6 Things Soulslikes Need to Stop Doing

In the realm of gaming, I’ve found myself deeply immersed in the Soulslike genre lately. FromSoftware’s dominance remains unchallenged with Elden Ring and its offshoot Elden Ring Nightreign, but titles like Lies of P, Black Myth: Wukong, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, Lords of the Fallen, Thymesia, Mortal Shell, Nioh, and many more have all added their unique flavors to this genre.

As a passionate gamer immersed in the world of Souls-like games, I’ve encountered several aspects that can be downright aggravating, elements that seem to have plagued this genre since its early days. Here are six changes I believe these titles should consider abandoning:

1. Lack of clear guidance: I find it challenging when the game offers little direction or help, forcing me to figure things out on my own. A bit more clarity would be appreciated.
2. Punishing difficulty: While I enjoy a good challenge, some Souls-like games seem intentionally designed to frustrate rather than engage. Finding a balance between challenging and unfair would make the experience more enjoyable for many players.
3. Inconsistent enemy AI: Enemies that behave erratically or unpredictably can be frustrating, especially when they exploit glitches or seem to know my every move. A more consistent and fair AI would enhance the overall gaming experience.
4. Unintuitive control schemes: When a game’s controls don’t feel natural or are counter-intuitive, it can detract from the immersive experience. Streamlining and improving control schemes could make the game more accessible to new players.
5. Lack of checkpoints: Dying repeatedly in the same area can be disheartening, especially when there are no checkpoints nearby. Implementing more frequent save points would help alleviate this issue.
6. Overreliance on grinding: Repeating the same battles over and over to level up can become tedious. Providing alternative methods for character progression or offering more varied encounters could make the gameplay feel fresher and more engaging.

1) Long Runs to Bosses

In this particular style, battles against bosses are given significant emphasis compared to many other genres. These grand confrontations frequently serve as a platform for the combat designers, artists, and musicians to deliver their finest work, since such encounters are often used to convey the importance these scenes should have within the game.

In Soulslikes, the journey to the boss is frequently the most challenging and time-consuming aspect, leading players to die and respawn multiple times. Unfortunately, it seems that many Soulslikes view this trek as a delightful pastime, but in reality, it’s just repetitive work. Sprinting towards the battle isn’t enjoyable; it’s merely a necessity. Long load times exacerbate this issue, as was evident with Bloodborne.

In many modern games, such as Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, developers persistently position checkpoints a minimum of 75 seconds prior to the actual boss battle. Games like Nioh and Lies of P handle this better, but it’s ideal for there to be a checkpoint directly outside the door leading to the boss.

2) Not Being Able to Pause

It’s understandable why you can’t really stop playing games like Dark Souls, due to its unique online invasion system. However, it’s misleading for developers to assume this is a common feature across all games, which is far-fetched. Games such as Lies of P, Mortal Shell, and Wuchang don’t have any surprise multiplayer components, yet players can’t pause them either. Just like cats vomiting hairballs, phones ringing, or feeling the need to use the restroom, it’s ridiculous to expect gamers to be in constant gameplay mode when real life isn’t like that.

Certain games offer unconventional methods to circumvent their rules, with built-in photo modes being one such example. Games like the remake of Demon’s Souls, Nioh, Black Myth: Wukong, and Mortal Shell have this feature, which temporarily halts gameplay. However, even these modes aren’t always fail-safe; for instance, when another player invades in Demon’s Souls, it exits photo mode. Nioh didn’t initially allow pausing, but a patch added this feature, although it requires two button presses and may not always work instantly. The First Berserker: Khazan technically has a pause function, but only by holding the console’s home button for a few seconds.

Independent of the situation, these seem like unnecessary workarounds. Instead, pausing should ideally be as straightforward as pressing the Options key, a feature commonly found in most other games. Games such as “Another Crab’s Treasure” and “Thymesia” demonstrate this feasibility.

3) Locking Souls in the Boss Arena

In most Soulslike games, you often find yourself walking blindly into a boss’s arena carrying only a small bag of points (Souls). However, within 15 seconds, these points end up lost in the same arena as the formidable enemy, which could take several hours to defeat. The challenge is that those points remain stuck with the boss until you manage to slay it.

