There is no reliable verdict on how a new Soulslike compares with Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Lies of P until the new game is identified and its features are verified. “Soulslike” has no firm, official definition, and difficulty alone is not enough to establish that a game belongs in the same conversation. A useful comparison looks at how the world is laid out, what combat asks of the player, how much builds can change, what death costs, how bosses can be approached, and how the story is told.
The three reference games already illustrate why those distinctions matter. Dark Souls is a reference for interconnected routes and a more ordered progression; Elden Ring for open-world exploration and multiple ways to approach challenges; and Lies of P for its distinct setting, weapon combinations, Legion Arms, and truth-or-lie choices. Those are starting points for comparison, not proof that an unnamed game shares their features or difficulty.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Dark Souls Trilogy (PS4) | $38.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin - PlayStation 4 | $21.39 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition - Xbox One | $24.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Dark Souls: Remastered (Nintendo Switch) | $43.79 | Buy on Amazon |
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What makes a comparison useful?
Calling a game “the next Elden Ring” or saying it is harder than Dark Souls may sound decisive, but neither claim tells a player what the game actually asks them to do. The more helpful question is what systems create the experience: whether a blocked route can be bypassed, whether a fight rewards blocking or precise dodges, whether a player can change a build, and whether help is available when a boss becomes a wall.
There is no official, fixed checklist for the Soulslike genre. GameSpot’s genre explainer describes the label as lacking a firm definition and cautions against reducing it to difficulty. Treat the comparison as a set of observable design questions rather than a pass-or-fail test. A game can resemble one reference in its map and another in its combat without being a copy of either.
#1 Best Overall
- DARK SOULS REMASTERED - Then, there was fire. Re-experience the genre-defining game that started it all. Return to Lordran in the beautifully remastered game in high definition, 60 fps with single-player or online multiplayer with dedicated servers. Includes the Artorias of the Abyss DLC.
- DARK SOULS II: SCHOLAR OF THE FIRST SIN - Prepare to Die again. The second installment of the series includes the base Dark Souls II plus all three DLCs: Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, and Crown of the Ivory King.
- DARK SOULS III: THE FIRE FADES - Now only embers remain… Dark Souls III is the final journey in the series where players can fight through intense combat solo or team up for in co-op or PvP multiplayer. Includes the award-winning game and both DLC chapters: Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City.
- ALL ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS - Visit the EP!C corner to download the music of the Dark Souls saga composed by Motoi Sakaraba and Yuka Kitamura. 110 tracks and more than 6 hours to listen and take back any Dark Souls fan to the intense boss fights and the best moments of their deadly journeys.
How the three reference games differ
The publisher and platform descriptions establish some clear reference points. They describe advertised features, not a standardized or independent ranking of the games. The comparison below stays with those documented distinctions.
| Reference game | Useful comparison point | What the cited descriptions establish |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Souls and Dark Souls Remastered | Interconnected routes and more ordered progression | Bandai Namco describes earlier Souls games as massive, interconnected paths with branches, exploration, puzzle solving, hubs, and a more ordered progression. Its Dark Souls Remastered page lists the main game and Artorias of the Abyss DLC. |
| Elden Ring | Open-world freedom and multiple approaches | PlayStation highlights an open world, stealth, new movement mechanics, the steed Torrent, a revised multiplayer approach, and a wide range of weapons, magic, and skills. Bandai Namco contrasts the more ordered paths of earlier games with freer exploration, multiple routes into legacy dungeons, and abundant upgrade materials. |
| Lies of P | Distinctive setting and weapon customization | NEOWIZ describes a ruined, Belle Époque-inspired Krat, a Pinocchio reinterpretation, weapon combinations, Legion Arms, abilities, and choices between lying and telling the truth. A 2026 Tom’s Guide review describes demanding, boss-focused combat and reports difficulty settings and NPC summons. |
These are not equivalent kinds of evidence: publisher pages describe promoted features, while the Lies of P difficulty and summon observations are attributed to a review. Keep that distinction in mind when using the games as benchmarks.
Compare the world before comparing the difficulty
Map structure changes how a player responds to a hard fight. In a more ordered, interconnected design, the key question is whether routes branch, loop back, or reconnect through hubs—and whether finding a route forward depends on exploring or solving environmental puzzles. That is the useful contrast Bandai Namco draws for earlier Souls games, including Dark Souls.
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For Elden Ring, the contrast is a more open world. PlayStation’s description emphasizes freedom to explore, stealth, new movement mechanics, and Torrent. Bandai Namco also points to multiple routes into legacy dungeons and plentiful upgrade materials. Those characteristics can give a player choices beyond repeating one difficult encounter: explore elsewhere, take another approach, or return with more resources.
For an unnamed new game, do not infer either structure from the genre label or a trailer showing a large landscape. Check whether the areas are connected, whether optional paths lead to useful discoveries, and whether the player can make progress in a different direction when stuck. A large-looking environment is not by itself evidence of an open world, and interconnected corridors are not automatically equivalent to an open map.
Rank #2
- All 3 DLC Pack Contents: Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, Crown of the Ivory King
- Additional NPCs Added For Enhanced Story Experience To Assist Guiding Players Through Level
- Parameter Setting Adjustments for Improved Balance
- Augmented Item Descriptions
- Increase in Maximum Online Players
Look at what combat rewards
“Hard combat” leaves out the details a player needs. A sound comparison should identify the observed demands: timing, spacing, stamina management, blocking, dodging, parrying, or aggression. It should also distinguish an enemy’s attack patterns from the tools the player has to answer them. Without those specifics, a broad claim that one game is harder than another cannot guide a purchase or set expectations.
