5 Soulslike games with as good or better lore than Elden Ring

Soulslike games they have some of the most mysterious and ambiguous tradition in the entire gaming industry and among all the star worlds out there, it's safe to say Elden Ring has one of the best. The story and world building in it are simply incredible. With so much content to absorb in one playthrough, it's no wonder players return time and time again to play again and rediscover the amazing lore hidden within.

A screenshot of the beautiful scenery of Eldenm Ring without HUD

Elden Ring player discovers Ash of War spinning punch trick

An Elden Ring player accidentally discovers a pretty useful application for Spinning Strikes Ash of War during a boss fight.

However, as good as his mythology is, there are few souls out there who can match, if not surpass Elden Ring in the sense of pure narrative perfection. What makes these games so great is that they are never tied to a single setting or storytelling device. Some go the sci-fi route, others are pure fantasy, and a few take players back to an alternate history full of monsters and magic waiting to be found.

Bloody

Old gods meet new blood

Bloodborne's the lore is almost hard to begin to describe, both because of how dense it is and how grotesque and terrifying it quickly becomes. What begins as a simple hunt through the cursed city of Yharnam gradually reveals a much deeper story of forbidden knowledge, cosmic entities, and humanity's obsession with transcendence. The Healing Church, the scholars of Byrgenwerth, and the mysterious Great Ones form the pieces of a vast puzzle that players must piece together with what little information exists in the world around them.

Bloodborne's scariest monsters, ranked

The 8 scariest monsters in Bloodborne, ranked

Bloodborne has no shortage of gruesome monsters and intimidating bosses, but the sequels are unparalleled when it comes to the fear factor.

Unlike many dark fantasy settings, Bloody leans heavily on Lovecraftian space horror. The deeper players explore the city and its surrounding nightmares, the more reality begins to reveal itself and the more bizarre the enemies appear. This layered narrative approach makes the game's lore feel simultaneously terrifying and endlessly fascinating.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Hiding the truth

  • Set completely in Star Wars universe

  • New characters, but remains canon

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order explores one of the darkest periods in Star Wars timeline, sending players into the aftermath of Order 66 and the near-extinction of the Jedi Order, all while staying within the confines of the larger canon. The story follows Cal Kestis, a young Jedi forced into hiding after the Empire systematically hunted down surviving Force users. Across destroyed temples and forgotten worlds, the game slowly reveals how the once mighty Jedi Order collapsed almost overnight.

What makes the story compelling is how it connects personal survival to a broader interplanetary tragedy. Ex-Jedi turned Imperial hunters, the Inquisitors embody the Empire's strategy to turn the Order's own teachings against it. Meanwhile, the search for a holocron containing Force-sensitive children highlights the fragile hope of rebuilding the Jedi legacy. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order ultimately tells a story of preservation, legacy and the lingering scars left by one of the most devastating events in the history of the galaxy.

Nioh 2

From the past to the future

  • Includes both prequel and sequel chapter.

  • It tells a complex and emotional story.

Nioh 2 it builds its tradition on the chaotic Sengoku period of Japanese history, mixing real historical events with a vast collection of supernatural myths. The game follows a warrior navigating a world where political ambitions and demonic forces are closely intertwined, with legendary characters appearing alongside terrifying spirits straight from Japanese folklore, creating an environment where history and mythological horror coexist.

Souls likes with more fluid compat than Elden Ring

6 Soulslike games with more fluid combat than Elden Ring

Elden Ring may be the king of variety, but some soul-like games leave it far behind with their smoother and more precise feel to combat.

The central supernatural element is Amrita, a mysterious golden substance capable of granting immense power while corrupting those who rely on it. Various warlords try to use Amrit to gain control of Japan while unleashing waves of yokai. This conflict between human ambition and supernatural chaos drives much of the game's narrative. The result is a dense lore framework that feels culturally rich and fantastically dark, while also having an emotional undertone that keeps players invested throughout the campaign.

Black Myth: Wukong

A centuries-old story retold

  • Inspired Journey to the West.

  • Deeply rooted in Chinese mythology.

Black Myth: Wukong draws heavily from the legendary Chinese novel Journey to the Westone of the most influential stories in East Asian mythology. The game reinterprets the story through a darker and more mysterious lens, focusing on the legacy of the Monkey King and the myriad demons, gods, and celestial powers associated with his story. However, rather than a straightforward retelling of the classic path, the narrative explores the aftermath of this legend and the lingering effects of divine conflicts, allowing players to experience some epic battles and crazy confrontations at their best.

The world itself is populated with powerful spirits and mythical creatures from centuries of Chinese folklore. Many of these beings have complex histories tied to celestial judgments and Buddhist cosmology, giving each a compelling story that directly ties them to the events of the game. As The Destined One uncovers fragments of the past, Black Myth: Wukong It gradually reveals a deeper mythological story where pious politics and ancient grudges shape the fate of the world, transforming a familiar myth into a vast fantasy universe full of hidden history and revelations that players can unlock over time.

Dark Souls 3

Connecting all the dots

  • It brings back characters and lore from previous games.

  • It clarifies many earlier concepts and storylines.

Dark Souls 3 serves as the climax of the whole Dark souls mythos, depicting a world where the First Flame's merging cycle repeats itself for too long. As the fire dies down again, the kingdom and the lands connected to it begin to collapse into one another, creating a warped landscape where different times and civilizations overlap, bringing back some familiar faces and locations from throughout the series.

The events of the game revolve around the Lords of Cinder, powerful characters who once sacrificed themselves to fuse the Flame but have now abandoned their thrones. Their refusal to repeat the ritual forces the Cinders to gather their power and determine the fate of the world, with the player himself making the decisive final call. As if the base game wasn't enough, the DLCs add even more depth to the already convoluted story, sending players into a painted landscape and eventually to the end of the world to fight one of the most incredible boss battles in gaming history.

Elden Ring's Biggest Combat Frustrations (And the Soulslikes That Solve Them)

The 5 Biggest Combat Frustrations in Elden Ring (And the Soulslike Games That Solve Them)

Elden Ring may be the king of the soulslike genre, but some of its frustrations were easily avoided, as these other titles prove.

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