If you’re a gamer who digs tough-as-nails action RPGs, 2023 was a banner year. A flock of fantastic “Soulslikes” hit the scene, spawning from the Souls series by FromSoftware. For the uninitiated, these games blend white-knuckle melee combat with deep roleplaying elements. The worlds are intricate labyrinths riddled with lethal foes guarding indispensable upgrades. Dying means losing hard-won progress, upping the tension tenfold. It’s an addictive formula that’s sparked a full-on gaming craze.
This year brought a fresh batch of contenders elbowing for a spot among the greats. To make the cut for our best-of roundup, a Soulslike needed the core ingredients: thoughtful real-time battles, impactful character building, and environmental puzzles. Games that innovated on the template ranked higher. But at the end of the day, we picked the ones that delivered the most intense, rewarding challenges.
Strap in, this flight has some turbulence ahead. We’ll countdown the top six Soulslikes that soared highest in 2023. From a galaxy far, far away to the bloodied streets of a Victorian puppetopolis, each entry manifests FromSoftware’s ethos in its own unique way. Some crashed more painfully than others. But win or lose, one thing’s for sure…these games aren’t for the faint of heart. So stock up on brave pills and let’s do this!
#6 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
In the world of Souls-inspired games, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor blasts onto the scene like a TIE fighter screeching through hyperspace. Set five years after Fallen Order, you once again wield the lightsaber as Cal Kestis, scrapping with Stormtroopers across the galaxy. After attacking an Imperial base, Cal must seek out an enclave where Jedi can safely bounce like Yoda.
While Jedi Survivor styles itself as a sequel, newcomers can easily come aboard too. The simple premise sets the stage for engaging battles and ability upgrades fans have come to expect. And Respawning’s combat delivers in spades, with weighty lightsaber swings, Force powers like telekinesis and lightning, and tricky parry timings. While not as hardcore as other Souls-y fare, it brings plenty of challenge. Enemies attack ruthlessly in numbers, and ginormous bosses like AT-ATs require finesse to fell, testing your patience and precision.
The starfighter combat also gleefully channels LucasArts classics, letting you pilot ships in high intensity space dogfights. And Cal’s cute droid pal BD-1 adds puzzle-solving hijinks to the mix too. The story even weaves in new canon characters like mercenary Bell and infants raised in Imperial labs.
While it skimps a bit on RPG depth, Jedi Survivor captures much of the thrill and tension of its peers. The satisfying skirmishes, jaw-dropping set pieces, and charm of the Star Wars universe make a strong case for Cal Kestis’ hero’s journey to stand tall among 2023’s finest Soulslikes. Sci-fi aficionados, in particular, will relish this spin on their favored flavor.
#5 Blasphemous 2
If you dug the hellishly heavy themes of the first Blasphemous, its sequel turns the torment up to 11. Once again you play The Penitent One, a guilt-ridden warrior condemned to traverse an ultra-gothic medieval realm seemingly constructed by the world’s most deranged cathedral architect. Blasphemous 2’s setting drips with uncanny religious dread thanks to its unique “Catholic horror” art style, like some nightmarish melding of Dark Souls and The Passion of the Christ.
While the sightseeing remains as ominously opulent as ever, combat gets a welcome workout. The Penitent can now use prayers mid-fight for buffs like weapon enchantments. Rosary beads unlock passive boosts for weapons and survivability too. Combined with the new techniques and combos, it makes for plenty more options for smiting baddies. Many enemies also have additional phases, keeping you guessing as health bars drain. Some also cursed me out in Latin mid-fight which was a special kind of unsettling.
However, don’t expect boss battles on par with the atmosphere and combat upgrades in terms of challenge. They telegraph attacks pretty clearly for veteran Souls players. But in a devious twist, Blasphemous 2 makes the run BACK to the bosses a complete headache, littering checkpoints with screen-filling mobs. So while you’ll likely fell bosses in a few tries, scraping your way to their arenas demands patience and perseverance in spades.
By cranking up the brutality of the surrounding challenges while easing up on bosses proper, Blasphemous 2 flips the standard Soulslike dynamic to offer something fresh. The refined combat and diabolical level design make it more than worthy of accolades in 2023. Just don’t expect much mercy from all the disfigured saints along the way.
#4 Remnant 2
If you thought the first Remnant nailed the co-op experience, its sequel amplifies the chaos tenfold. Once again, you team up with up to two buddies to blast beasties across procedurally generated sci-fantasy realms. But while familiar at its core, Remnant 2 adds awesome new layers of depth and unpredictability that make each playthrough feel wonderfully fresh.
Whereas the original featured handcrafted worlds, Remnant 2 randomizes the entire CAMPAIGN, so you never know what reality you’ll be battling through next. One run might land you sword-slashing through medieval castles while the next warps you to an alien planet for laser blasting. The enemies, quests, loot and bosses all shuffle too, making repetition near impossible.
Thankfully the core run-and-gun gameplay remains a total blast however the dice roll. Felling freaky foes with the crunchy gunplay and customizable weapons builds feels great, especially when coordinating attacks with co-op companions. And new classes allow you to tweak your playstyle, like the sharpshooting Scrapper or melee-focused Warden. Those classes also level individually so starting a new character always brings new strengths to test in the random worlds.
While the campaign keeps things spicy, side quests bring welcome depth too. Eccentric characters will recruit you for perplexing tasks with equally wacky (and lethal) rewards. And post-campaign, you unlock Adventure mode enabling freeform exploration and a tower defense-esque base builder mode too.
