Summary
- Nightreign blends different genres into a unique Souls-rogue-like adventure.
- Hyper Light Breaker offers an open world with ever-changing biomes and co-op gameplay.
- Ashen stands out with minimalist storytelling and multiplayer integration, similar to Nightreign.
After the enormous success of Elden Ring and its DLC, it makes perfect sense that FromSoftware wanted to continue the franchise further, but no one expected a game quite like Nightreign that combines elements from several genres into a Souls-rogue-like adventure unlike any other. The game takes inspiration from many other titles in the gaming world, as well as previous ones in the developer's catalog, and is no doubt one of the most interesting and exciting gaming releases of the year.
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The 2020s have been stacked with fantastic open-world games, and these titles represent the genre at its absolute peak.
While there is no game that mirrors the gameplay loop exactly, there are plenty of titles that capture the essence of an open-world full of loot and enemies to take down, all while including elements like co-op fights and roguelike loops that add extra replayability to some already great experiences. Open-worlds always offer some amazing escapes into completely new and fascinating universes, and each game in the genre brings something new whilst building on plenty of the success in the past in order to create a world that is expansive, detailed, and extremely fun.
7 Hyper Light Breaker
Risk Of Rain Meets Breath Of The Wild
Hyper Light Breaker
- Developer(s)
- Heart Machine
WHERE TO PLAY
When the medieval settings and modern-day takes get too overwhelming, sometimes it's nice to step into a distinctive world full of intriguing locations and adventures for players to enjoy as a group. Hyper Light Breaker takes the vibrant aesthetic of the original game and brings the universe into an open world full of ever-changing biomes and procedurally generated areas that are full of loot, enemies, and secrets to uncover. Playing in a group feels natural, and every player can customize their characters' look and gameplay to keep each run feeling different, adding hours of extra content to enjoy again and again.
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These open-world games absolutely nail the grueling and epic experience of slaying giants and other gigantic creatures.
The gameplay loop feels very akin to what Elden Ring Nighreign attempts to deliver: a random world full of distinctive enemies and areas to loot, tight combat that has plenty of variety for all kinds of playstyles, and the ability to return to a hub area and level up for next time. With the game being in early access, things can only get better from here, and there are already so many different areas to explore and bosses to take down that it is the perfect game to scratch the open-world itch with a group of friends.
6 Ashen
Open-World Souls With A Bare-Bones Feel
Ashen
- Released
- December 7, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- A44 Games
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Set in a sunless world on the edge of rebirth, Ashen delivers a minimalist but deeply atmospheric experience that hinges on quiet storytelling, measured exploration, and brutal, methodical combat. Unlike high-fantasy epics crowded with exposition, Ashen uses its desaturated visual style and ambient world design to evoke a sense of isolation and resilience whilst still being a striking and visually stunning experience. The game's stamina-based combat and weighty weapon choices will be familiar to fans of Soulslikes and puts a lot of weight on timing and careful button presses over just straight mashing. The world is open and interconnected, brimming with hidden paths and lore that encourages players to venture out and uncover the mysteries that fill every corner of the bleak yet beautiful world.
What sets Ashen apart within the open-world genre is its unique approach to multiplayer. In FromSoftware's titles, players interact with one another in ways other than simple matchmaking. From phantoms to messages, the world is alive with the echoes of other players, and Ashen follows a similar, more open way of encountering others. Cooperative play is seamlessly integrated through a passive online system where other players appear as anonymous wanderers, creating a sense of fleeting companionship in a world defined by its harshness. The overall feel is pretty close in a lot of ways to the world of Nightreign, integrating challenge with an open-world that is both mysterious and wonderful. With its blend of minimalist storytelling, rewarding combat, and a hauntingly beautiful world, the game offers a stark contrast to louder, more eccentric entries in the genre while still delivering the core thrills that fans of Soulslikes expect.
5 Diablo 4
Dungeon Crawling At Its Best
Diablo 4
- Released
- June 5, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
RPG worlds range in their scope and style, some opting for a first-person cinematic experience and others focusing more on depth in character and combat, giving players plenty of choice over how they play and engage with the world. When it comes to titles that push boundaries in terms of variety in an open-world, Diablo 4 gives players exactly what they want and need, from an endless list of weapons and armor, to a wide array of of dungeons to delve into with a party to grow in power and take on the massive threats that wait eagerly later on.
The similarities between Diablo 4 and a game like Nightreign come from the enemy designs and the extreme emphasis on combat and fighting. Co-op gameplay is great and rewards players for working together and having a nice balance of damage and support in their party. And battling through groups of enemies across the world and taking on some pretty tough bosses as well fills the player with a sense of accomplishment very similar to that which is found in the Soulslike genre. A slightly different experience but one that is incredibly satisfying and rewarding, particularly for players who love a grind.