The available descriptions give Lies of P a concrete point of comparison: NEOWIZ highlights the ability to combine weapons and use Legion Arms, alongside abilities. Tom’s Guide’s 2026 review characterizes its combat as demanding and focused on bosses. That makes boss encounters and the available combat tools relevant questions for someone considering another game, but it does not establish that the new game uses the same systems or has the same difficulty.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFor each game, ask what successful play looks like. Does a defensive action create an opening? Does the player need to control distance, commit to an attack, or adjust equipment? Which of those answers are supported by observed gameplay or reliable coverage, rather than inferred from genre marketing? The answers describe combat more usefully than an unsupported ranking.
Build flexibility affects how players handle a roadblock
Weapon and ability choices shape both combat and the cost of experimentation. PlayStation’s Elden Ring description points to a broad selection of weapons, magic, and skills. Bandai Namco says upgrade materials are more abundant there than in older entries; that is a publisher-authored comparison, not a neutral measurement. Together, those details make the ability to try different approaches a useful axis for comparing it with a new game.
NEOWIZ lists weapon combinations and Legion Arms among Lies of P’s features. For a new title, find out whether weapon options change moves or merely statistics, whether abilities can be swapped, and whether the game lets players respec. Also check what experimentation costs: the existence of multiple options does not tell you how easy or expensive it is to change direction.
Rank #3
- The Complete Dark Souls III Experience All on One Disc: Includes the award-winning base game, PLUS both complete DLC expansion chapters: Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City.
- Intense Combat Action: Challenging, genre-defining gameplay. Diversified combat action allows players to craft their own unique style.
- Team up for some jolly good cooperation or test your ability in PvP battle: All PvP maps unlocked and accessible. Improved online matchmaking functionality.
Do not equate a long equipment list with genuine flexibility. The practical test is whether a player who is struggling can make a meaningful change—through a different weapon, ability, or build—and whether the game provides enough information and resources to do so. The supplied descriptions do not establish a direct, like-for-like respec comparison across all three reference games, so a new game’s respec rules should be reported on their own terms.
Death, checkpoints, and recovery need separate answers
Death penalties and checkpoint behavior are useful comparison questions, but they are not universal rules that every Soulslike must share. To understand a new game’s loop, establish what is lost on death, where the player returns, whether enemies reset after resting, and which forms of progress remain. These details determine whether a failed attempt costs a short run back, resources, or a larger amount of progress.
The available descriptions do not give a complete, sourced account of these systems for the three reference games, so it would be misleading to fill in a cross-game table from assumption. When evaluating a new release, use official explanations or reliable gameplay coverage for each mechanic. Separate a confirmed rule from an impression—especially if a preview covers only an early section or a particular version of the game.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Boss design and difficulty options are different questions
A comparison should separate what a boss tests from the ways a player can manage the challenge. Does the encounter ask the player to learn attack patterns, adjust spacing, or change equipment? Can the player explore elsewhere, summon help, or select a formal difficulty setting? Those options have different effects and should not be collapsed into a single label such as “accessible” or “hard.”
The reference points show different routes to support. Bandai Namco’s description of Elden Ring emphasizes free exploration and multiple ways into legacy dungeons, which can let players pursue other routes. Tom’s Guide’s 2026 review reports that Lies of P offers difficulty settings and NPC summons. That review-based observation is specific to Lies of P; it is not evidence that another game offers the same options.
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Rank #4
- Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse
- Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game
- Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armour, magic and crafting options to create your own play style and gaming experience
- From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining your playing skills. Learn to strategise freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes
- Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
For a new title, verify whether assistance is built into the game, comes from other players, or takes the form of a selectable setting. Then consider the trade-off: an alternate route or summon may change how a player approaches an encounter, while a difficulty menu changes the game’s formal challenge settings. Do not claim one game is objectively easier simply because it provides one kind of assistance.
Setting and story can make a familiar structure feel different
A Soulslike comparison is not only a systems comparison. A game’s premise and how it delivers story can be a major reason to choose it. NEOWIZ presents Lies of P as a Pinocchio reinterpretation set in the ruined city of Krat, with a Belle Époque-inspired setting and choices between lying and telling the truth. Those details give it an identity beyond its combat label.
For an unnamed game, establish its setting and narrative premise from official information, then distinguish confirmed plot details from interpretation. Avoid claiming that it copies another game’s atmosphere, storytelling, or themes merely because both are dark fantasy or difficult. The specific game’s story delivery is not established by the title of this comparison alone.
A practical checklist for judging the new game
Once the game is identified, gather answers to these questions before deciding whether it is closer to one reference than another:
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- World: Is progression open, interconnected, or mostly linear? Are there optional routes, loops, hubs, or alternate approaches to major areas?
- Combat: Which actions and timings does the game reward? What tools can the player use defensively or offensively?
- Builds: What can be changed, how does it affect play, and what does experimentation cost?
- Death loop: What is lost on death, where does the player return, and what resets after resting?
- Bosses and support: What do encounters test, and can the player explore elsewhere, summon help, or change a formal difficulty setting?
- Story: What is the setting and premise, and which narrative features are confirmed rather than inferred?
- Evidence: Is each claim based on an official feature description, observed gameplay, or a review? Keep promotional descriptions and reviewer judgments distinct.
The comparison becomes meaningful when those answers are known. If the new game has a compact network of branching routes, that is a more defensible comparison with the earlier Souls structure than a generic “it feels like Dark Souls.” If it gives players open-world detours and multiple approaches, the Elden Ring reference is more relevant. If it emphasizes weapon combinations, distinctive arm-mounted abilities, or a specific narrative reinterpretation, the useful comparison may instead be with Lies of P. These are conditional comparisons, not claims about a game whose identity and features have not been supplied.
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