How a New Soulslike Compares With Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Lies of P

There is no named new game to compare yet. Without its title and reliable feature information, it would be misleading to call it the next Elden Ring, rank its difficulty, or say whether it is better than Dark Souls or Lies of P. A meaningful comparison starts with the design choices that separate those reference games: world structure, combat, build flexibility, the death-and-checkpoint loop, boss challenge, assistance, and story.

Those are also the questions to ask when a particular new Soulslike is identified. Difficulty matters, but it is not a complete genre definition: GameSpot’s genre explainer notes that there is no firm official definition of “Soulslike,” and that the label involves more than difficulty alone.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		Dark Souls Remastered - PlayStation 4	$22.19	Buy on Amazon
2		Dark Souls Trilogy (PS4)	$38.80	Buy on Amazon
3		Dark Souls: Remastered (Nintendo Switch)	$43.79	Buy on Amazon
4		Dark Souls Remastered [Online Game Code]	$39.99	Buy on Amazon

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What the comparison can—and cannot—tell you

A Soulslike label is a starting point, not a reliable feature checklist. A game may resemble another in its combat or checkpoint loop while taking a very different approach to exploration, character growth, or narrative. There is no single official standard that makes every game with the label work the same way.

That makes a game-specific verdict impossible until the new title is known. Its map, weapons, death penalties, boss design, and assistance options cannot be inferred from the genre name. The useful answer for now is a comparison framework: what the established reference games actually offer, what to inspect in the new game, and why those details matter more than a broad “harder” or “easier” verdict.

#1 Best Overall

Dark Souls Remastered - PlayStation 4

• Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse. Explore its intricate world design - full of hidden passages, dungeons and secrets - and uncover its deeply rooted lore
• Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game. Don't bet on completing the game only once
• Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armor, magic and crafting options to create your own playstyle and gaming experience
• From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining your playing skills. Learn to strategize freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes
• Whatever your motivations are to play online - collaboration or confrontation, support or betrayal - you'll find your true home among the nine covenants. Which allegiance will you choose?

$22.19

Buy on Amazon

Publisher and platform descriptions are useful for identifying advertised features, but they are not independent evaluations. Where a point comes from a review rather than an official feature description, that distinction matters—especially for subjective judgments such as how demanding a boss feels.

How the three reference games differ

The clearest contrast is between a more ordered, interconnected route and a world that invites freer exploration. Combat tools and story premise add further distinctions. The table summarizes the features established by publisher, platform, and review descriptions; it is not a ranking of quality or difficulty.

Why Dark Souls is a useful map reference

Bandai Namco’s description of earlier Souls games points to a particular kind of exploration: routes branch and reconnect, hubs help orient progression, and discovery includes puzzle solving. That is different from simply having a large map. A compact, connected world can still offer meaningful route choice if paths loop back, shortcuts change how far a player must travel, and exploration reveals alternatives.

For a new game, ask whether an apparent dead end is truly a dead end, whether the player can return to earlier areas by a new route, and whether progress is directed through a relatively ordered sequence. Those details tell you more about the experience than map size alone. Bandai Namco identifies Dark Souls Remastered as including the main game and Artorias of the Abyss DLC, but the edition information does not establish anything about how a new title’s world is designed.

Why Elden Ring is a different exploration reference

PlayStation describes Elden Ring as an open world with stealth, new movement mechanics, the steed Torrent, and a revised approach to multiplayer. It also highlights a broad range of weapons, magic, and skills. Bandai Namco contrasts its free exploration and multiple routes into legacy dungeons with earlier Souls games’ more ordered progression.

For comparison purposes, the important consequence of an open world is not just that there is more space to traverse. It is the possibility of changing approach: a player who cannot make progress along one route may be able to explore elsewhere, find useful resources, and return with different options. Bandai Namco also says upgrade materials are more abundant than in older entries. Treat that as the publisher’s description, not proof that every player will find the game easier.

Rank #2

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Dark Souls Trilogy (PS4)

• DARK SOULS REMASTERED - Then, there was fire. Re-experience the genre-defining game that started it all. Return to Lordran in the beautifully remastered game in high definition, 60 fps with single-player or online multiplayer with dedicated servers. Includes the Artorias of the Abyss DLC.
• DARK SOULS II: SCHOLAR OF THE FIRST SIN - Prepare to Die again. The second installment of the series includes the base Dark Souls II plus all three DLCs: Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, and Crown of the Ivory King.
• DARK SOULS III: THE FIRE FADES - Now only embers remain… Dark Souls III is the final journey in the series where players can fight through intense combat solo or team up for in co-op or PvP multiplayer. Includes the award-winning game and both DLC chapters: Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City.
• ALL ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS - Visit the EP!C corner to download the music of the Dark Souls saga composed by Motoi Sakaraba and Yuka Kitamura. 110 tracks and more than 6 hours to listen and take back any Dark Souls fan to the intense boss fights and the best moments of their deadly journeys.

