The Soulslike style is simply not a beginner-friendly one. Whereas there are some video games which you could undoubtedly discover which can be on the better facet of issues, for probably the most half, you’ll be totally destroyed most of the time when enjoying this style of recreation.
It has been the hit style of the previous decade plus, nevertheless it is not precisely an entry-level style to say the least. From the brutal boss runbacks, to the unforgiving nature of simply the essential enemies within the recreation, you’re typically going to be gripping that controller white-knuckle tight more often than not you are enjoying the sport.
We will try some video games within the Soulslike style which have no real interest in holding the hand of newbies around the globe and are reserved for under probably the most hardcore of gamers.
10
Lords of the Fallen (2023)
The Darkest Soul
Lords of the Fallen is a hardcore Soulslike that pulls completely no punches. From the primary second within the recreation, you are getting completely wrecked by a gap boss. From there, it does not get an excessive amount of extra pleasant. The power to traverse the world in two realms, Axiom and Umbral, offers you the prospect to come across all types of terrifying creatures, and it is within the Umbral realm the place issues are actually tough.
The enemies in that realm are brutal and may simply one shot you for those who’re not cautious. So far as the essential enemies in Lords of the Fallen go, you’ll get pushed off ledges, fall into traps, get ambushed in darkish corners, get frozen, poisoned, and each different abuse possible all through this blood-soaked world.
As a vet of the style, Lords of the Fallen sits comfortably within the painfully laborious class, with some boss fights rating up there for the hardest the style has ever seen.
9
Bleak Religion: Forsaken
A Complicated Journey
Bleak Religion: Forsaken is a bizarre journey for positive, nevertheless it’s additionally one which pulls no punches because it delivers its twisted, sci-fi-based Soulslike. The very first thing that can scare newbies off is the extent design itself. It is a really terrifying scale, nevertheless it’s amazingly carried out as you journey from excessive mountain tops into valleys beneath with all types of intricate mazes in between.
In the event you handle to navigate the world correctly, you may nonetheless be contending with among the tougher to learn enemies I’ve seen in a Soulslike. It would partially be due to the AA jank, nevertheless it’s a tricky time attempting to come up with what your enemies are going to do subsequent. That goes doubly for the bosses, who’ve a myriad of assaults and are available all totally different sizes and shapes that every one pose a big problem.
The boss runbacks are fairly tough right here as nicely, requiring you to typically backtrack via a gauntlet of enemies earlier than you’ll be able to even attempt to beat them once more. It is an superior time for those who can come to grips with its numerous quirks, just like the distinctive magic system, however you’ll definitely end up at some roadblocks right here, particularly for those who’re a newbie to the style.
8
Black Fantasy: Wukong
Turning into the Legend
Black Fantasy: Wukong was one of many greatest hits of 2024, and an enormous motive was due to the way it reimagined the Soulslike style. By no means had the style seen a personality that might transfer this quick, leap this excessive, and carry out the acrobatic maneuvers you’ll be able to on this recreation.
It begins out comparatively simply, with the primary handful of bosses being fairly easy to beat. The sport is simply toying with you. As quickly as you get to the primary large open space of the sport, the sport modifications. The coaching gloves are off, and from there, you’ll face off in opposition to some superb and brutally troublesome battles that require you to make use of your transformations, buffs, and specials correctly whereas additionally protecting an in depth eye in your therapeutic.
It is lots to contemplate for what appeared like a little bit of a breeze early. As the sport progresses, it solely will get increasingly more troublesome, although it will get increasingly more enjoyable to play, too. There are additionally numerous secrets and techniques to search out that unlock further talents, however with out a information, you’ll be extremely misplaced as there may be little within the recreation world itself to let you know the place to search out these alternate routes.
Whereas it could appear to be a simple time at first, I promise you, that feeling will probably be gone a few hours into the sport. It is as difficult because it will get, and you’ve got a ton of issues to handle, making it nothing remotely near beginner-friendly.
7
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Parry the World
Sekiro is without doubt one of the most difficult video games ever made. From the primary boss to the final, you’ll be sweating it out, and there isn’t any approach of profitable right here past simply your pure talent alone.
There isn’t a maxing out your well being bar right here, and even upgrading your weapon. You are caught with just about one important weapon from begin to end. The one approach to win is by parrying and dodging like a professional, and the timing of it’s so exact that even for those who’re off by a modicum of a second, it is curtains for you.
There are numerous bosses right here with a number of phases, in addition to non-obligatory fights that can take every little thing you have to get via. The ultimate boss in Sekiro is among the many most difficult bosses within the historical past of gaming, palms down.
6
The Surge 2
The Augmented Future Collapse
The Surge 2 is an open-world tackle a sci-fi Soulslike, and it is a incredible effort. It is acquired nice graphics, an revolutionary fight system, and an attention-grabbing story. Together with all that although, it is brutally troublesome. The Surge 2 has so many methods at play that newbies to the style may get overwhelmed from the second they begin enjoying. If that does not do it, the completely ferocious enemies you may encounter definitely will.
The distinctive fight right here revolves round you ducking, leaping, and dodging within the correct instructions and aiming for weak factors to defeat your enemies. That is simpler stated than finished, as this requires extremely quick reflexes to do correctly, and the nervousness over which course your enemy goes to swing may be daunting. There aren’t any indicators telling you when to leap or the place to dodge, so it is on the participant to determine learn how to greatest navigate battles.
