5 Best FromSoftware Games That Aren’t Soulsbornes

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As a huge fan, I’ve watched FromSoftware become legendary for games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro. They just kept refining their unique style, and then Elden Ring came along and blew everything up with its incredible open world – it really took the genre to a whole new level! It’s awesome to see all their hard work pay off with huge sales, and I’m excited to see what they do next building on Elden Ring. But it’s cool to remember they’ve been making games for a long time, and there’s a lot more to discover if you go back and check out their older titles!

Here are five excellent FromSoftware games that are quite different from Dark Souls and its follow-ups.

5) The Adventures of Cookie & Cream

It’s unusual to see The Adventures of Cookie & Cream listed with games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne. While this colorful, kid-friendly adventure looks very different from FromSoftware’s other titles, it’s still a game where the developers tried something new and exciting.

Cookie & Cream is a simple action-adventure game on the PlayStation 2 when played solo. While it remains technically straightforward in multiplayer, it features a unique option for two players to share a single controller. This mode divides the controller in half, giving each player control over their character with their side. It was an unusual feature when first released, and it’s since become popular with speedrunners.

4) Echo Night

Released in 1998, Echo Night was FromSoftware’s take on the horror-adventure genre. While it’s not as intensely frightening as other survival horror games of the time, like Resident Evil or Silent Hill, it offers a uniquely strange story. Players explore a mysteriously vanished ship that may be haunted by a possessed serial killer.

In Echo Night, you take on the role of Richard, a man investigating his father’s disappearance by exploring his old house. His search leads him to a mysterious ship haunted by numerous ghosts. While you can help some of these spirits find peace, many are hostile and will attack immediately – they’re definitely not friendly ghosts! Echo Night isn’t for all players, but if the premise appeals to you, there are a couple of similar games available, though their quality varies.

3) Lost Kingdoms

FromSoftware, the creators of many popular games, aren’t afraid to try unusual ideas. A great example of this is Lost Kingdoms, a game originally released for the GameCube. It uniquely combines action-based RPG battles with card collecting and fighting. The main character, Katia, doesn’t fight directly – instead, she gathers cards and uses them to battle enemies.

The game blends elements of Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!—you collect defeated opponents as cards and use them in later battles. It features a strategic elemental system and a multiplayer mode where you can battle friends with your monster card decks. While Lost Kingdoms was successful enough to get a sequel, sadly both games remain exclusive to the GameCube as of 2026.

2) King’s Field 4

The King’s Field series has four main games, plus two similar titles called Shadow Tower, giving players a lot of options. Most fans agree that King’s Field 4 is the strongest entry, largely because it was the first released on PlayStation 2 and features significantly improved graphics compared to its predecessors.

The game really shines with its immersive, first-person exploration. While it still maintains the deliberate, step-by-step gameplay that King’s Field is famous for, it feels smoother and more refined. It’s interesting to revisit because you can clearly see how it laid the groundwork for Demon’s Souls. FromSoftware obviously made significant improvements over time, but experiencing the origins of their later work is a unique and enjoyable thing.

1) Armored Core 6

Okay, so I’m a huge fan of Armored Core 6, and honestly, I don’t even care if it’s a little too good to be true! The Armored Core series has been around for ages – six main games and a bunch of spin-offs since ’97. It’s all about controlling giant mechs, and the boss fights are seriously epic – think Dark Souls level intense. But that’s where the comparisons stop, honestly. Armored Core is its own beast.

Unlike games like Dark Souls with their large, connected worlds, Armored Core 6 (and previous titles in the series) focuses on shorter, self-contained missions. It also moves away from timing-based defensive maneuvers, emphasizing instead powerful, customizable weaponry and maximizing your mech’s firepower.

To survive, you need to inflict a lot of damage. Simply defending and attacking slowly won’t be enough – you have to fight back with equal force if you want to succeed in a mission.

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2026-03-13 00:40