In essence, they’re essentially time-consuming distractions in a game like Wuchang, where the Red Mercury drops are scant and hard to spot. Rushing towards them before engaging in combat feels more like a tiresome chore rather than the main event – battling the colossal dragon you’ve come to defeat. This is particularly aggravating when these bosses suddenly attack the player, which only adds to the frustration. Instead, the primary focus should be on the boss fight itself.

In simpler terms, both “The Lies of P” and “Nioh 2” have addressed an issue that is common in many Souls-like games. “The Lies of P” keeps the Ergo out of the boss area, making it easier for players to avoid it, while “Nioh 2” automatically transports the Amrita to the player as soon as they enter the arena. This setup is preferred over the situation found in most other Souls-like games where the player’s resources can become trapped during a tough boss fight until the boss is defeated. Both solutions are superior to the resource management challenges often encountered in Souls-like games.

4) Silent Protagonists

A mute lead character can effectively highlight the game’s setting and maintain a somber mood, as seen in FromSoftware’s titles. But it doesn’t necessarily follow that every Souls-like game must feature a speechless hero. This restriction could potentially hinder story development, especially for games whose worlds aren’t well-developed enough to make up for it.

As an avid gamer, I’ve found that immersing players in a story through intricate item descriptions and cryptic hints from old witches requires their active participation and eagerness to delve deeper. It’s quite challenging for many games, especially those with less captivating worlds. If the lore isn’t rich enough to hold its own, it places greater emphasis on the protagonist. However, if the protagonist remains silent, then the narrative may struggle to keep players engaged.

In “Lies of P,” having a vocal protagonist might enhance the game’s narrative. Although P can communicate through characters’ responses, giving him a real voice would make his transformation into a more human-like being more engaging. While many Soulslikes, including those from Team Ninja, often have uninteresting stories, it isn’t always beneficial to sacrifice a more dynamic and defined main character by not using voice acting.

5) Lacking Features

In simple terms, “Elden Ring Nightreign,” a popular multiplayer video game launched by a renowned studio in 2025, does not support crossplay. It’s surprising, but unfortunately, it’s another aspect that FromSoftware has overlooked. Multiplayer functionality in these games has been challenging (or less smooth than expected), and this issue has only grown more frustrating over time. However, this is merely the surface of a larger problem.

In this gaming category, it’s often criticized for being challenging, yet it’s high time these games began incorporating more player-friendly elements. It makes no sense that Soulslikes shouldn’t offer additional accessibility options to cater to a wider range of players, such as colorblind modes, high contrast filters, or even easier difficulty levels. However, maintaining the hardcore experience for those who enjoy intense challenges is crucial, but offering softer settings (with appropriate warnings about the developer’s intended gameplay experience) wouldn’t be detrimental.

In simpler terms, “Lies of P” stands out due to its innovative features. The introduction of two less challenging levels allows a wider audience to experience the game’s essence without relying on online tutorials. Moreover, the boss rush mode, a feature that should be common in games of this genre (also present in 2023’s “Lords of the Fallen”), adds more depth. This makes it accessible for both fans and newcomers to the game.

6) Constant Annoying Ambushes

In one of the memorable early scenes from “Demon’s Souls,” a dragon sets fire to a bridge as you cross it, an event that is somewhat replicated in the initial stages of “Dark Souls.” At the time, this dramatic moment was both startling and innovative, serving to convey the dangerous nature of the world to newcomers.

Instead, these sequels within the genre seem to consistently incorporate traps in devious locations, primarily for the purpose of creating shareable moments. However, these instances are usually executed poorly, often resulting in generic scenes such as an axe-wielding figure concealed behind a hidden corner.

2023’s “Lords of the Fallen” was quite frustrating due to a recurring issue where it seemed like every second wall concealed an unwelcome surprise. Similarly, “Wuchang” often falls into this trap by frequently employing this tired trope, from the common “enemy hiding in ambush” to landmines that are not clearly indicated in the snow.

In simpler terms, these instances can be likened to sudden shock elements in horror video games. While they aren’t intrinsically negative, they tend to be excessively used as easy ways to scare the player by less skilled game developers.

2025-07-25 21:14