Hard to believe, but Soulslike games have been around for only about a decade. Introduced to the world in 2009's Demon's Souls and propelled to prominence with 2011's Dark Souls, this term has become not only popular but, arguably, also overused. While most modern action RPGs with dodge rolls and difficult bosses are associated with Soulslikes, only a handful of games incorporate enough standard mechanics to fully belong to the genre.
Except for PC, the PS5 has the best lineup of Soulslike games, covering both major releases by developers like FromSoftware and smaller indie projects. Regardless of whether someone is a beginner looking to dip their toes into these worlds or a veteran craving their next challenge, they might find what they are looking for in the best Soulslike PS5 games.
A few criteria to keep in mind:
- Only Soulslike games native to the PS5 will be considered. Therefore, no backward-compatible PS4 titles like Bloodborne.
- The focus is on traditional 3D Soulslike games that unquestionably fit the genre, rather than 2D Metroidvanias or Souls-lites.
- Black Myth Wukong has been left out since its developer generally avoided that term, preferring to describe the game as an action RPG.
Honorable Mentions: 2D Metroidvanias/Games With Soulslike Elements
As the focus is on full 3D PS5 Soulslike games, let's quickly highlight a few great 2D titles that feature elements from the genre. These projects are arguably better described as Metroidvanias than Soulslikes, but fans of the latter could get a kick out of them as they are generally fantastic.
- Dead Cells
- Blasphemous 2
- Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
- Grime
Best 2D Soulslikes
The Soulslike genre is ubiquitous across the industry, and some of the best attempts at this challenging game style can be found in 2D titles.
Honorable Mentions: Souls-Lite Games
Is this a separate genre? Honestly, the line separating Soulslikes and Souls-lite games can be very thin; however, the latter tend to prioritize things like platforming and exploration over combat or feature difficult levels. These titles are usually easier than traditional Soulslikes as well.
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Rise of the Ronin
- Tunic
- Stellar Blade – Souls-lite might be a stretch, but worth mentioning regardless.
8 AI Limit
A Smaller-Scale PS5 Soulslike With Great Level Design & Solid Everything Else
AI Limit
- Released
- March 27, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Sense Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5
Due to launching on the same day as The First Berserker: Khazan, AI Limit was overshadowed by its much bigger contemporary; however, Sense Games put together an impressive budget project that represents some Soulslike fundamentals at their peak. Set in a crumbling world with a sci-fi aesthetic, the game follows Arrisa, a blader who does not have much of a history but is looking for a reason to live. She goes on a fairly cryptic but mostly enjoyable journey across a crumbling city, although she also spends a lot of time in the sewers.
AI Limit: Best Early-Game Weapons, Ranked
In the early game of AI Limit, the following weapons will serve players reliably for some time.
AI Limit's best feature is its level design, which is arguably among the genre's best recent efforts. Even though the world can feel repetitive, each area is a blast to explore, offering secrets, unlockables, and shortcuts. AI Limit rewards people who are willing to step off the beaten path, all the while not relying on overly convoluted levels. The basic combat system sticks pretty close to FromSoftware's formula, albeit with a few twists that add a touch of novelty. For example, rather than Stamina, the game uses a Sync Meter that limits what actions players can perform and rewards aggressive play.
7 Another Crab's Treasure
A Delightful Soulslike Platformer With A Unique Setting & A Good Story
Another Crab's Treasure
- Released
- April 25, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Aggro Crab
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Aggro Crab created something special with Another Crab's Treasure, the only Soulslike game with an "easy" mode that revolves around a massive gun. Assuming somebody plays the game as intended, this 2024 release confidently pushes the genre into 3D platformer territory, a combination that works surprisingly well. As Kril, players go on a quest to find the crab's stolen shell, a simple endeavor that quickly spirals out of control and involves taking down enemies that are physically and narratively powerful.
The story hook ties directly into the gameplay, as Kril can equip different items as makeshift shells. Along with providing protection, they also come with special abilities that can complement the player's basic attacks. Although a bit floaty and subject to unpredictable camera movement at times, the combat is generally fast-paced, fun, and challenging enough. However, Another Crab's Treasure shines the brightest in its other areas, especially the satisfying platforming and endearing protagonist who goes through quite a bit of development.
6 Remnant 2
The PS5's Soulslike Shooter
Remnant 2
- Released
- July 25, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Gunfire Games
- Genre(s)
- Soulslike, Third-Person Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
While most Soulslikes incorporate ranged weaponry, they are usually secondary to melee or require tailor-made builds. However, Gunfire Games' Remnant fully embraces third-person shooter action, a decision that makes this series relatively polarizing among Soulslike fans. Ultimately, Remnant: From the Ashes and Remnant 2 are outliers within the genre, despite still being very much Soulslike games.
Remnant 2: Overpowered Builds That Are A Lot Of Fun
Check out these overpowered builds in Remnant 2 that really emphasize the fun of destroying all enemies in your path.
Building on the ideas of the first entry, Remnant 2 is bigger and mostly better, all the while being more accessible to single players. Utilizing some procedural generation to shake things up between playthroughs, Gunfire's sequel features an ambitious dimension-hopping campaign centering around four diverse biomes that almost seem like they are from different games. Discovering and exploring these realms is a big part of the fun, although the combat is pretty great as well, as long as somebody is into third-person gunplay (melee is a small part of the equation).
Although a solid solo experience when certain archetypes are picked, Remnant 2 is far better in co-op.