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Why Lies of P is a useful combat-and-story reference

NEOWIZ describes Lies of P as a Pinocchio reinterpretation set in a ruined, Belle Époque-inspired Krat. Its advertised features include combining weapons, using Legion Arms and abilities, and choosing whether to lie or tell the truth. Those concrete features make it a useful reference when asking whether a new game’s combat and story are built around a distinct set of systems rather than only a familiar genre label.

A 2026 Tom’s Guide review characterizes Lies of P as demanding and focused on bosses, and reports that it includes difficulty settings and NPC summons. Those are review observations, not the same kind of evidence as a publisher’s description of a feature. The distinction is useful: an official feature list can establish that a setting or summon exists, while a reviewer’s assessment communicates an experience that may be subjective.

Compare world structure before judging difficulty

World design changes what a player can do when progress stalls. A more ordered sequence may ask the player to overcome a particular obstacle before moving on; a branching or open structure may offer another route, optional discoveries, or a chance to build strength elsewhere. Neither structure is inherently better. The right fit depends on whether you enjoy focused progression, route-finding, or the freedom to change direction.

When assessing a new game, look for these distinctions:

• Connectivity: Do routes loop back into earlier areas, or does progression mainly move forward through separate stages?
• Route choice: Are there optional branches and alternative ways to reach major areas, or is the sequence relatively fixed?
• Useful detours: Can exploration provide resources or other options that help a stuck player, as the descriptions of Elden Ring suggest, or is the player expected to solve the current challenge first?
• Backtracking: Does returning through familiar areas reveal shortcuts and new connections, or mainly require retracing the same path?

These questions prevent a common mismatch in expectations. Someone looking for the connected-path exploration associated with earlier Souls games may not want the same level of open-ended wandering as Elden Ring. A player who prefers to tackle challenges in a self-chosen order may find a more directed sequence restrictive. Until the specific new game is identified, its place on that spectrum is unknown.

Read combat through its demands, not a difficulty label

Calling a game “hard” hides the information a player needs. A useful combat comparison identifies what the game asks the player to notice and do: manage distance, time a defense, conserve stamina if the game uses it, block, dodge, parry, use abilities, or press an advantage. These are questions to verify in the new game, not mechanics that can safely be assumed from the Soulslike label.

Rank #3

Dark Souls: Remastered (Nintendo Switch)

• Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse
• Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game
• Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armour, magic and crafting options to create your own play style and gaming experience
• From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining your playing skills. Learn to strategise freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes
• Compatible with Nintendo Switch only

$43.79

Buy on Amazon

Look for an account of the actual combat loop. Does survival depend mainly on reading attack timing, finding openings, or controlling space? Are defensive actions interchangeable, or does the design reward a particular response? Can special tools change the encounter, and how do weapons or abilities alter the player’s approach? The reference descriptions establish that Elden Ring offers varied weapons, magic, and skills, while Lies of P advertises weapon combinations and Legion Arms. They do not establish that the games reward the same tactics.

Bosses deserve separate attention because a demanding boss encounter is not a complete measure of a game’s overall challenge. Ask whether the boss tests patterns the game has already taught, whether the player can alter a build or approach, and whether there are alternatives to attempting the same encounter immediately. Tom’s Guide’s 2026 assessment of Lies of P is specifically that its combat is demanding and boss-focused; it should not be generalized into a claim that every Soulslike—or every player—will experience comparable difficulty.

Check build flexibility and the cost of experimenting

A wide choice of weapons or abilities is not automatically the same thing as easy experimentation. A comparison should establish what the player can change, when those changes become available, and what they cost. If the game lets someone adjust their character after investing in a direction, a difficult section may invite a different setup. If experimentation is costly or restricted, choosing early tools may carry more weight.

For Elden Ring, PlayStation advertises a broad range of weapons, magic, and skills, and Bandai Namco says upgrade materials are more abundant than in older entries. Those facts point to breadth and resource availability, but do not by themselves establish the cost of every build change or the best way to play. NEOWIZ’s description of weapon combinations and Legion Arms establishes that Lies of P offers multiple combat tools, but the cited description does not establish a respec system or its cost.

When details for the new game are available, verify whether weapons and abilities can be swapped freely, whether character attributes can be reassigned, and whether upgrades use scarce or plentiful resources. Also distinguish a larger arsenal from practical flexibility: a player may have many options on paper but still face meaningful costs when changing direction. Without those details, calling the game “more flexible” than a reference title would go beyond the evidence.

