is ramped up even more in the sequel, Blasphemous 2. The world is as messed up as ever, taking inspiration from religious imagery and ramping up the brutality to the max.

Most people consider the second game to be easier than the first, especially with some of the jank from the first game being fixed quite a bit. Platforming isn't too tedious anymore and the combat is as solid as ever, with players quickly becoming adept with this system in no time at all.

14 The Surge 2

Sci-Fi Soulslike with Refined Mechanics

The Surge was an admirable attempt at trying to create a great sci-fi Soulslike. However, floaty combat and uninspired level design bogged down the entire experience considerably.

This isn't a problem that players will experience with The Surge 2, which is a marked improvement over its predecessor. While its boss fights might not be the greatest, the amazing level design and enemies present in this game make it a must-play for any Soulsborne fan.

13 Ashen

Survival and Exploration in a Harsh Land

Ashen

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Action RPG

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Released

December 7, 2018

Developer(s)

A44 Games

Platform(s)

Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Genre(s)

Action RPG

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Albeit open-world and co-op, Ashen provides a gritty and brutal take on action RPGs. As such, players venture into the open and should work their way to survive the game's roster of challenging bosses. Thankfully, the game does offer a multitude of weapons and the item equivalents of Estus Flasks and Souls – making Ashen both recognizably inspired by Dark Souls but still unique in its own right.

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Ashen also demands the same technical prowess as other Soulslike games. However, Ashen does so with a gorgeous backdrop and an environment that just waits to be explored.

Exploration is a huge part of this game, with the most adventurous players usually finding the best loot and weapons. There are multiple kinds of armaments as well, including those for long and short-range combat which allows players to do battle as they see fit. One thing that separates it from Dark Souls games is that the character progression is based more on equipment than stats, making it possible to swap builds a lot easier with little punishment for doing so.

12 Salt And Sanctuary

2D Dark Souls with Deep Customization

Despite its 2D appearance, Salt and Sanctuary offers extremely challenging gameplay perfect for Dark Souls fans. Save for basic mechanics, the game leaves players to their own devices pretty early on. As such, players soon learn they can expand their skills beyond the game's starting classes and make the best build depending on their gameplay preference.

Salt and Sanctuary rewards players who take their time tinkering with the game's features and expanding their combat options. The game offers an intuitive skill system that heavily encourages deep customization and trial and error. These features, on top of challenging bosses, will definitely be rewarding to players.

The weapons, spells, and items that can be used also make it feel very much like a Dark Souls game. The boss weapons are especially satisfying as they pack quite a punch, yet do not make the game too easy. Spacing is also a vital component in this game's combat as melee is usually the most useful for closed-ranged encounters, despite mage builds being totally viable and pretty fun.