5 The First Berserker: Khazan
One Of The Best Combat Systems In A PS5 Soulslike Game
The First Berserker: Khazan
- Released
- March 27, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Neople
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Soulikes are associated with gamepad-smashing difficulty, or at least that is the perception. While certainly harder than many other action RPGs, the genre's efforts do not need to be frustrating to be great, and quite a few of the best Soulslike games become easier as players grow more confident and familiar with the mechanics.
The First Berserker: Khazan is not one of these games. Neople's title is pretty comfortably among the hardest PS5 projects, and it does not provide as much wiggle room to cheese tough encounters as some other titles in the Soulslike genre. More importantly, Khazan revolves almost entirely around combat, with missions largely sticking to linear layouts that climax in a boss battle. Customization arrives in the form of skill trees for the three weapon types and eight phantoms, but this aspect is limited compared to, for example, Dark Souls.
Just to be clear, The First Berserker: Khazan has fantastic and complex combat that is a blast to master (which players need to do if they want to complete the campaign). There just isn't much more to the game beyond battles.
4 Lies Of P
A Haunting Soulslike Fairy Tale
Lies of P
- Released
- September 19, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Round8 Studio, Neowiz
- Genre(s)
- Soulslike
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
Taking a few pages from Bloodborne's book, Lies of P is an incredible achievement that hits the bullseye in nearly every area. Combining Victorian architecture with Pinocchio, the game has an inspired setting and the artistic vision (and budget) to properly bring it to life. Although fairly vague by RPG standards, the story is a touch more direct than most other Soulslikes, which works well in this context.
Lies Of P: 14 Hardest Bosses, Ranked
Lies of P has quite a few bosses for Pinocchio to struggle against, with some being a lot more difficult to beat than others.
Focusing on fast-paced combat that rewards assertive action over defensive measures, Lies of P plays brilliantly for most of the campaign, with the only minor stumbles being arguably a handful of bosses that threaten to cross the line into unfair territory. Although the core combat mechanics should feel second nature to Soulslike veterans, Lies of P introduces a few novel ideas, including the versatile Legion Arms, P-Organ upgrades, and the option to mix-and-match blades and handles.
3 Demon's Souls
A Masterfully Done PS5 Remake Of FromSoftware's Original Souls Game
Demon's Souls
- Released
- November 12, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bluepoint Games
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
Demon's Souls gave rise to Soulslikes, and FromSoftware's 2009 title holds up as an atmospheric masterpiece that should be played by anyone remotely interested in the genre. Even if it does not serve as a replacement for the PS3 classic, Bluepoint's remake is a brilliant companion piece that mostly retains its ancestor's strengths, all the while offering stellar visuals, quality-of-life adjustments, and improved combat.
Technical changes aside, the remake is a fairly authentic recreation, which helps set it apart from pretty much every other PS5 Soulslike game. Despite being based on the genre initiator, Demon's Souls is quite a different beast from its successors, most of which take inspiration from Dark Souls instead. The biggest difference is that most of the bosses are, effectively, puzzles rather than traditional fights, and they are also quite easy. Demon's Souls' difficulty primarily stems from the runs to the bosses, which are long, exhausting, and unforgettable.
2 Nioh 2
Team Ninja's Soulslike Magnum Opus
Nioh 2
- Released
- March 13, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Team Ninja
- PS5 Release Date
- February 5, 2021
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Team Ninja has spent the best part of a decade carving a unique identity in the Soulslike sphere, producing challenging action RPGs that tend to take inspiration from Japanese history. While not equally loved, all the developer's games have more positives than negatives, even Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. That said, over the last few years, it kind of feels like Team Ninja has been chasing that Nioh 2 high, a game that sits right up there with Ninja Gaiden Black as the company's crowning achievement.
Believing that more is better, Nioh 2 throws so much at the player, layering mechanics on top of mechanics to seemingly ensure that every button (and combo) on the controller is employed. Before long, players will have access to hundreds of weapons, armor pieces, Souls Cores, Guardian Spirits, and Yokai Skills, all of which can contribute significantly to battles. Although overwhelming initially, the gameplay's many concepts come together surprisingly well, and Nioh 2 does a great job of letting players prioritize the elements that they prefer.
With a main campaign lasting roughly 50 hours (and that is not counting the expansions that are part of the Complete Edition), Nioh 2 offers a ridiculous amount of content, most of which is high quality. Yes, there is some repetition, but even side quests tend to contain something new.
1 Elden Ring
FromSoftware's Masterpiece & The Best PS5 Soulslike Game
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
Fittingly enough, the greatest Soulslike game on the PlayStation 5 hails from the genre's originators. Except for Armored Core 6, FromSoftware has largely dedicated the current console generation to Elden Ring, dropping the base game in 2022, an expansion in 2024, and announcing a multiplayer spin-off for 2025. In lesser hands, the IP would be threatening to become overexposed at this point, but the quality of the releases has kept Elden Ring in most people's good graces.
Focusing solely on the vanilla version, Elden Ring brings to life a massive sandbox that, for the most part, encourages players to carve their own path. While not the prettiest world ever, the Lands Between is an absolute joy to explore, with seemingly every part of the map including something exciting to discover. The main questline covers dozens of memorable bosses, and they are supported by a ridiculous number of optional encounters that can be found in the world or within minor dungeons. The combat is mostly an evolution of Dark Souls, albeit with even more build variety and customization options.
Elden Ring: Ways To Shake Up A Second Playthrough
Returning Elden Ring players might want to consult these tips to avoid missing anything and add freshness to their next run through the Lands Between.