By taking the addicting co-op framework of Remnant 1, then injecting it with an almost roguelite dose of unpredictability and content, Remnant 2 sets a new gold standard for multiplayer Soulslikes in 2023. Polish up those weapons because fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing!
#3 Lords of the Fallen
Cast your minds back to 2014, when Demon’s Souls lit a fire under gamers craving tough-as-nails combat married to cryptic worlds full of secrets. Polish studio CI Games aimed to catch some of that heat with Lords of the Fallen, one of the first “Soulslikes” to follow in Miyazaki’s masochistic footsteps. Nearly a decade later, Lords of the Fallen returns with a reboot looking to expand on its solid combat core while smoothing its rougher edges.
And smoothed they are! Melee fighting steals the best bits from Souls greats with weighty strikes, stamina management and parry timing. Paired with the icy magical gauntlet that slows enemies, it makes combat heavy yet snappy. The arsenal of hammers, axes, staffs and more crush baddies good with upgrade paths to tailor your playstyle. CI Games definitely delivers that precision battle bliss.
Attempts to evolve Souls strengths shine too, like the demonic Umbral Realm. This dark mirror world twists levels vertically and dumps deadly new enemies on your head. Toggling between realms mid-fight adds a thrilling new dimension both literally and figuratively. The checkpoint-warping fast travel is a godsend as well.
However, Lords stumbles on other new ideas like multiplayer. Lacking PvP and meaningful co-op makes its rare glimpses of other players woefully undercooked. And while gorgeous artistically, sporadic framerate hitches and glitchy enemy AI sour the experience. The story also rests too heavily on old fantasy tropes to captivate.
So Lords of the Fallen presents a conflicted experience. When channeling FromSoft’s signature pace and precision, it stands tall. But technical quirks and half-baked spins on the formula weigh it down. Diehard Soulslike die-hards should give it a go, but temper expectations if looking to be amazed and astonished.
#2 Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
With two knock-out takes on feudal Japan under their black belts already via Nioh 1 and 2, Team Ninja set their sights on ancient China for their next exercise in masocore. To guide their journey to the Middle Kingdom, they enlisted FromSoftware veteran Masaaki Yamagiwa of Bloodborne fame. Flash forward to 2023, and their collab Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty brings hit after hit of high flying martial arts mayhem to the Soulslike space.
Transporting to the turbulent end days of the Han dynasty, you play as a nameless militia recruit. When your squad gets steamrolled by otherworldly forces, it’s up to you to turn the tide. The premise sets the stage for spectacularly stylish and strategic encounters across sprawling battlefields. Blending history and fantasy, Team Ninja flex their creative chops on enemies like an ox-headed general and three-eyed crow swordsmen.
However it’s the sleek melee combat that takes center stage. Adopting a “dance-like” philosophy, Wo Long tests your reflexes and adaptability in lethal duels. Dashing, parrying and comboing moves with varied timing keeps fights dynamic, especially when managing ranged options like bows too. And by building up a mystical combat gauge, ultra-flashy magic attacks let you unleash elemental whoopass.
While not packing FromSoft’s intricate world design, Wo Long doubles down on moment-to-moment mechanical mastery. The demanding dash-parry-strike battle rhythm paired with fantastical Three Kingdoms figures make it one of the most distinct historical-themed Soulslikes around. Add in PvP to let you test techniques on other warriors for extra replay value.
Some may bounce off Wo Long’s focus on technical combat over atmospheric exploration. But for those craving more intense clashes after the likes of Sekiro, Wo Long handily proves there’s still rich fertile ground to cultivate in the East.
#1 Lies of P
Of all the upstart Soulslikes hoping to dance with the big dogs in 2023, few kicked up as much buzz as Lies of P. This Korean-made gem had hype shooting sky high thanks to the FromSoftware DNA running strongly through its veins. Specifically, many pegged it as a katana-wielding answer to Bloodborne masked in Pinocchio puppetlore. And lemme tell ya, Neowiz absolutely delivered, crafting a visionary title destined to be carved into the Soulslike pantheon.
From the obsession with Truth to the gothic cityscape to the stellar sense for precision gameplay, Lies of P proudly proclaims to all, “I’m a Real Soulslike!” Stealth mechanics, transformable weapons, and deeply grotesque baddies echo other genre greats like Metal Gear Rising too. Neowiz synthesize their inspirations wonderfully while still standing apart.
And oh man, the enemies and their fatality potential! Lies populates its labyrinthine city with nightmarish living puppets and dolls that creep under your skin and make your health bar cry. Most bosses also have two full health meters, demanding absolute mastery. But when you finally send them to the forgotten toybox in the sky, few games Parallel that cathartic rush.
Helping claim those hard fought wins is an incredibly flexible combat system. Alongside light and heavy melee options, your modular mechanical arm equips killer secondary tools like gun turrets, flamethrowers and missile launchers. And the weapon crafting suite lets you freely customize gear with different properties, buffs and bonuses to suit any situation or playstyle. Along with unlocking shortcuts and stockpiling resources, this wealth of options keeps repetition at bay and opens creative solutions to obstacles.
And tying it all together lies one of gaming’s most enduring fables. Pinocchio’s journey from hand carved puppet into real live boy gets retold here in sinister yet poignant ways. Several endings hinge on navigating the cost of deception too, letting you steer P into heroism or deeper desperation.
With its tale as old as time, Lies of P carves out a bold new future for Soulslikes — one that lives happily ever after among the most significant and spectacular of its kind. My nose isn’t getting any longer calling it number one for 2023. Any fan of facing hellish horrors and mechanical monstrosities needs this one on their playlist!
