Souls-like games, which were first popularized by Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, have become critically acclaimed in gaming communities as people try to overcome challenges.
While many of the more popular titles in the genre seem to require high skills and understanding, not all Souls-like games are gatekept away from regular gamers and are, in fact, accessible to those willing to pour their time.
Here are just some of them:
Demon's Souls
What many considered the start of all Souls-like games, Demon's Souls is also considered to be among one of the most accessible titles from its developer FromSoftware.
Demon's Souls has a far simpler gameplay compared to its successors, allowing first-time Souls players to easily adapt to the game.
All difficult areas, including the poisoned swamp, are locked in late-game areas where players are more likely to have already become accustomed to its challenges.
The 2019 remake further elevates the experience as it provides players easier access to weapons, boss areas, and fix-level design issues that kept many people away from the game in the first place.
Dark Souls
Demon's Souls may have started the Souls-like genre but the first Dark Souls popularized it to become one of the beloved games of the early 2010s.
It still features the game progression common in old JRPG titles but features enough weapons and equipment to the point that players can easily finish the game without the need to parry or know much about I-frames.
Except for the DLC bosses and that certain Capra Demon in Undead Burg, most areas can be cleared easily with the starting weapon.
Elden Ring
Despite what people may say about the difficulty level of its DLC, Elden Ring remains among the most accessible FromSoftware games and even as a Souls-like title.
Its open-world design is a big contributor to the wide accessibility of the game as it allows players to come back to difficult bosses after clearing more accessible areas and gathering stronger equipment.
This is in addition to the number of weapons, "Ashes of War," and summons players have access to, allowing for many attack combinations suitable to every enemy, some of which can even one-shot them in an instant.
Related Article : Elden Ring DLC Review-Bombed on Steam for Being 'Too Hard'
Another's Crab Treasure
Far different from the gloomy and apocalyptic settings of most Souls-like games, Another's Crab Treasure offers players a brighter and more light-hearted approach to the genre.
It still has the combat mechanic many players have since associated with Souls-like games but also features platforming and other exploration features to ease non-Souls-like players into trying it.
Death's Door
Hades, Hollow Knight, and Lies of P may be all great Souls-like games but require a high learning curve beyond their first bosses.
Death's Door, however, bridges the exploration feature of the titles to the wider gaming audience that almost anyone can still play it casually.
The game also has a far simpler control that players would not need to memorize many attack combinations to clear through most bosses.
