While developers tend to work within the framework of creating a game that can be played and enjoyed by as many people as possible, some developers believe that if your game is for everyone, it’s for no one. And this attitude among select developers leads to the creation of games that are intentionally obtuse, cumbersome and inherently difficult.
10 Best Soulslikes For Beginners
These beginner soulslike titles will help you ‘Git Gud’
Usually, these are one-off projects that attain cult followings, but there’s one group of games that have achieved unparalleled success without ever considering implementing an easy mode, and that’s the Soulsborne genre.
These games are a tough nut to crack, especially for rookies trying to break into the series. There are some tips and tricks that can be used across the board, however, no matter whether you’re visiting Undead Burg, Yharnam or The Lands Between. So, to help you ‘Get Good,’ here are helpful tips to become a Soulsborne veteran.
1Accept That Death Is Part of The Process
The most common reason new players bounce off Souls games is that there’s a natural feeling that if you continually die in a video game, you’re bad at the game. But it’s important to know that in Souls games, in particular, dying is just par for the course, and with each death, you acquire more knowledge, understanding and confidence within whatever harsh and unforgiving locale you find yourself in.
Souls games don’t hold the player’s hand, and for that reason, they know that they can’t just let you skate through the early stages in relative bliss because a massive difficulty spike is much more challenging to overcome than a steady and consistently hard game. So when you see that ‘You Died’ message on screen, know that you’re not the only one struggling and that when you do break through, you’ll be all the better equipped for what’s ahead. With mental toughness and fortitude, you will become a Souls expert, I assure you.
2Play Souls Games In A Beginner-Friendly Order
While no Souls game out there is going to give you an easy ride, some games will ease you into the genre much more gently than others, and it’s important to do your research and see what sort of game suits your respective skill set and your current level with reference to Souls games.
If you’re a complete novice, it can be beneficial to play non-FromSoft Souls-likes, which have all the trappings of a Soulsborne title, but with the edge taken off ever slightly. Good examples of these are games likeAnother Crab’s Treasure,Mortal Shell, Steel RisingandThymesia.
If your heart is set on playing only the cream of the crop within the genre, however, and you want the true FromSoft experience, then you’ll want to think about playing the easier options out there. This is the order in which I would suggest beginner players take on these brutal challenges:
3Understand What Builds Work For You
It’s not a reasonable request to ask a beginner Souls player to understand the intricacies of the leveling system, the item types, the various status types and everything else that goes on under the hood. What you do need to do as a beginner, however, is make an effort to understand what type of build you are aiming to craft over the course of your adventure and invest in the stats, weapons and items that accommodate that build. Otherwise, you’ll be a jack of all trades and a master of none, which usually translates to being underpowered.
The earlier you specialize, the better, as this means you won’t be at risk of pouring Souls into stats you won’t ultimately need to raise, or upgrading and spending souls on items that will ultimately end up gathering dust in your inventory. So do a little research ahead of time, find an end-goal build that floats your boat and then do your best to make that dream build a reality.
4Study Your Enemies, Exploit Their Weaknesses
There are many games out there where hubris will take you a long way and running into battle with a ‘seat of your pants’ attitude will often not be punished. Souls games are not games that follow this trend, and if you go into any battle without doing your due diligence, preparing accordingly and giving the situation the respect it deserves, you’ll be knocked into next week before you can say ‘Praise the Sun.’
The main thing you need to take on board here is that every enemy can and will kill you if you let them, so the best course of action is to back off initially, play defensive, see what they have in their locker and then act accordingly. Or better yet, use stealth if the option presents itself.
This goes especially for boss encounters, as you’ll want to talk to NPCs and see if they can give you any info or lend a hand in the fight, and you’ll want to also analyze their attack patterns and moveset before going in all guns blazing. Reaction time and bravery will serve you well, but without tactical nous and understanding of your opponent, it will only get you so far.
5Embrace The Grind
If you’re struggling to get through a particular area or boss battle, sometimes there are only so many attempts you’re able to muster before you reach breaking point, and sometimes, the boss may just be a foil to your particular build or a boss that one particular move you just can’t avoid.
You can continue to bang your head against the wall, so to speak, until you get through, but often, the best way to get through these tough encounters is by embracing the grind and farming souls.
If you take the time to do this, you’ll be able to pour more resources into stats that make you more durable, like Endurance and Vitality, and you’ll also be able to upgrade your weapons, buy new items and generally make yourself better equipped for the task at hand.
So it can be beneficial to research some good farming spots in each respective game, and take the time to level up your character until it feels like more of a fair fight. It’s not the most exciting pastime, but the ends justify the means in most cases.
