Summary
Considering the hard-as-nails difficulty that has become synonymous with the FromSoftware-inspired Soulslike genre, the concept of easy bosses in such a title comes across as a little counter-intuitive. However, with more casual-audience intended titles implementing many of the tropes and mechanics FromSoftware has defined, the creation of more entry-level challenges has been necessary.
From Metroidvania-inspired Soulslikes implementing popular licensed properties to action platformers that incorporate the Soulslike system of level progression and boss style, the expanse of the Soulborne-inspired genre has ensured a lineup of boss fights that are unbecomingly easy to defeat.
Considering that"blasting bosses away"is one of the major draws for Soulslike titles such as Gunfire Games’Remnant: From the Ashes, the genre does tend to put some seemingly immovable obstacles in the player’s path. Gunfire Games' title not only begins with choosing a difficulty setting at the beginning of a player’s journey — working counter to the Soulsborne series' staple in doing so — but defaults players to its appropriately named ‘Normal’ setting. However, with seasoned Soulslike players seemingly finding ‘Normal’ difficulty too easy, the default setting may be the ideal jumping-off point for new players, yet too forgiving for some.
ConsideringRemnant: From the Ashes' cooperative nature, some players may look at playing with friends as a useful crutch for a difficult stretch. However, with a dynamic difficulty curve — Gunfire Games ensures that solo players face bosses with lower health and damage output — it’s emphatically easier to play by yourself.
With a minimalistic cel-shaded art style and a concerted thematic focus on hope and perseverance, 2018’s action role-playing titleAshenis a definite step away from the brooding atmosphere of the Soulsborne series.
With AI companions to aid on the journey, the crushing loneliness and resignation that can plague Soulslike titles is somewhat avoided, as even the toughest bosses can be approached with the assistance of a human or computer-controlled comrade. Touted as a"thematically refreshing step forward in the modern line ofDark Souls-likes,“Ashen may not be an easy game, but its approaches to Soulslike gameplay staples create a comparatively unchallenging yet engaging experience.
In an arguably extreme adaptation of the original 1883 story ofPinocchio, Neowiz Games & Round8 Studio’sLies of Pbrought Arlo Collodi’s classic tale to life through the teeth-grinding genre of the Soulslike. The collaboratively developed Soulsborne-esque title was not only a tremendous commercial success, but a cultural success as well, withits Xbox Game Pass debutbringing it and the subscription service much acclaim.
However, despite its clear FromSoftware inspiration,Lies of P— while not a walk in the park for most players — is seemingly not an incessantly difficult title. With an extravagant set of play mechanics and abilities to choose from,Lies of Pputs a great amount of control into the player’s hands with the expectation that doing so will allow players to get to terms with the title in their own time. Bolster this with the game’s generous placement of save points before boss fights, and players will be able to have a combative dance with the game’s most difficult enemies without the Soulsborne series' reviled backtracking.
Despite the proclamation that Playstack’s Soulslike Metroidvania is"perhaps the closest thing fans will ever get to a 2DBloodborne,“arguably a lot ofThe Last Faith’s difficulty stems from its Metroidvania roots.
Levying stat and equipment leveling against boss and mob characters more than twitch-reflexes and dodging,The Last Faithseemingly encourages exploration over attrition. However, with the attempt to merge Metroidvania and Soulslike genres come some teething pains where the aligned styles of game butt heads, as can occur when boss fights and world observation encourages differing playstyles. However, if players venture intoThe Last Faithunderstanding that it avowedly places much of its focus on unearthing the game world rather than constant engagement with difficult bosses, its intentions may well be more clearly received.
While Cold Symmetry’s 2020 SoulslikeMortal Shellis incredibly open about its FromSoftware inspirations, its mechanics and eponymous gimmicks help to create an experience that is less about breaking through a boss fight-shaped brick wall and more centered on the experience of dueling them.
The game’s combat mechanics prove to beMortal Shell’s entry-level saving grace, as bosses can be intrinsically more difficult to defeat without utilizing them. From the game’s ‘Harden’ ability, allowing players to shrug off a strike’s damage before punishing its wind-down animations, to ‘Shells’ that allow for an added and trait-focused ghostly outer layer,Mortal Shellbestows players with multiple ways to stay defensively viable while remaining on the attack.
Despite 2009’sDemon’s Soulsfiring the starting pistol for the Soulsborne series — and an entire genre of Soulslike titles — many aspects of its design have been tweaked or reimagined in later titles. However, its place in video game history cannot be ignored, and with the 2020 Bluepoint Games-developed remake bringing tighter controls, modern online features, and PlayStation 5 visuals to the property, its legacy is palpable.
Yet, from the game’s original release to the PS5-launch title reveal,Demon’s Souls’bosses were arguably never nearly as challenging as the game’s cramped environments were. From theDemon’s Soulsremake’s reintegration of online features such as co-op play, and seemingly every boss having a particular weak spot,“there’s almost always a way to makeDemon’s Soulsboss fights a little easier.“However, with tight dungeons filled with enemies and long tracks back to the boss arena if defeated, the world itself can be harder to overcome than any ofDemon’s Souls’massive mobs.
Coming off of the developer’s critically successfulTitanfalltitles, Respawn Entertainment’sStar Wars-themed Soulslike title is not simply a Lucasfilm-inspired action game but an acclaimed entry-level Soulslike experience for those not used to the genre.
Set during the oppressive time period between George Lucas' prequel and original trilogy motion pictures,Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderfollows a Jedi Padawan in hiding, Cal Kestis, who embarks on a galaxy-spanning adventure to discover himself and his place in the universe. Although players will be faced with bounty hunters, overgrown fauna, and Sith Inquisitors,Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s expansive force and lightsaber customization ensures that no boss fights quite approach the difficulty of the Soulsborne games it draws inspiration from.
ConsideringAnother Crab’s Treasure’s cartoonishly vibrant and jovial appearance, its application of the Soulslike genre is not only creative but approachable. Bolstered by Aggro Crab’s development of a robust yet versatile shell armor system and a preoccupation with fluid movement and combat,one of 2024’s most notable indie releasessimultaneously becomes a particularly welcoming Soulsborne-inspired title.
In playing throughAnother Crab’s Treasure, players will not only navigate the title’s tightly wound movement-based platforming sections and chirpy world of undersea characters but also fill an arsenal with varied defensive options for the titular hermit crab to utilize. While many Soulslike titles put an inordinate amount of creative and mechanical energy into ensuring that its boss fights are as nail-bitingly foreboding as possible,Another Crab’s Treasure’s focus on engaging yet well-paced bosses ensures that not all of its hardest enemies are genre-definingly difficult.
