Soulslike games are renowned for their punishing nature, but not all of them require superhuman reflexes and an endless supply of patience. While unforgiving boss fights and high-stakes combat are a consistent theme across the genre, some games manage to incorporate these elements without making players want to throw their controllers at the wall.
The Best Games to Play If You Like Elden Ring
Those looking for something as engaging and entertaining as Elden Ring can turn to some of these games to get their fix.
These highly accessible soulslikes still strike a solid balance between challenge and reward, although they do so without punishing players quite as harshly as most of their peers. Some crank down the difficulty, while others allow players to explore at their own pace, making them perfect for people who don't usually enjoy more traditional soulslike games.
1 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
A Gateway Game for Soulslike Newcomers
- Why it's great: A forgiving checkpoint system, adjustable difficulty, and a heavy focus on narrative.
- What makes it approachable: One of the few Soulslikes that lets players change the difficulty without penalty. Also, it's Star Wars.
- Perfect for: Action-adventure game fans who don't want to have to stress about the timing of every dodge roll and parry.
With its forgiving checkpoint system and cinematic storytelling, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a great option for people who don't usually enjoy soulslikes. It's one of the very few Soulslike games that allows players to adjust the difficulty, which can make combat a lot more forgiving. The fact that it's a Star Wars game helps a lot, too, as this familiarity makes it much easier for franchise fans to forget that they're playing a soulslike.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
- Released
- November 11, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Action
2 Elden Ring
The Most Beginner-Friendly Soulsborne to Date
- Why it's great: A flexible and forgiving Soulsborne experience backed up by incredible lore and storytelling.
- What makes it approachable: A massive open world, hundreds of build options, and the freedom to tackle harder content at your own pace.
- Perfect for: Explorers and tinkerers who want to take their time and shape their own journey rather than follow a pre-determined path.
Of all the Soulsborne games, Elden Ring is by far the most accessible. The huge variety of weapons and spells on offer allows players to tweak and tailor their build to match their ability, while the beautifully crafted open world means that they can choose the order in which they tackle boss fights and change course if ever they get stuck. Being able to avoid difficult combat encounters while you find your footing really does make a huge difference and can help to flatten out the learning curve and minimize frustration.
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
3 Hollow Knight
A Moody Metroidvania That Won't Make You Quit
- Why it's great: A beautiful and challenging metroidvania that incorporates many soulslike elements.
- What makes it approachable: Stunning hand-drawn visuals, satisfying platforming, and a difficulty curve that feels fair rather than punishing.
- Perfect for: Indie game lovers and platformer fans who are looking for depth and challenge with a bit less gloom.
When most people think of soulslikes, they tend to picture dark and dreary settings with washed-out color palettes. Eschewing this trend, the beautiful hand-drawn visuals of Hollow Knight make the game feel infinitely more inviting than a lot of its peers, while its platforming and exploration elements help to break up the punishment a little. It can still be difficult in places, but the challenge always feels fair, making it an excellent alternative for those who usually shy away from soulslike games.
Hollow Knight
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- February 24, 2017
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Developer(s)
- Team Cherry
- Publisher(s)
- Team Cherry
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Metroidvania
4 Nioh 2
For Those Who Like to Learn by Doing Dying
- Why it's great: Fast-paced action with deep customization and plenty of build options for different playstyles.
- What makes it approachable: A more intuitive combat system with clear tutorials and rewarding progression.
- Perfect for: People who don't like being told how to play but still crave intense boss fights and challenging combat.
If you're one of the many people who dislike soulslike games due to their difficulty, you're probably going to have a bad time with Nioh 2, especially while navigating the early stages of the game. However, if your disdain for the genre is derived more from the rigid repetition that so many soulslikes demand, you might find that this is the perfect game for you. Nioh 2's combat is fluid and highly customizable, with a huge emphasis placed on builds and stances. The game's tutorials and training missions also do an excellent job of explaining new mechanics.
Nioh 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
- Released
- March 13, 2020
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Team Ninja
- Publisher(s)
- Koei Tecmo, Sony Interactive Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
5 Lords of the Fallen (2014)
A Classic Soulslike with Training Wheels
- Why it's great: A traditional soulslike experience with a slower, more methodical approach to combat.
- What makes it approachable: Less aggressive enemy AI, slower combat, and some difficulty customization options.
- Perfect for: Players who are curious about classic soulslikes but need something a bit more forgiving to start out with.
Lords of the Fallen is a great option for those seeking a more forgiving soulslike. Combat is a lot slower than some of the genre's more recent offerings, and the enemy AI tends to be far less aggressive. That's not to say that the game is easy, but it does make it a lot more accessible for newcomers while still providing a traditional soulslike experience with enjoyable exploration. Players are given some control over the game's difficulty as well, although this is generally used to up the stakes rather than lower them.
Lords of the Fallen
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 69 /100 Critics Rec: 18%
- Released
- October 28, 2014
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Deck13 Interactive, CI Games
- Publisher(s)
- CI Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
6 Immortal: Unchained
A Soulslike Adventure with an FPS Twist
- Why it's great: A rare shooter-soulslike hybrid that swaps out swords and spells for high-octane gunplay.
- What makes it approachable: A stronger focus on ranged combat, minimizing the panic of close-quarter melee encounters.
- Perfect for: FPS fans who are curious about the soulslike genre but not quite ready for the real deal.
Immortal: Unchained lacks polish in a few key areas, which may be off-putting to some potential players. However, its hybrid nature makes it the perfect entry point for FPS fans who are looking to dip their toes into the soulslike waters, with much less emphasis placed on close-quarters combat than in similar titles. Being able to attack enemies from a distance gives players a bit more time to think, which can make Immortal: Unchained a lot less stressful than more demanding soulslike games.
Immortal: Unchained
- Released
- September 7, 2018
- ESRB
- T // Blood, Violence
WHERE TO PLAY
Unleashed and unforgiving. Can you rise to the challenge?
Immortal: Unchained is the latest addition to the genre of ultra-hardcore action RPGs. Take the role of a living weapon, unleashed to stop the source of a cataclysmic event threatening to end all worlds. Discover the secrets of these worlds, master the unique but lethal gun combat, and defeat legendary bosses.
Being an ultimate weapon, you have been locked up for millennia by those who fear your potential. It will require many harsh lessons to unlock this potential in an unforgiving universe full of murderous foes. On your journey, expect no mercy and no assistance: Those that aren’t trying to kill you, will instead try to use you to further their own agenda. Trust no one.
Key Features
• Explore futuristic fantasy worlds, and sift through lies to unveil their secrets, in a story written by a narrative team including Anne Toole (The Witcher) and Adrian Vershinin (Killzone: Shadow Fall, Battlefield 1).
• Tactical, up-close and personal action with a combination of ruthless gunplay and vicious melee combat.
• Annihilate legendary bosses in godlike clashes that will be remembered for eternity.
• Undying but unforgiving: Death is not the end, but the pain is very real as you struggle to redeem your mistakes.
• Delve into the vast possibilities of builds and weapon choices to find your own playstyle and defeat your opposition your way.