6Lean Into Each Game’s USP
If you’re someone who has sampled a few of the FromSoft Souls games on the market, you’ll know that it’s not a one-approach-fits-all sort of deal. Each franchise tends to have a unique feel to it, with various quirks and mechanical nuances that make one game’s approach completely ineffective in another.
The best example of this is probably hopping from a game likeElden Ringto something likeSekiro: Shadows Die Twice. InElden Ring, players will get a lot of joy in most scenarios if they master the art of precise dodging, and if that’s not your bag, then tanking hits behind a shield also tends to be effective too. If you try to play the exact same way inSekiro: Shadows Die Twice, however, you’ll bequickly torn to shreds.
All Soulsborne DLCs, Ranked
For those times when the base game just didn’t punish you enough.
This is because this game forces the player to embrace the pinpoint parrying system, and those who stubbornly try to stick to the tried and testedDark Soulsplaystyle will be published time and time again. So if the game has a unique quirk, try to lean into it wholeheartedly, as usually, this leads to a much easier time overall.
7Don’t Be Greedy
As someone who has actively coached their spouse through a souls-like, this is a phrase that I found myself saying a lot during that process, especially early on. Against bigger bosses, the simple fact of the matter is that you won’t be able to take them out in a few hits and end the fight early like against mob enemies.
They have attack patterns that you’ll need to switch to a defensive approach to avoid, they have huge, inflated health bars and they often have multiple phases, so there’s always going to be a bit of a back-and-forth.
So, if you are greedy, and by this, I mean committing to too many attacks when openings present themselves, you’ll be locked into an attack animation or ill-prepared and positioned for what the boss has up their sleeve next.
Generally speaking, the best thing to do is find a window, chip away at their health and get to safety before they can counter. A conservative approach may seem silly as this means the fight goes on much longer, but considering most bosses in Souls games can two-shot you if you’re not careful, this is an essential tactic to keep your HP from dropping to zero.
8Use All The Tools At Your Disposal
If you’re someone who frequents the various Soulsborne-related Sub-Reddits and Discords, you’ll find a subsection of the fans like to set themselves apart from the crowd and diminish the achievements of other Souls players, mainly because they use cheeses or particular mechanics and items to get through the various challenges.
Well, I just want to say right now, forget them, as everyone experiences these games in their own way, and quite frankly, if FromSoft didn’t want these methods to exist, they simply wouldn’t include them.
Take theMimic Tear Ashes, for example. This is a Spirit Ash fromElden Ringthat effectively clones the player, giving you a powerful ally to bring into almost all boss encounters. This makes each boss a lot easier, increasing your chances of survival, but many discredit players that use summons as casuals.
But, even with summons, these bosses still offer a tough challenge, and I say if you took the time to source and upgrade these summons, you might as well use them. So forget the gatekeepers in the chat and use every weapon in your arsenal.
9Allow Yourself To Explore
Another common reason why Souls beginners bounce off games of this nature is that they get stuck on a particular boss or segment of the game, which leads to an endless stream of repetitive deaths as you try endlessly to find a way through. And if you try to complete the entire game in this linear fashion, making a beeline to the finish, you’re creating a rod for your own back.
If you take the time to explore the optional areas of the map and explore beyond the path of progression, you’ll find that this will help you progress much faster in the long term.
By taking time to explore, you’ll find new areas with items you would otherwise have had no access to. You’ll gradually gain more souls that can be invested in leveling up and buying new resources and upgrades. You may also encounter NPCS in the wild, which can be convinced to fight in your corner by summoning them for the boss fight you find yourself stuck on.
You’ll eventually hit a roadblock and have to return to the boss that bested you before, but you may just find that after some time away, that boss isn’t so tough after all.
10Have A Souls Expert Join You
Then, finally, if you’ve tried all of the above and simply can’t get to grips with Souls combat, there’s always the option to call upon a more experienced Souls player to show you the ropes. This can be someone who takes a more hands-off approach and coaches you through the game or it can be someone who effectively carries you through each encounter with their superior skills and knowledge so you still get to experience everything the game has to offer without being locked out of end-game content due to the high difficulty level.
Co-op partners can help you with tricky boss fights; they can help you navigate through labyrinthian-type areas within these games and they can drop useful items that may help you push through to the next area without needing their aid.
Plus, watching them will likely teach you a few tricks that you could only have known by seeing for yourself in real time. So if you have a Souls veteran to call upon, it might be a good idea to enlist their services.
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