Whereas the conventional enemies aren’t any stroll within the park, the bosses right here take issues to a different degree. These showdowns in large arenas take nearly every little thing you have to overcome them. It would take cautious tuning of stats and equipment setup to win these battles, and you will be seeing the sport over display screen frequently. You even have little or no course within the recreation, so you may have to concentrate to the place you’re within the story always. There isn’t a hand-holding right here.
5
Wo Lengthy: Fallen Dynasty
Breaking You In Early
Wo Lengthy: Fallen Dynasty is the definition of not being beginner-friendly. The rationale? The very first boss, Zhang Liang is a two-phase nightmare that calls for you be taught the principles of the sport instantly. In the event you fail? That is on you. There’s nothing that will help you on this struggle. No highly effective weapon to search out, no ally to summon, nothing however you, Zhang Liang, and two frighteningly giant well being bars.
This is called a boss that has compelled gamers to give up earlier than they even actually start. Now, he is undoubtedly one of many hardest fights within the recreation, so there may be that to contemplate as nicely. Why they determined to frontload a problem of this magnitude because the introductory boss is much past me, nevertheless it does make you be taught the distinctive parrying system fairly shortly.
Newbies left and proper bowed out of the Zhang Liang encounter and sadly by no means acquired to expertise what a stable Soulslike the sport really ended up being.
4
Nioh 2
Samurai Souls
The primary Nioh is one hell of a troublesome recreation, nevertheless it’s nothing in comparison with what Nioh 2 has in retailer. Whereas it begins off comparatively innocent, you shortly must be taught so many various methods that it might simply flip anybody new to the style within the different course. There are a number of sorts of parries, transformations, feints, combos, particular assaults, ki pulses and sufficient to actually make you’ll want to take notes to recollect simply what your character may even do.
That is all earlier than the bosses too, as these are simply among the most difficult I’ve seen in a recreation. You will face monstrous demons, human-type characters, large snakes, and far more. The range is superb, however inside each, you’ll have to be sensible along with your therapeutic, assault technique, and which parries you are utilizing and when.
It is a recreation for probably the most hardcore followers on the market, and those that fall for its addictive loop get loads out of it. However be warned, if that is your first rodeo, look elsewhere, or you are going to end up throwing the controller out the window.
3
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
Impressed By Ache
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers does not precisely do something new within the Soulslike style, however what it does, it does extremely nicely. The fight here’s a meld between Sekiro, Bloodborne, and Black Fantasy: Wukong, and you will be preventing at excessive velocity, unleashing quite a lot of assaults with a formidable arsenal of weapons.
The fundamental enemies in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers are painfully powerful, ambushing you from darkish corners, mixing melee and ranged opponents, and doing issues like blowing up explosives that occur to be proper the place you are strolling. It is extremely troublesome getting from space to space due to this, because the enemy selection is gigantic right here, so what labored on one enemy will possible not work as nicely on the subsequent.
Then, there may be the insanity meter. The extra you die, the extra it will increase. You will do extra harm but additionally take extra harm. If this degree will get to 100% the subsequent time you die, you may must struggle a literal boss in an effort to get again your misplaced objects and expertise. It is a brutal system that is inventive however powerful, and the risk-reward system right here is one thing you may have to control all recreation lengthy. It is lots to soak up. Contemplating it is a tribute to all different Soulslike video games, you might wish to forgo it to your first trek.
2
The First Berserker: Khazan
Blood on the Snow
The First Berserker Khazan got here out of nowhere in 2025 to present us one of many fiercest Soulslikes we have ever seen. It is a daunting job to get via this recreation, and the reason being the boss fights. They often is the hardest the Soulslike style has to supply, interval. They require such insane timing along with your parries {that a} single slip-up will simply finish you in seconds.
Even the tutorial boss, which looks as if your fundamental intro struggle, is extremely powerful. The bosses have such all kinds of assaults right here that studying the patterns and adapting to them is just about unattainable. As an alternative, you’ll want to be taught to react, use the talents and instruments at your disposal within the blink of an eye fixed, and notice that you simply’re in a struggle that adapts to you
Due to that, I might say newbies should not even dream about this recreation. It was made to check solely probably the most hardened Soulslike veterans. Even then, it is a laborious as hell recreation that calls for focus past the implies that a traditional recreation would ask.
There’s a simple mode right here. Nevertheless, that mode remains to be extremely powerful as nicely and barely resembles a simple mode in every other recreation.
1
Hole Knight: Silksong
Burrowing Deeper
Hole Knight: Silksong redefines problem in relation to a Metroidvania/Soulslike. Often on this style, fundamental enemies are typically tolerable and normally not an excessive amount of of a nuisance. That is not the case right here, as a result of the Metroidvania components of the sport embrace all types of troublesome enemies that can assault you throughout difficult platforming segments and make your life a residing hell.
Then there are the bosses, which, for those who aren’t utilizing the fitting potential or have not unlocked the proper instruments for, you actually may have no likelihood to outlive. Hornet can assault in a short time, however for those who merely contact an enemy, you take harm, so you’ll be able to’t even consider this recreation such as you would regular Soulslikes.
It makes each motion essential. Timing your jumps and dodges is as vital as the way you’re attacking. The therapeutic system can be unforgiving, as a result of for those who get hit whereas doing it, it cancels out the therapeutic fully and leaves you with one much less heal till you recharge it. It is already wanted a number of patches to handle the problem, and whereas these have eased issues up a bit, newbies should not even dream of this recreation till they’ve had a gradual weight loss program of Soulslikes that deal with them a little bit bit nicer.
