In the realm of soulslike games, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice stands untouchable. The game arguably features the best combat in its genre, known for its simplicity coupled with unparalleled tension, providing the feeling of constantly walking on the razor's edge. The game fully embraces its limited weapons, tools, and character build variety, denying almost every possible shortcut to become stronger (like excessive leveling) and demanding raw skill from players instead. With its unforgiving combat entirely built on timing and patience, Sekiro plays and feels very differently from any other soulslike out there — and to this day, there haven't been any soulslike action titles quite like it.
5 Soulslike Games With Better Combat Than Bloodborne
Bloodborne has become a benchmark for Soulslike combat, but in the ten years since its release, these other games have surpassed it.
With Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice's indisputable strength, it can be quite challenging to pinpoint other soulslikes that have better combat overall, offering the same relentless flow and precise feel of a sword while being immensely satisfying to master. With that in mind, we'll try to highlight other games in the soulslike genre that can outshine even Sekiro's combat in some areas, bringing their own unique strengths that some fans may prefer over it. Remember, “better” is still subjective, and just a matter of taste and personal preference.
The First Berserker: Khazan
Keep the Pressure Up
The First Berserker: Khazan steadily gains more and more fans in the soulslike genre, who quickly get hooked by the game's fast-paced, unstoppably aggressive combat that's very satisfying. The First Berserker: Khazan is so combat-focused that the game hardly offers anything else, with simplistic level design, unremarkable narrative, and shallow exploration. The truth is, players might not even wish for anything else other than a generous boss gauntlet to fight over and over — and in this field, Khazan fully delivers.
Soulslike Games With Better Combat Than Dark Souls
Dark Souls is important to the Soulslike genre, but does it have the best combat? Or do these other Soulslikes have it beat?
Bosses take center stage in the game, coming in all shapes and sizes, but one thing remains the same — their relentless aggressiveness, resulting in nonstop action with no room for breathing or mistakes. Just like in Sekiro, timing and parries are very important in The First Berserker: Khazan, but instead of patiently waiting for openings, players have to stay as aggressive as the bosses they're facing, weaving their defenses into an offensive style of play. There aren't as many weapons or extra abilities to choose from, so players really have to master the basics to succeed, including various forms of defense, such as reflection, perfect block, and counterattack. As a result, the overall combat flow in The First Berserker: Khazan is almost taken straight from the action genre, where every second countless decisions and moves happen. Some late-game boss fights are so spectacular, dazzling, and exciting that even Sekiro may feel jealous.
Nioh 2
Days to Learn, Weeks to Master
Team Ninja really found its footing in the soulslike genre, offering truly special action games like Nioh, Nioh 2, and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. While sharing some core foundations and combat mechanics, each title manages to feel distinct, smartly blending and borrowing elements from other action titles. In light of the imminent Nioh 3 release that's poised to be among the biggest of early 2026, Nioh 2 remains among the best non-FromSoftware soulslikes, offering a combat system so deep and layered that every player can find their own winning playstyle.
5 Soulslike Games With Better Combat Than Elden Ring
FromSoft's tried and tested combat system shines in Elden Ring's open world, but these Soulslike games do just enough with their combat to top it.
Despite seemingly identical aesthetics and themes to Sekiro, Nioh 2's combat is actually on the opposite side of the spectrum — not lacking in various approaches, but rather overwhelming players with the variety and complexity of everything on offer. Even seasoned Nioh veterans coming to Nioh 2 would have plenty of new systems to learn and master. From various stances, different resources beyond health and stamina, tons of loot and stats, burst attacks and counters to parries, Ki Pulse, soul cores, and Yokai abilities, Nioh 2 is definitely a difficult and demanding game that requires players to spend hours to fully understand. As a reward, though, once everything with Nioh 2's combat finally clicks, players can unleash an unstoppable barrage of combo attacks to outpace even the deadliest opponents.
Lies of P
What a Talented Student
Few expected Lies of P to be as good as the game turned out to be. From the re-imagined story of Pinocchio in an original and memorable setting, to soulslike combat done right in its own way — Lies of P instantly establishes itself as a must-play for any soulslike enthusiast. While it may not be as refined, smooth, or demanding as Sekiro, Lies of P's combat is simultaneously approachable, deep, tense, and rewarding, striking the perfect balance between options at players' disposal, the possibility of creating one's own playstyle, and the ability to successfully play relying only on the basics.
Soulslike Games With Faster, More Aggressive Combat Than Elden Ring
For players who found Elden Ring's combat lacking in speed and ferocity, visceral action is what these soulslikes are all about.
There aren't as many weapons as in many other soulslikes, yet players are free to dismantle them and combine new variants from handles and blades. There aren't as many spells or special attacks either, but players can discover and upgrade new prosthesis arms with unique abilities, mirroring the same layer in Sekiro, or master special weapon moves (Fable Arts) to gain an advantage. On top of that, Lies of P also rewards a parry-focused playstyle, bringing the game closer to Sekiro in terms of the sheer satisfaction that players get while mastering the deflection mechanic and unleashing some truly fierce finishers.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
Unfolding Patiently and Beautifully
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers proves a really pleasant surprise this year for soulslike fans, especially with its exploration, taking the best traits of Dark Souls' signature interconnected map, and a robust, fast-paced combat to make the majority of other games in the genre blush. Without reinventing the wheel, Wuchang delivers its strengths beautifully, while also saving the best for later, as during the game's opening hours, players barely scratch the surface of the game's true nature. The real game starts with the Commander Honglan boss encounter — a notorious difficulty spike that all but requires players to master parries — and shows that everything prior was just a prolonged tutorial for players to settle in.
Say Hello To The Next 5 Big Soulslike Games
Soulslike fans have plenty of reasons to stay excited, with many promising titles slated for 2026.
Unlike Sekiro, though, when it comes to such difficult bosses (which there are more of down the line in the game), Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn't really require beating them head-on. Creative players always get plenty of room for experimentation in Wuchang, as the game is really flexible in its character building, allowing players to reassemble stats, perks, weapons, and abilities at any given moment if they face too much trouble. With so many fresh tactics to discover, a spectacular weapon selection with signature powerful moves and attacks, and truly unforgiving bosses, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers confidently joins the pantheon of debut soulslike games with unexpectedly excellent combat that stays engaging for the entire game.
Black Myth: Wukong
Makes the Players Feel Truly All-Powerful
Another Chinese soulslike, Black Myth: Wukong has long won over even the most skeptical players with the sheer prowess of its mind-blowing combat system alone. At first, it seems the game might lack variety, with its single staff weapon and arcade-style, flashy movement, while also being much less punishing than other soulslikes. For instance, it doesn't restrict players from attacking when out of stamina. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that Black Myth: Wukong's prime strength lies in its refined progression: players constantly unlock new, exciting abilities, transformations, spells, and spirit attacks, so almost every major victory brings fresh ways for combat to feel more fun and varied.
What's even better, every new ability or move can be seamlessly woven into the player's preferred combat style in Wukong, complementing any stance and combo of choice. Skilled players can become so agile and relentless that they feel truly untouchable, unleashing a barrage of fluid evades, counterattacks, uninterruptible combo chains, and spectacular overpowered moves when enemies least expect them. Of course, players can also simply ignore most of the new bells and whistles, sticking to the combat essentials — and the game's hardest bosses are more than happy to provide a serious challenge that truly tests reflexes. As a result, some of Black Myth: Wukong's boss standoffs rank right at the top of what the entire genre is capable of — not bad for a debut game.
Games That Reward Creativity More Than Skill
Many games require players to perform at their best, but thinking outside the box in these titles is rewarded even more generously.