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| Source: Sony |
Every now and then, something game-changing comes along and completely reinvents the medium of video games. In these instances, the games in question come to represent watershed moments, providing a framework which subsequent creators are able to develop upon and transform into something else entirely. They’re essentially the archetypes for everything that follows, spawning countless imitators in the wake of their tremendous success.
Dark Souls is perhaps one of the best examples, which managed to establish its own sub-genre through its innovative gameplay, unique atmosphere, and the engrossing universe, making it one of the most ground-breaking games of its generation. Understandably then, the game has inspired innumerable copycats – some of which have evolved the formula considerably – and some which have remained remarkably faithful to the original framework.
Either way, these game are all exceptional in their own way, but they have one thing in common: they wouldn’t exist without Dark Souls – which not only inspired them in the first place – but paved the way for their success.
10. Titan Souls
Dark Souls requires a massive amount of patience, requiring players to learn from their mistakes by treating death as though a learning tool. Each challenge is considerable. The Catacombs, for instance, is accessible right from the beginning and contains skeletons which reanimate constantly unless the player initially targets the Necromancers, which the game fails to mention.
The game refuses to hold the player’s hand, or even communicate vital information. Instead, players must learn from each encounter, memorize enemy attack patterns and gradually overcome their opposition.
Titan Souls – a two-dimensional, pixelated adventure game – uses the same concept as a central mechanic, every enemy capable of obliterating the player in a single, devastating maneuver, which encourages multiple playthroughs.
Besides that, the combat is based on positioning and spacing, and most bosses are defeated through timing and dodging, rather than brute strength.
9. Shrouded In Sanity
Visually, Shrouded in Sanity is incredibly reminiscent of Dark Souls – the UI in particular – but the game merges two major influences, including Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Besides that, the game emphasizes space and movement, and time is a central mechanic, necessitating a degree of patience and restraint on the part of the player.
In the game, the player is expected to explore a mysterious mansion – including the grounds, the catacombs, and surrounding areas – uncovering a sinister mystery in the process, one which has seemingly infected the inhabitants, turning them into murderous maniacs and psychopaths.
The ‘You Expired’ death screens are particularly evocative of Dark Souls’, but the similarities are far more significant than merely cosmetic, drawing upon cosmological horror and physical decay as major themes and emphasizing methodical combat. It’s essentially the product of two very separate genres, merged together perfectly to create a wonderful amalgam of both.
8. DarkMaus
The description “Dark Souls with mice” isn’t completely unfounded. That said, DarkMaus has a lot to offer, including a genuinely engaging combat system, moody visuals and a surprising amount of depth. The game utilizes stamina as a central mechanic, requiring the player to carefully plan their movements and execute their attacks in short bursts, remaining aware at all times for sudden attacks, booby-traps, and ambushes.
The emphasis on survival is especially reminiscent of Dark Souls, punishing carelessness without mercy and rewarding patience and planning. As a result, the game avoids becoming too frustrating, gratifying the player by trusting them to figure things out by themselves, providing only a handful of clues to aid them in their exploration.
There’s also a decent amount of background storytelling – which is a central component in the Souls series – and the game literally uses bonfires as checkpoints, so there’s that too.
7. Death's Gambit
Not yet released, Death’s Gambit is already aping on the success of Dark Souls. That said, the game appears remarkably promising, borrowing elements from the Souls series, Shadow of the Colossus – which several other examples on this list share – and Castlevania, including elements associated with the role-playing genre, making Death’s Gambit something of a hybrid.
In the game, you play as an agent of Death exploring a medieval universe comprised of countless horrors – from demons and giants to dragons – tasked with banishing souls, overcoming challenges and fulfilling your master’s desires. The emphasis is on survival, and while the game takes cues from numerous sources – Symphony of the Night, for instance – the most obvious of which is clearly Dark Souls, which has influenced everything from the visuals to the combat system.
6. Necropolis
Dark Souls meets The Binding of Isaac, Necropolis merges roguelike, role-playing and hack-and-slash elements, emphasizing multiplayer and methodical gameplay. The procedural generation and dungeon crawling aspects give the game a unique sense of personality, which when combined with the cartoonish visuals and humor discern the experience. That said, the game is very much a successor to the legacy of the Souls series.
For one thing – while the combat is quick and somewhat repetitive – the larger enemies require particular patience, timing, and planning. The environments are especially reminiscent of Dark Souls 2 – despite their random construction – providing a decent amount of variation without seeming overly complicated. Visually, the game isn’t quite as interesting, but the greater variation creates a nice sense of spatial arrangement, complete with a moody, depressive atmosphere.
