When a video game has me fighting the same mob four separate times but with different skins, an unpleasant sensation runs through my body like a lightning bolt.
A lack of enemy variety can negatively impact even the best gameplay, as repetition leads to a waste of mechanical tools that could otherwise showcase their full dynamism.
This is particularly true for genres like Soulslike, where the adversaries we face play a fundamental role in the experience by forcing us to learn patterns, manage our decisions in combat, and, of course, progressively improve.
As a result, there’s nothing better than a title in this vein that recognizes the importance of having a wide range of threats to overcome, as I invite you to discover through this list of the eight best Soulslike games with the most enemy variety.
8 Death’s Door
Filling the Grim Reaper’s Shoes
Death’s Door is among the most underrated indie titles of the last couple of years, especially regarding action RPGs that truly know how to emulate FromSoftware’s philosophy.
Despite its marked differences, this game makes the most of its modest capabilities to turn each map into a unique area with equally singular tools that allow you to traverse them.
Mages that hurl projectiles, beasts that leap from every corner, bells that prevent you from moving, shield-wielding titans that throw bombs two kilometers away… Every combat sequence demands you to be on the lookout for numerous challenges simultaneously, and it’s brilliant.
Every time you take out a horde, the feeling of power is masterful. Death’s Door really energizes its fights with the resources at its disposal, which is truly commendable.
7 Lords of the Fallen (2023)
Foes Between Realms
While the first game in the franchise left such a negative mark on me that I sometimes forget the existence of its successor, I admit Lords of the Fallen (2023) is a competent Soulslike experience that deserves recognition.
Its interdimensional shifting mechanic is quite impressive and engaging, especially since both planes present us with distinct adversities that truly make you feel like you’re undergoing two different experiences simultaneously.
Certainly, some enemies like the Sparrows eradicate my desire to exist, given that the title can be extremely frustrating, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that the design and range of the antagonists are among the highlights of the entire adventure.
Do the enemies look better than they fight? Without a doubt. Do they have some of the best and most brutal aesthetics ever seen in the genre? Oh yeah. I wouldn’t say it makes up for it, but the variety is undeniable.
Ultimately, Lords of the Fallen isn’t a game for everyone, though reviewing the genre implies mentioning its name, which managed to make a considerable comeback despite all the setbacks the IP experienced along the way.
6 Another Crab’s Treasure
The Ocean Is Full
Another Crab’s Treasure is brimming with spectacular creativity and personality, transforming the seabed into a wonderful Soulslike experience with absurdly hilarious designs.
From lobsters using straws as jousting spears to pufferfish tied to bags and crabs wielding bottles as clubs, it’s all a constant environmental critique alongside a tremendous gameplay adaptation that makes you laugh as much as you suffer in combat.
Some force you to master parrying, others to dodge, others to platform, and others to keep your distance, as the game takes advantage of the diversity of marine fauna and pollution in ways I thought were impossible.
That feeling also extends to the bosses, each of whom plays a masterful role in enhancing the experience, smashing your head in microplastics, and making Another Crab’s Treasure a true gem.
5 Blasphemous 2
Definitely An Endless Struggle
While I think the series’ first entry was great, Blasphemous 2 is an impressive sequel that stands among the best games in the genre’s history.
The reasons are plentiful, and naming them all would take me all day. Yet, the relevant one for this list lies in how it improves on the limited enemy variety of its predecessor and elevates it to a higher dimension.
Each area is distinguished not only by its scenic and audio beauty, but they are now also characterized by the use of enemies as a mechanism to reinforce those spatial contrasts, which helped me to believe in an actual cohesion between aesthetics, narrative, and gameplay.
Like any good Metroidvania, the platforms and mobs are designed around the skills you need to face them, so the challenges are constantly changing, and you’re never repeating the same tactics.
Blasphemous 2 is a marvel, and when it comes to the density of mechanics, it kept me on the edge of my seat from the first hour to the last.
4 Lies of P
Between Baby Puppets and Cosmic Beings
Since its release to this day, I’ve consistently ranked Lies of P as the best Soulslike game ever, and one of the reasons for this lies in how it learns from Bloodborne in designing its enemies.
NEOWIZ’s title features a powerful and prominent story, which leads to regular and drastic changes in gameplay as you progress, particularly focusing on how enemies evolve through narrative events.
In the same way Bloodborne evolves from beasts to cosmic beings, Lies of P transcends simple puppets to manifest equally celestial abominations, combining all manner of entities ranging from humans to corrupted bears, giant clowns, Marie Antoinette-like spiders, and zombies.
Of course, everyone has their own mechanical strengths and weaknesses that completely determine how we traverse the areas of Lies of P, highlighting the studio’s imagination in creating so many enemies and integrating them into a single cast with such coherence.
By the time you’re in the final stages, you’ll practically be experiencing a different game than in the first few hours, which speaks volumes about its dramatic variety.
3 Salt and Sanctuary
A Variety From Hell
Despite being among the first indie titles to follow the teachings of Hidetaka Miyazaki, few works in the genre have been able to surpass the precision of Salt and Sanctuary.
The sensation of exploring a seemingly endless, desolate world that constantly throws fiendishly difficult threats at you is perfectly captured, and it’s even surprising given the sheer volume of its campaign.
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the movement abilities unlock access to increasingly hidden and complicated areas where you stop fighting the undead and start battling beings that aim to rival Lovecraft’s creations.
I can swear the only thing harder than not getting lost in its darkness was not feeling scared when a giant eye with a scorpion’s tail appeared out of nowhere, accompanied by the most disturbing sound design in history.
Playing Salt and Sanctuary feels like a descent through the rings of hell, where each circle becomes more turbulent, difficult, and hidden than the last, which is why I will never stop hailing it as a masterpiece.
2 Nine Sols
Many Subjects to Parry
Being one of the most special and refined indie games ever conceived, Nine Sols boasts both flawless gameplay and an absurdly diverse array of enemies to test it.
Although the bosses are kept to a minimum to prioritize their quality, the mobs that precede them are infinite and distinctive, representing their biomes with excellence and turning each part of the map into a challenge in itself.
With over 100 specimens, it’s impossible to find two similar experiences in Yi’s shoes, who must deal with robots, laboratory subjects, and undefined biological beings, further divided into warriors, mages, flying beings, statues, archers, assassins, worms, and even a boar.
Nine Sols is glorious in both its Metroidvania and Soulslike forms, combining the best of both worlds to create a title where combat and navigation feel as satisfying as humanly possible.
1 Hollow Knight
The Largest Bestiary
Naturally, it’s impossible to make an article about games that admire Dark Souls without including Hollow Knight, as there’s nothing this title doesn’t do extraordinarily well.
While its successor surpasses it in scale and, strictly speaking, should represent the franchise on this list, I’ve decided to stick with the original adventure both because it deserves it and because it’s best played in order of release.
Having clarified Hornet’s absence, Hollow Knight’s enemy variety is evident in the first few hours through its bestiary, which compiles the absurdly long list of beings that make life in Hallownest.
As I mentioned in previous posts about how its enemy variety adequately represents biome changes and mechanical advancements, all of them pale in comparison to this indie colossus, which replicates the formula but with much greater depth and detail.
If you’ve already played Hollow Knight, imagine what I just said is considerably more noticeable in Silksong. If you haven’t played it, don’t imagine anything and start playing it, because a lifetime of variety awaits you.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
