The best Soulslike games understand just why games like Dark Souls became such a phenomenon in the first place. They have mysterious worlds worth exploring, deadly combat that rewards considered play, and truly awe-inspiring massive boss fights.
But, how do you define a Soulslike, anyway? Few action RPGs have such obvious, modern sources of inspiration. Drawing from Dark Souls and Demon's Souls, the best FromSoftware games provide the basis for the definition, though some games focus on vastly different aspects of that experience. Soulslikes that stumble can get the balance wrong, focusing too hard on insurmountable challenges, or having combat that feels clunky rather than careful. No, the best manage to balance a bit of it all.
