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What does it take for you to consider a game a Souls-like?
- Thread starter Deleted member 2834
- Start date
Nobody in this thread so far, which is why I didn't quote anyone from this thread.
Darksiders 3 doesn't feel like a "soulslike". It's an action/adventure with a pretty twitchy combat (especially in the rebalance), rather than any kind of RPG with serious character builds. It's less of an RPG than Darksiders 2 was. OTOH, it DOES have some really cool shortcuts and switchbacks that come into play as you gain more Hollows, and the world is largely a huge honeycomb (except for the last area, that's basically ripped out of Soul Reaver 1 and only accessible via a single entry point).
Haven't played Hollow Knight yet, so I can't say anything about that.
I think that resource-management combat is a part of the general "Soulslike" definition, though. More "free-flow" (probably a better word than "button-mashing" or "twitchy") combat systems, like Darksiders or Sekiro don't really make the cut.
Haven't played Hollow Knight yet, so I can't say anything about that.
I think that resource-management combat is a part of the general "Soulslike" definition, though. More "free-flow" (probably a better word than "button-mashing" or "twitchy") combat systems, like Darksiders or Sekiro don't really make the cut.
when i hear that i picture monster hunter combat but in a more traditional semi-open adventure.
crudely.
crudely.
It's hard to nail down specifically, they just have that certain je ne sais quoi (:P). There's no end-all, be-all, set of criteria but if a game has some combination of the following, it could qualify: an emphasis on punishing combat, intricate level design, loss of experience upon death (usually with the opportunity to get that XP back), "bonfires" for marking progress, and minimal storytelling. It may not have every of those things, and there may be more of those similarities that I'm missing, but the point is that genre definitions are murky lol. It's all fun and games :P
OP
OP
1. Having a bonfire inspired checkpoint system
2. Having a lost of resource upon death
3. An oppressive world that encourages caution
2. Having a lost of resource upon death
3. An oppressive world that encourages caution
My old list from the other thread, condensed:
- Exploration: Frequently intricately designed levels with looping shortcuts
- Difficulty: Challenging encounters full of dangerous ambushes and traps, to provide a constant sense of danger
- Combat #1: Stamina-based methodical combat, focusing on blocking and evading and finding correct openings
- Combat #2: variety of weapons and playstyles
- RPG: Character building/customization via stats and equipment
This (correctly) excludes Hollow Knight and Blasphemous and Sekiro and Monster Hunter, but (also correctly) includes Salt & Sanctuary, The Surge and Nioh.
Optional: online coop/PvP, character creation, penalty upon dying (e.g. loss of currency/XP, losing max HP, etc.)
"But bonfires and Estus! Interconnected world!" -- ASGFSDGDFHD NO. STOP. Demon's Souls had neither and it's literally the OG Souls. It'd also exclude Bloodborne lulz.
- Exploration: Frequently intricately designed levels with looping shortcuts
- Difficulty: Challenging encounters full of dangerous ambushes and traps, to provide a constant sense of danger
- Combat #1: Stamina-based methodical combat, focusing on blocking and evading and finding correct openings
- Combat #2: variety of weapons and playstyles
- RPG: Character building/customization via stats and equipment
This (correctly) excludes Hollow Knight and Blasphemous and Sekiro and Monster Hunter, but (also correctly) includes Salt & Sanctuary, The Surge and Nioh.
Optional: online coop/PvP, character creation, penalty upon dying (e.g. loss of currency/XP, losing max HP, etc.)
"But bonfires and Estus! Interconnected world!" -- ASGFSDGDFHD NO. STOP. Demon's Souls had neither and it's literally the OG Souls. It'd also exclude Bloodborne lulz.
The social aspect is the most unique attribute of the souls games and too often I see people singling out the difficulty.
It needs the social aspects combined with difficulty and risk of losing XP/currency/souls when dying.
Community messages left across the various locations, Co-op & Invasions.
It needs the social aspects combined with difficulty and risk of losing XP/currency/souls when dying.
Community messages left across the various locations, Co-op & Invasions.
I'm just pleased you had the good sense to not include Sekiro.
Although multiplayer/co-op are a big draw for some people, I always play Souls and Bloodborne offline my first time through. That's why I don't consider the online component a core element in what makes a game a souls-like.
Although multiplayer/co-op are a big draw for some people, I always play Souls and Bloodborne offline my first time through. That's why I don't consider the online component a core element in what makes a game a souls-like.