Original title: “I’m Tired of the Same Problem in Every Soulslike Game”
So many Soulslikes fall into the same pattern of making their world bleak and depressing. Devoid of color and suffocating the player in overwhelming melancholy. Dark fantasy has become almost synonymous with Soulslike games, and it’s time for a change.
Boot up almost any Soulslike game and you’ll be greeted with a decaying dark fantasy world. The crumbling castles of Dark Souls, the grotesque gothic world of Bloodborne, and the ashen landscapes of Elden Ring exude dread that has become one with the genre. These settings heighten the tension and stakes, but ultimately, all start to feel the same. Even when the setting isn’t directly dark fantasy, the muted color palettes make it hard for Soulslikes to stand out.
[…] Challenge and punishing combat do not mean a game’s visuals have to be dreary. Because of this, players are drowning in sameness within the genre.
[…] But what worked for FromSoftware doesn’t necessarily mean it works for every developer. The studio tied the bleakness of the world into the gameplay itself. Other games not only take inspiration from this, but live by it. So many Soulslikes create their own dark fantasy world, but it becomes hard to tell them apart from one another. Lords of the Fallen is guilty of this, and it takes away from the overall success of the title.
Even when games aim for a different setting, such as Lies of P or Wuchang: Fallen Feather, they fall into the same trap of bleakness. Players are constantly dropped into these dying worlds that could just be reskins of FromSoftware’s works. While the ideas are different, the atmosphere and vibe feel too familiar and hold the genre back. To truly stand out, developers need to experiment and move away from the same old concept.
The things most missing from Soulslike games are color and life. Hardly any game in the genre deviates from dreary and monotonous worlds. Challenge can still exist in brightly colored worlds. Experimenting with alien landscapes or surreal dreamscapes would make a Soulslike game stand out. Something like Another Crab’s Treasure is the perfect example of how a game can lean into vibrant colors and humor while still offering players the difficulty of the genre.
What’s more, the contrast would be more impactful. Walking into a sunny meadow with a difficult boss fight would surprise players. What appears to be a safe spot actually contains a threat that hinders progress. Alternatively, a neon-lit city would be perfect for a cyberpunk Soulslike game. Diverting from bleak backdrops and environments is an easy way to differentiate a game from other Soulslike titles.
That’s actually not something I’ve thought about before. But yea, lots of soulslikes use this very dreary and dark aesthetic - be it FS or other studios inspired by them.
Do you mind? Is that a core pillar of the genre to you? I guess it’s just part of the genre for me.
I mean, the Fromsoft’s Soulsbornes are set in decaying ruins because the themes and story kinda demand it. One of the central themes of the game is that immortality is bad and the pursuit of immortality is evil (which is what I thought this article was going to be about from the headline). The games are set in societies that have attempted to become “eternal empires” and as a result are now decaying slowly, not allowing something new to take its place. The player then comes on and usher in the “new age” (or you can choose to attempt to carry on without changing anything). Dark Souls 3 is probably most clear about this, where in the DLC you meet yourself in the shape of Friede. She does the exact same thing you are doing, but on a smaller scale and has chosen to not burn the painting and imprison the painted that would make it anew. What she puts doing is obviously wrong, and it gives you a not-so-subtle hint that kindling the first flame is also the wrong thing to do.
They actually make the game first, then twist the narrative to fit it and have said that they just don’t do vibrant, living worlds as well as fucked up empty ones.
That’s fair and understandable, and very fitting for Dark Souls 2 at the very least where they basically say “Yeah, you are immortal because you are playing a game, so the only thing that can “kill” you is giving up.”
But at the same time there is clearly someone on the writing team with strong opinions on the search for immortality.