Currently Online 
This was one of the posts/threads that got wiped when the site was hacked, but fortunately it was saved on Wayback. I completed Elden Ring a few months back and I've just started playing Sekiro, so I wanted to revive the thread and my ranking list, ready to slot Sekiro in when I've finished it (though I'm aware it's not all that Souls-y, which is why I've put it off for so long).
Here's a modified version of that original post:
Lately I've been really into Soulslikes, which is quite a turnaround for me. The first Soulslike I bought I hated. It was obtuse; there was no explanation for all the items and features and what they did; there was no knowing where to go next once you hit the main portion of the game, so I'd end up getting slaughtered tackling a high level area far too early; the controls (PC port) were... bad; it felt like you needed a Wikia to make any progress; and so on. That game was Dark Souls 2 and I gave up after a few hours and didn't return. I knew the series was supposed to be difficult, but the difficulty - to me, at that time - felt like it was derived not from challenging gameplay as much as just a lack of explanation for everything if you were a newcomer.
That experience almost put me off the genre altogether, but then The Surge came out. I liked the look of it in gameplay clips and the sci-fi setting was appealing to me. So I took a chance on it and... I loved it.
Thus began a long journey of my getting into and coming to like and, in some cases love, AA-AAA Soulslikes (although not the 2D indie pixel graphic releases - I'm really not a fan of that art style).
Next was Bloodborne, then Lords of the Fallen, then I finally gave Dark Souls 2 a second chance and, armed with my experience of Soulslikes, I came to enjoy it and finally complete it. After that I went on to Dark Souls 3, which I thought was outstanding. Then back to where my love of the genre began, with The Surge's sequel, although it was sadly disappointing. And so on.
I've decided to rank all of the Soulslikes I've played (see below). I'm curious how other fans of the genre rank the ones they've played. I might also get some suggestions for ones to add to my wishlist in the process. So go ahead and rank all of the Soulslikes you've played!
My ranking so far:
1 - Dark Souls III
2 - Elden Ring
3 - The Surge
4 - Bloodborne
5 - Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin
6 - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice*
7 - Salt & Sanctuary
8 - Dark Souls Remastered
9 - Hellpoint
10 - The Surge 2
11 - Mortal Shell
12 - Nioh
13 - Lords of the Fallen
14 - Death's Gambit*
15 - Hollow Knight*
16 - Code Vein
17 - Remnant: From the Ashes
18 - Blasphemous*
*I know these only contain a handful of Souslike elements, which is probably why I didn't enjoy them as much.
Last edited by Machina - on 04 January 2023
