At this point, Soulslike games have become commonplace, and an announcement of a new one doesn't tend to attract the same excitement as it used to. However, that doesn't mean these releases aren't worthy of attention, and plenty of indie developers have turned to FromSoftware for inspiration and aspiration. While 3D variants hog the limelight, 2D Soulslikes are arguably more consistently good, with each year producing a few releases that are among the genre's strongest efforts.
Most people probably know Salt and Sanctuary, Blasphemous, and Hollow Knight, but these are just the tip of the iceberg. Therefore, let's take a look through recent history and highlight the very best 2D Soulslikes that left their mark on the genre. Hopefully, we will get a few more of these masterpieces over the years.
Note
Now, these games can be hard to classify as they are usually Metroidvanias with Soulslike elements. How much of the latter is needed for a project to become Soulslike? Well, I am going to try to stick to games that also follow a structure that is similar to Dark Souls or Bloodborne. Basically, Silksong qualifies, but Dead Cells doesn't.
Vigil: The Longest Night
A Soulslike 2D World That Cannot Escape The Night
One of the more forgotten 2D Soulslikes, Vigil: The Longest Night is arguably closer to something like Bloodborne than Dark Souls, at least when it comes to its world. Utilizing gothic imagery, Lovecraftian monsters, and Taiwanese culture, this 2020 release has a haunting atmosphere that almost injects an element of horror. With the world trapped in an eternal night, a plague is slowly transforming humanity into creatures, a concept that sounds right out of FromSoftware's playbook.
Vigil's world-building is arguably its highlight, but the gameplay is by no means bad either. The melee combat is fairly typical for this genre, and it emphasizes stamina management as Soulslikes want to do. Leila, the playable character, can utilize four different types of weapons that cater to unique playstyles, and players are encouraged to swap between them (and level up their skills).
Unworthy
Brutally Difficult Game Set In A Dark World Is A Challenging Experience
Featuring a stark, ominous art style and some of the most challenging combat one can find in a 2D Soulslike, Unworthy is an unforgiving, tremendously difficult action RPG that puts a heavy focus on combat. It does not let up on the player one bit, tasking them with fast-paced and highly difficult encounters. Even mob enemies feel more challenging than normal, as the game attempts to live up to its promise of deeming the player unworthy.
Unworthy also features some fun map design and a host of intriguing weapons and items, all of which come into play to uncover more of its devious design. Backed by a stellar soundtrack and some moody art direction, Unworthy is one of the more overlooked 2D action games of the past several years and is worth checking out, no matter what system you play it on.
Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight
Underground Soulslike Franchise Hits Peak With Fourth Entry
Momodora is an ongoing series of action RPGs, all of which star different female leads in challenging and engaging quests in beautifully designed worlds. Through its humble beginnings as free games on digital marketplaces like itch.io, Momodora has quietly become one of the industry's best Soulslike franchises, and with the fourth entry, Reverie Under the Moonlight, developers Bombservice delivered an absolutely stellar action game that is still worth playing eight years after launch.
In Reverie Under the Moonlight, players control a priestess named Kaho in a tightly connected world, one filled with deadly enemies and some truly fierce bosses. The combat feels outstanding, with light flashes and effects delivering excellent feedback to the player. Kaho is a blast to control, as she leaps and darts through the air with crisp animation. It's an altogether fantastic package, and this lovely Soulslike game is a standout entry in an already incredible franchise.
The Last Faith
Stylish Blend Of Castlevania And Dark Souls
The Last Faith gained quite a following in the time following its announcement to release, as it hearkened back to not just classic Castlevania, but looked like a brilliant fusion of the gothic world of the Belmont clan and the harsh, unforgiving worlds of FromSoftware. The final product achieved exactly that, as this brutally difficult action RPG meshes the interconnected exploration of the Metroidvania genre with the nasty, violent combat from games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne.
Players take control of Eryk, a man on a quest for revenge that takes him through a world influenced by various bits of gothic horror and is dripping with atmosphere. The combat is precise and efficient, with a feeling of speed and visceral feedback. The Last Faith is available now on all major platforms and is absolutely worth jumping into as one of the best 2D Soulslike games ever made.
Grime
A Bizarre And Awesome Soulslike
Grime is weird, and I love it. More so than 3D games, 2D Soulslikes are often willing to push the genre into new and exciting directions, and this is a prime example. Grime's coolest concept is that parrying is not only encouraged but also actively rewarded through damage and even new skills. When parried enough times, players can actually absorb an enemy's traits, a concept that is really fascinating and is mostly executed well.
Nearly every Soulslike game punishes button-mashers, but Grime is among the most unforgiving, as the Stamina drains quickly and poor maintenance will leave players seriously vulnerable. However, the combat still favors aggressive play, so it is not a case of just waiting to score an occasional hit. You just need to commit to every action.
Grime 2 also seems very good, but I went with the first as I don't have that much experience with the sequel.
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This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