4 Remnant 2
Crisp Gunplay And Terrifying Creatures
Remnant 2
- Released
- July 25, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Gunfire Games
- Genre(s)
- Soulslike, Third-Person Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
While the first thought that comes to mind when it comes to an open-world Souslike may be melee and magic-based combat, it doesn't mean that shooters can't get in on the fun. A game like Remnant 2 offers a challenging and brutal open experience that is the perfect game to play as a group and jump in for some exciting adventures across a wide array of locations and backgrounds. Each location is generated randomly but contains specific points of interest that contain loot or mission objectives, and the worlds are open enough to offer enough exploration to keep players hunting for many hours.
The parallels to Nightreign go even further, as after each area, players can return to a hub location and level up their gear and weapons to help them progress further and deal with the constant threat of aliens, robots, and all manner of gruesome and challenging foes. There's a lot to enjoy, and the combat alone is enough to warrant giving the game a try, as every gun feels powerful and rewarding to use and gives the player a real sense of strength with every bullet that leaves the chamber. A gun-based Soulslike that doesn't start with the word Blood? What's not to love?
3 Hunt: Showdown
Extraction Teamwork Mixed With Horror
Hunt: Showdown 1896
- Released
- February 22, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Crytek
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Extraction
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Extraction shooters have had a massive boom over the past few years, bursting onto the scene with brutally punishing gameplay that is as intense as it is infuriating. Every session into the wilderness can offer plenty of loot and rewards but also spell the end of the player's life in a matter of moments. Hunt is a particularly intriguing title in the genre, as it brings a completely different aesthetic from an alternative Western world, full of vicious beasts and giant arachnids ready to be hunted down.
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With Elden Ring Nightreign set to release sometime in mid-2025, these are all the new features being added to reshape the Elden Ring experience.
Every time the team manages to leave the wasteland, they retain all the weapons and loot their character managed to acquire, whether from the world or the corpses of enemy players. But even when everyone else is long gone, the PvE elements of the game, combined with the coordinated co-op needed to take down the significant world threats, make the game plenty challenging and offer a unique blend of extraction shooting and Soulslike bosses.
2 Code Vein
Anime, Apocalyptic Souls
Code Vein
- Released
- September 27, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Studios
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Code Vein presents a post-apocalyptic world steeped in anime-inspired visuals and supernatural lore, offering a stylized alternative to traditional open-world action RPGs. A society overrun by monstrous creatures known as the Lost, the game blends dungeon-like level design with an open structure that encourages exploration and rewards co-operative gameplay and coordination. The combat is super fast-paced and flashy, incorporating a mix of weapon types and abilities that all make the player feel like a real anime protagonist.
The game is incredibly unique when compared to most of the other games in the Soulslike library, and that individuality goes much further than just the aesthetic. The storytelling is compelling and heavily influenced by in-world encounters, and the exploration is truly amazing, especially when adding a few extra players into the world. While it might not offer a seamless multiplayer experience from start to finish, the moments where players get to jump into the world together and take on some mountain-sized threats feel very similar to moments in Nightreign, and it is a great game to satiate the hunger for more open-world, Soulslike gameplay.
1 Monster Hunter Wilds
Epic Co-Op Hunts In Uncharted Lands
Monster Hunter Wilds
- Released
- February 28, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence, Blood, Crude Humor
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Monster Hunter Wilds builds upon the franchise’s legacy with a refined open-world structure that emphasizes fluid traversal, dynamic ecosystems, and large-scale cooperative encounters that feel just as large in scale as the world they are in. Each biome is teeming with life, reacting not only to the presence of the player but also to natural elements like weather and time of day, making it feel even more alive than any of the open-world games out there. Hunts unfold organically across shifting terrain, with creatures engaging in territory disputes, ambushes, and migration patterns that influence strategy and pacing. Each encounter varies in scale and difficulty, allowing players to take down lower-level threats to gear up for the bigger fights.
The integration of mounts, enhanced mobility tools, and environmental traps adds tactical variety to the game, and players are free to roam around significantly more than other entries in the series. Multiplayer remains at the core, with drop-in cooperative play allowing hunters to coordinate, adapt, and share in the triumph of each colossal takedown in a very similar way to taking down a particularly tough boss with a party of friends in a Soulslike. The gameplay progresses in a natural manner, and the challenge keeps on getting bigger and bigger, rewarding players who really go the distance with some intense and amazing fights and offering an experience that is best played with friends and a truly unforgettable one at that.
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