5. Lords Of The Fallen
Dark Souls – despites its initial difficulty – manages to strike a perfect balance, rewarding players for their commitments, and encouraging them to persevere in their efforts. Eventually, the game opens up, revealing itself to be endlessly rewarding, gratifying those willing to put in the time and effort. Upon first glance, the series seems tremendously uninviting, but it's inherently rewarding given enough patience, determination, and persistence.
Lords of the Fallen is designed around the same principle, rewarding players for their commitments and punishing carelessness. In this respect, the game borrows numerous mechanics from the Souls series – including its slower approach to combat – making the game remarkably challenging, yet equally as rewarding. Combat is satisfying, and bosses are a genuine obstacle rather than a casual hindrance.
It’s essentially the Western take on Dark Souls, which is itself a Japanese take on Western fantasy – and while it isn’t quite as entertaining – it’s got plenty of commendable qualities.
4. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
The overwhelming success of the Souls series shouldn’t be underestimated. Released in March, Dark Souls III quickly became the fastest-selling game in the history of Bandai Namco, selling over three million copies worldwide in just two months. Equally, Bloodborne exceeded expectations, selling over two million copies despite the commercial restrictions of its PS4 exclusivity.
The series has demonstrated a resounding impact, even in regards pre-established franchises, such as Dragon’s Dogma, which has adapted several mechanics from the series. It’s faster paced, certainly – and there are countless differences in terms of lore and storytelling – but the combat system, in particular, is incredibly reminiscent of Dark Souls, involving stamina management, slower, strategic movement and one-on-one encounters.
In this respect, the game merges aspects of the Souls series with mechanics ripped straight from the likes of Resident Evil 4 and Devil May Cry, which makes for a remarkably fun time.
3. Hyper Light Drifter
The comparisons between Dark Souls and Hyper Light Drifter – a top-down hack-and-slash – are numerous, despite the game appearing as though something more akin to Shadow of the Colossus, or The Legend of Zelda. In the game, players explore a mysterious, post-apocalyptic universe comprised of countless dangers and adventures, including numerous technologies from the old world, which function as salvageable equipment throughout the game.
That said, the emphasis on physical decay isn’t the only comparison to Dark Souls. The game also prioritizes background storytelling, communicating the vast majority of significances through environmental details, item descriptions, and secondary characters. Besides that, Hyper Light Drifter – like Dark Souls – refuses to hold the player’s hand, allowing them to forge their own adventure, discovering secrets in whatever sequence they prefer.
It’s incredibly open-ended, and – again, like Dark Souls – the player is kept at a constant disadvantage, especially during the earlier stages of the game.
2. Bloodborne
Bloodborne – from the creators of Dark Souls – was tremendously successful, largely because it aped on the success of its predecessor, which had already established the sub-genre and culminated an entire community of fans. In reality, Bloodborne is a different beast entirely – emphasizing a more aggressive playstyle – but, for the longest time, it was considered a spiritual successor, continuing the legacy of the franchise for the foreseeable future.
That said, there are numerous comparisons – including the emphasis on background storytelling, gothic architecture, and moody visuals – but those are mainly cosmetic. Besides that, the two are completely separate, offering utterly divergent experiences, one rooted in methodical, defensive combat, and the other in quicker, more dynamic gameplay. They each have a similar reputation for the challenge, however, and they’re each aimed towards the same demographic – a popular opinion being if you like one, you’ll like the other.
1. Salt & Sanctuary
Salt & Sanctuary is 2D Dark Souls. The similarities are unavoidable and arguably intended – including the leveling and progression system, the moody and depressive atmosphere, the methodical combat system, interconnected environments, vague background storytelling, challenging enemy encounters – including some grandiose bosses – and stat management system.
In this respect, Salt & Sanctuary is the closest thing to Dark Souls that isn’t Dark Souls, a love letter to the series which inspired its creation in the first place. That said, there are other inspirations evident throughout – including Castlevania: SotN – but those are only secondary, the primary goal being to recreate the experience of playing Dark Souls in a two-dimensional platformer, perhaps with a greater emphasis on an adventure over role-playing elements.
Salt & Sanctuary is completely unapologetic about its influences, however – and while there are many, many parallels – the game does just enough to differentiate itself, even correcting several reoccurring evident throughout the Souls series.
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