Understand the death-and-checkpoint loop separately

Death penalties and checkpoints often determine how punishing a game feels in practice, but the genre label does not establish their rules. A proper comparison needs to answer four separate questions: what is lost on death, where the player returns, whether enemies return after resting or resetting, and how much progress survives the setback.

Rank #4

Dark Souls Remastered [Online Game Code]

• Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse. Explore its intricate world design - full of hidden passages, dungeons and secrets - and uncover its deeply rooted lore
• Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game. Don't bet on completing the game only once
• Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armor, magic and crafting options to create your own playstyle and gaming experience
• From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining your playing skills. Learn to strategize freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes
• Whatever your motivations are to play online - collaboration or confrontation, support or betrayal - you'll find your true home among the nine covenants. Which allegiance will you choose?

$39.99

Buy on Amazon

• Loss: Does death cost currency, experience, items, or some other resource? Can anything be recovered?
• Return point: Is the player sent to a nearby checkpoint, a hub, or a more distant location?
• Enemy reset: Which enemies return after resting, and does that reset happen consistently?
• Retained progress: Do opened routes, collected items, defeated bosses, or other milestones remain completed?

Keep these mechanics distinct from difficulty settings, summons, or the availability of a detour. They affect different parts of the experience. A short return run may reduce the time cost of repeated attempts without changing a boss’s attack patterns; access to another route may let a player postpone a challenge without changing what happens after death. The cited descriptions for the three reference games do not establish their full checkpoint and death rules, so those rules should be checked against reliable game-specific documentation before making a direct comparison.

Separate challenge settings from other kinds of help

Not every way to reduce friction is a difficulty setting. A game may allow players to change a formal challenge level, call an NPC into a fight, explore elsewhere, or use equipment that changes an encounter. Those options solve different problems and may be available under different conditions.

For Lies of P, Tom’s Guide’s 2026 review reports both difficulty settings and NPC summons. For Elden Ring, the cited material establishes free exploration, a variety of weapons, magic and skills, and abundant upgrade materials in Bandai Namco’s comparison; it does not establish a formal difficulty selector. These differences matter when deciding what “more accessible” means. One player may value a direct setting, while another may prefer the ability to seek another route or build strength through exploration.

For a new title, verify each option rather than treating “has assistance” as one yes-or-no category. Check whether an option is available throughout the game or only in particular encounters, whether it changes a challenge setting or adds another combatant, and whether players can choose to ignore it. Do not infer that a game is easier, harder, or less authentic simply because one form of help is present.

Compare story premise and delivery on their own terms

A familiar combat structure does not mean a familiar story. Lies of P offers a clear example of how premise and mechanics can be connected: NEOWIZ describes a Pinocchio reinterpretation in ruined Krat and choices between lying and telling the truth. That is a specific narrative identity, not a universal Soulslike feature.

For an unannounced or unidentified comparison target, the story premise and delivery cannot be established from the genre label. Look for what the game’s official materials say about its setting and protagonist, then establish how players encounter narrative information and whether choices affect events. Do not assume that a bleak setting, indirect storytelling, or a particular kind of moral choice follows from resemblance to another game. The available descriptions of Dark Souls and Elden Ring used here focus on progression and gameplay, so they do not support a full narrative comparison across all three references.

A practical checklist for evaluating the new game

Once the title is known, use this checklist to turn a genre claim into a comparison grounded in observable features:

1. Identify the evidence. Confirm the game’s title and use official feature information for advertised systems. Use attributable reviews for hands-on judgments, and keep those assessments distinct from confirmed features.
2. Map the world model. Establish whether progression is open, interconnected, or mostly linear; then check for optional routes, loops, shortcuts, and meaningful detours.
3. Describe the combat demands. Name the timing, spacing, defense, resource management, and tools that matter rather than assigning a single difficulty label.
4. Test flexibility claims. Find out what can be changed, how often, and at what cost. Count usable options, not just items listed in a feature description.
5. Trace a failed attempt. Record what death removes, where the player returns, what resets, and what progress remains.
6. Classify assistance. Separate formal difficulty settings from summons, exploration-based alternatives, and character or equipment choices.
7. Describe the story independently. Establish the premise and any supported role for player choices without borrowing assumptions from a comparison game.

With those answers, a comparison can say something concrete—for example, that a game’s map is more directed than Elden Ring but more connected than a stage-by-stage structure, or that its challenge options resemble one reference in a specific way. Until the title and its features are established, that kind of verdict would be speculation.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

Dark Souls Remastered - PlayStation 4

$22.19

SaleBestseller No. 2

Dark Souls Trilogy (PS4)

$38.80

Bestseller No. 3

Dark Souls: Remastered (Nintendo Switch)

Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse; Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game

$43.79

Bestseller No. 4

Dark Souls Remastered [Online Game Code]

$39.99

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