We’re halfway through 2023, and that doesn’t mean much in terms of gaming, as the second half of this year has tons of amazing games, including several Soulslike games. Even so, there are still a handful of Soulslikes games coming in the second half of the year.
We already saw the release of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor earlier this year, and despite several issues, the game was enjoyable. While another Soulslike title, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, was shaping up to be an amazing Soulslike title but was eventually delayed into sometime in 2024.
So, what’s left on the menu? Plenty, actually, with several Soulslike Games Coming in the Second Half of 2023.
Lies of P
What’s interesting about Lies of P is that this is inspired by Pinocchio Yep, that very same one, with the boy whose nose would grow longer if he told a lie. The game also reminds me of several other titles, but mostly Bloodborne. I imagine the developers were big fans of Bloodborne and tired of waiting for more, so they made their own. An
A demo for the game was released a few weeks ago for the consoles and PC, and I still haven’t stopped playing it. It was well polished, with few issues, and the combat was enjoyable. I enjoyed the gameplay mechanics, which I talked about (perhaps too much) in a video I posted below.
Besides that, the developer, Round 8 Studio, has been listening to the feedback from the demo and has stated they are taking everything into consideration.
I had a few complaints, such as the combat’s lack of heft. All the weapons, when attacking, felt the same, and that’s not a good sign. The dodge mechanic needs to be refined, and the perfect guard window could be a smidge longer. But as stated, everything is being considered, so I’ll have to wait for the game to be released to see what changes the developer implemented.
I’m very much looking forward to playing more of Lies of P when it releases on September 19, 2023, for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Lords of the Fallen
While the original Lords of the Fallen was perhaps the first actual Soulslike title, I wasn’t a fan of it. Released in 2014, the game was a carbon copy of the Dark Souls games. The team at Deck 13 didn’t try to hide how much of the game was pulled from the Fromsoftware titles without everything that made those games great.
Now Lords of the Fallen is back, but not as the promised sequel from eight years ago, but as a rebooted title called Lords of the Fallen, with Hexworks as the new developer of the title, as we discovered during Gamescom 2022. Recently, a new gameplay trailer was released that was full of new information, such as the game taking place in two different worlds; a world of the living and another in a world of the dead. It’s an interesting system, and I’m intrigued by how this will all work. More than anything, how long is this game going to be?
Outside of that, the Art direction and graphics look amazing; the game looks better than when I first saw it. While I was skeptical about the game, I’m definitely looking forward to playing it much more now. Maybe I still have a bit of skepticism in my pocket, but I’ll have to wait and see how it all turns out.
Lords of the Fallen will be released on October 13, 2023, which happens to be a Friday, for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Remnant II
Remnant II is the follow-up to the 2019 sleep title, but once I played tons of across the PC and Xbox, Remnant from the Ashes. If you ever asked me what that game was, I’d go to explain that it was a Third-person shooter Soulslike and was commonly referred to as Dark Souls with guns if you ever asked me about the game. Remnant II shaping up to be similar, but with more. Better combat, a deeper Archetype system, lore that was touched on in the first game will be explored, and more.
The game still features three Archetypes, but this time it feels like they act like difficulties, such as the Handler class having access to a dog that can revive them if they fall in combat, the Gunslinger who is similar to the Ex-cultist from the first game, and the Challenger, who is similar to a walking tank who can soak up damage but does best when up close and personal.
Just like Remnant from the Ashes, Remnant II will allow players to play through the entire game solo or team up with two others via cooperative multiplayer.
If I could only play one game on this list, then Remnant II would be it. Hand down. No questions asked. Remnant II will be released this July 25, 2023, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Enotria: The Last Song
Enotria: The Last Song is a title that many haven’t heard of, as the developer, Jyamma Games, hasn’t said much about it since its debut during the 2022 Toyko Game Show. Still, I’m excited about it, and while we don’t have a release date as of yet, I’m chucking it into the 2023 release window. Enotria: The Last Song is a game that’s based on Soulslike titles, but the developer is calling it a Summer Souls game, as it features lots of colors, unlike most Soulslikes that are made to be depressing, and is based on Italian folklore and culture.
As we can see in the trailer, it does look very much like a Soulslike, with lots of combat and dodging while being cryptic at the same time. The music is amazing and doesn’t feel like it belongs in this sort of game (IMHO), but it is lovely.
We don’t know which platforms or when Enotria: The Last Song will be released, but if you haven’t heard of it, keep an eye out for it.
