Anybody who managed to buy a PlayStation 5 probably also purchased Demon’s Souls, a remake of FromSoftware’s 2009 cult classic. The game retains the same vibe as the original PS3 release, including the frustrating difficulty. If you enjoyed the game but want something a little more manageable, we recommend any of the ten games below.
Gamers play Demon’s Souls partly for the extreme difficulty, but at times we need a break from the grueling trials presented in FromSoftware’s games. Some are straightforward souls-likes that take most of their cues from Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, while others have more subtle connections to the gameplay or sense of exploration.
10 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
It had been a long while since we got a worthwhile single-player Star Wars game. Respawn Entertainment stepped up to the plate with 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a game heavily influenced by both FromSoftware and the Metroid Prime series. With multiple difficulty options, the game can either feel like a true FromSoftware title or more breezy.
9 Remnant: From The Ashes
Remnant: From The Ashes borrows a lot of elements from Souls games, but a few key differences change up the flow of gameplay. For one, cooperative multiplayer is at the center of the experience. Secondly, it is a third-person shooter. Every player’s game also takes place in a randomly generated environment. Even though the story plays out the same, the levels in everyone’s playthrough are different, ensuring a solid amount of replay value.
8 The Surge
FromSoftware’s Souls games often take place in medieval-inspired fantasy settings with enigmatic plots. For a change in scenery, go with The Surge, which takes place in a dystopian future where mankind is on its last legs.
The plot is also not as ambiguous, with a clearer understanding of the main conflict. If you sufficiently enjoy The Surge, then you can move on to the sequel, which takes place in larger environments with more variety.
7 Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry is admittedly a lot different than Demon’s Souls in a lot of ways, but fans will undoubtedly find something to appreciate about Capcom’s action franchise. The debut entry in the series feels more like a Resident Evil clone with fast-paced melee combat in place of survival-horror action. The sequels are more linear and combat-focused. Battles in Demon’s Souls feel like a dance at their best, and in Devil May Cry this dance is set to music at twice the tempo.
6 Lords Of The Fallen
The influence of Demon’s Souls is abundantly clear when playing Lords of The Fallen. You can similarly upgrade the main character freely. The story plays out in a more traditional manner, however, with more cinematics and a plot divided into acts. While Lords of the Fallen is difficult, it is also more forgiving than the series that influenced it, making it a solid way to get into the genre.
5 Dragon’s Dogma
While a more traditional action-RPG set in an open-world, Dragon’s Dogma is worth a try for anyone who appreciates Demon’s Souls fantasy setting. They do share something in common in that they both feature interesting online components. In Dragon’s Dogma, two of the NPCs who follow you during your quests are taken from other players’ games, while a third is an NPC unique to your file. A sequel has been desired by fans for years, but it does not look like it will become a reality anytime soon. Most would recommend steering clear of the anime, though.
4 Monster Hunter: World
Bosses in Demon’s Souls and its successors are a special thing. They start out feeling absolutely impossible, but after each death you learn a little something more about the foe until you stand a fighting chance.
The hunts in Monster Hunter World feel similar at their best. Cooperative play makes it an ideal experience to go through with friends. Regular updates also mean plenty of content for those who stick with it.
3 Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning
Kingdoms Of Amalur shares the most similarities with Dragon’s Dogma in that it is an open-world RPG with action combat. The game first came out in 2012 for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, but was recently re-released for modern platforms. Because you spend time taking on quests and journeying through towns, there is also more downtime, unlike the constant feeling of anxiety and being on edge Demon’s Souls instills in players.
2 God Of War
During the PS4 era, Kratos’s future was uncertain until the announcement and release of God of War. The new title completely redoes the gameplay and takes Kratos out of Ancient Greece, instead throwing him into Norse mythology. While a linear action game, a bigger focus is put onto exploration and finding better equipment. The combat is also slower than its predecessors, instead making players focus more on timing dodges rather than button mashing and combos.
1 Metroid Prime
If you enjoy the exploration and ambiguous world of Demon’s Souls, then you will also adore the Metroid Prime series. It is unfortunately a little hard to access these days, but if you still have a Wii U plugged in you can play the whole trilogy through the ports released on the Nintendo Wii. Any Nintendo Switch owner has the fourth entry in the series to get excited for, which is being developed by Retro Studios, who made the original trilogy.
