Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is releasing later this month and promises to bring a slightly lighter, more accessible touch to the burgeoning Soulslike genre. Although it’s arguably the first game to be marketed as Souls-lite, it shares enough of its tougher namesake genre’s DNA to enable us to hand-pick out some of the best similar games you should check out.
Each of the selected games allows for different playstyles and a few even have guns for you to mess around with too. So whether you’re just trying to bide your time until you can grab Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, or you’re done with the game and want a bit more to explore, here are our picks.
Remnant II
First up is Remnant 2, the follow-up to the smash-hit Remnant: From the Ashes, which could also be on this list, so consider this a cheeky second entry within the first entry. Remnant 2 builds upon everything the first game did well and does it better, which means even more immersive areas to explore, wilder builds to test out, and cooler guns than ever before. It’s absurdly replayable, has full co-op, and the DLCs that have come out so far are sublime. If you’ve got any interest in putting builds together and facing off against weird eldritch tree monsters, then Remnant 2 will satiate you in a way that no other game can manage. Do. Not. Miss. Out.
Bloodborne
Bloodborne is probably one of the big influences on Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, because it’s also one of the biggest influences on the genre as a whole. It’s a standout in FromSoftware’s borderline-flawless output and has the player fighting through a constant stream of eldritch horrors and unknowable monsters, all to try and survive the night. While guns are more of an additional bonus here than a main source of damage, it has the same fast-paced combat, all of the gore you could want, and a truly sublime story. It’s an exceptional game, and every day that passes where we don’t get a remaster announcement or a PC port is another day we stray further from heaven.
Nioh 2
Nioh 2 is an absurdly fast-paced action RPG where you take control of a character who can turn into Yokai and summon spirits to help them out in battle. You can also master a wide range of skills and weapons, and if you choose to use the first weapons, even learn how to do a flying body press and feel like a professional wrestler. It also has one of the best co-op setups of any Souls-like going, with you being able to set up a multiplayer room and then choose your mission from there. It’s a huge amount of fun, there is a lot of stuff to do in the game, and if you add in the DLC too, you’ll be playing for the rest of the year pretty comfortably.
Elden Ring
It wouldn’t be much of a list if we didn’t include Elden Ring. Quite simply one of the best games ever made, Elden Ring’s open world is consistently beautiful and shocking, full of characters who are engaging and terrifying. he ways you can play and explore are almost infinitely varied. It’s got everything, and if you also choose to try out the seamless co-op mod or the Convergence mod, then you’ll get even more out of it. Now there is even the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which adds a whole new massive region to explore, complete with new mechanics, weapons, and bosses. If you want a game that really feels epic, then you want Elden Ring, and you want it now.
Lies of P
Finally, we’ve got Lies of P. This game finally answers the question “What if Pinocchio was the hero of a story and also had to fight against unknowable evils?” – which is an important question, we’re sure you’ll all agree. It’s a fairly fast-paced souls-like/action RPG hybrid that’s packed with plenty of style and an utterly unique story to boot. It’s also got a good focus on the unique benefits of being a puppet – a rather unique feature, granted – and while it might not be the best game on the list, it’s still a huge amount of fun and one of the newer entries into the genre.
