Souls-Like
The Souls-Like genre may have kicked off last generation, but it really hit its stride thanks to the continuation of the Souls series and its imitators into this most recent generation.
Alongside the release of Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro by FromSoftware, the genre saw itself fleshed out by the release of titles made by other AAA and indie developers alike. Games like Nioh, The Surge and Salt and Sanctuary all offered new spins on the formula and outlets for fans of the genre to further test their skills and delve into dark, dismal worlds.
With these new games also came improvements to the genre’s formula. The design and structuring of the world, along with the pacing and level of difficulty of the games, increased by leaps and bounds. This led to experiences that were crushingly difficult while also offering a flow and rhythm to the gameplay that couldn’t be found anywhere else.
It’s still anyone’s guess whether the genre’s popularity will persevere through the next generation and beyond. In the meantime though, there are no signs of it slowing down anytime soon, and it’s still holding onto its title as one of the biggest video game genres to come out in recent years.
