These Games Will Sate Your Hunger For More Elden Ring Content

Elden Ring represents a new high for the gaming industry as a whole, and after beating the game, many players are on the hunt for something else to fill the void. Some may be on the lookout for a soulslike with a similar combat style, while others might be searching for an open-world game with an equally mysterious and compelling world for them to really sink their teeth into.

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These highly accessible soulslikes still offer a challenge, although they do so without punishing players quite as harshly as some of their peers.

Thankfully, there are so many other great games out there that manage to match the quality and feel of Elden Ring in their own unique way, whether it be in the gameplay, story, world-building, or a combination of all three. They might not be as ambitious or wide in scope, but what these games do deliver is an experience that any Elden Ring fan can easily find joy in, even if they aren’t stepping back into The Lands Between.

Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.

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Nioh 3

The Next Big Open Soulslike

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Wide areas full of NPCs and quests
Satisfying weapons and ability combos

Nioh 3 takes every concept from the first two games in the series and goes even further, expanding the world to a more open set of landscapes where players have more freedom than ever to explore at a pace that suits them. The main new mechanic is the ability to swap between Samurai and Ninja stances on the fly, meaning that one minute players can play patient and careful, and the next, be nimble assassins ready to go in for the kill.

Nioh has always been a stellar example of a non-FromSoftware soulslike series that manages to stand alongside the best in the genre, and this installment is no different. The larger map brings it more in line with something like Elden Ring, while the gameplay and skills keep it distinctive enough to offer something new to long-time fans of the genre and newcomers alike.

Nine Sols

Move Over Hollow Knight

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Sekiro-style parry system
Exceptional world-building and story

Metroidvanias and soulslikes are like two peas in the same pod, as they both follow a fairly similar gameplay style that revolves around exploration and plenty of enemy encounters along the way. Nine Sols is about as close as it gets to a perfect Metroidvania, as not only is the combat absolutely amazing, but the world design is truly breathtaking, both in terms of the visuals and the way the actual map unfolds.

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Players find themselves on a Tao-punk-styled space station, full of mutated creatures and mechanical nightmares, and they must slowly make their way through each district, hunting down each of the council members to hopefully uncover the truth. Elden Ring fans will feel right at home straight away, and it won’t take long for them to feel equally enthralled and ready to take on any challenge the game throws their way.

Shadow Of The Colossus

The Inspiration For Many

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Eerie world with very little direction
The exploration style is very similar to Elden Ring

Shadow of the Colossus is a game that needs no introduction. Many open-world games, Elden Ring included, have been heavily inspired by the design of the strange yet alluring Forbidden Land, with the unguided exploration and the barren nature of the world being the unique factors that many consider to be the game’s biggest strength.

The combat style is also incredibly distinctive, letting players climb atop gigantic colossi one by one, all in the name of an ambiguous goal that only fully reveals itself towards the end. It is a masterclass in world design and a true must-play for any open-world lovers looking to revisit a real pioneer of the genre.

The First Berserker: Khazan

Fast Fights From Start To Finish

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Insanely high-quality bosses
Meaningful skilltrees and abilities

Soulslikes have come a long way since the early days, and Khazan represents over a decade of innovation crammed into one cohesive package. Taking on the role of the titular warrior himself, players need to navigate their way through a world full of decay and corruption, fighting just about every enemy imaginable, from giant spiders to skilled swordsmen.

The biggest draw is the combat, being a combination of Sekiro parries and hack-and-slash gameplay that gives players a lot of control over how encounters play out. It doesn’t have the open-world scale of Elden Ring, but the fights alone are a good enough reason to give it a try for anyone who loves FromSoftware and their long list of soulslike hits.

No Rest For The Wicked

A Different Kind Of Soulslike

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Slow, methodical progression
Emphasis on timed encounters and careful positioning

No Rest For The Wicked takes a very different approach to soulslike design, trading the third-person camera for a more isometric perspective, but despite the less intense angle, it maintains a cinematic presentation throughout the entire game. Every area is a gorgeous sight to behold, and players will find themselves wrapping back around and revisiting earlier areas, just to find any tiny snippets of lore or loot they may have missed.

Biggest Combat Frustrations in Elden Ring (& Soulslikes That Solve Them)

5 Biggest Combat Frustrations In Elden Ring (& Soulslike Games That Solve Them)

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

The exploration is very akin to that of Elden Ring, forcing players to be quite methodical and slow to ensure they don’t miss anything and that they don’t get overwhelmed by a huge group of enemies. Overall, it is a welcome newcomer to an otherwise crowded genre that brings in a lot of new ideas, while also reinventing some old ones to deliver a refreshing yet familiar soulslike experience.

NieR Automata

About As Cinematic As It Gets

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Fast fights across several genres
Story told over multiple playthroughs

NieR Automata is a remarkable game that tells the story of several androids and their fight for humanity, on a desolate Earth that is virtually devoid of any human life. The world-building is something that needs to be seen first-hand to really be appreciated, and players will quickly find that a single playthrough is nowhere near enough time to fully absorb all of the content and see the rest of the story through to the end.

From a gameplay perspective, the fights are much faster and more intense than a soulslike, but the feel will come very naturally to people who have played Elden Ring. At the end of the day, it is a must-play game for anyone who loves complex storylines and intertwining narrative arcs, or even just for those who enjoy some lightning-fast and cinematic action.

Monster Hunter Wilds

Bigger Map For Bigger Battles

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Open world biomes and encounters
High skill battles against giant beasts

Monster Hunter Wilds moves the franchise into a new direction, expanding the field to an open landscape full of various biomes and, of course, plenty of giant beasts to take down. Each hunt represents a different kind of playstyle, and players will need to come up with an attack plan that suits them and their team in order to have a chance of making it through unscathed.

In a way, the game plays out like a series of larger boss battles, something that Elden Ring really excels at, only this time, the focus is less on exploration and more on grinding out hunts for better and more powerful gear. And, because the game can be played in co-op, players can enjoy and approach the hunts as a group, coordinating their moves and working together to bring down some pretty fearsome foes in order to all reap the rewards and glory on the other side.