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[DragoonKain]

Every gaming trend has its peaks and valleys. The latest one that has been ongoing for years now is everything is Souls-inspired now. Action games have adopted Souls elements, Metroidvanias have adopted Souls elements. RPGs have adopted them. And so many Souls clones come out each year. How much longer do you think this trend is going to continue? That isn't a complaint in the form of a rhetorical question, I'm legitimately wondering. Do you think this is going to be a trend that sticks around for a while? Do you think at some point in the next few years devs will tire of it and start gravitating toward a new trend? What do you think?

 

[MALpractice311]

Like most trends, it will come and go. Nothing lasts forever. That being said, while Souls games have been around since Demon's Souls, I think they've only just reached the mainstream with the success of Elden Ring. So I expect there will be more Souls games and Souls influence for at least another gaming generation.

 

[Arachnid]

 

[HRK69]

I believe it will start to evolve as more developers find their own voice with the concept

 

[GymWolf]

If a shit combat system like free flow can endure for so much time, i doubt souls combat is gonna go anywhere.

 

[Punished Miku]

Souls is just Ocarina of Time z-targeting combat with a green fatigue bar, the damage cranked way up, and absurdly long and delayed attack animations. People can't seem to get enough of it.

 

[MiguelItUp]

There's still so much room and areas for them to evolve, so while maybe not forever, I think they'll be around for quite awhile.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Every hack and slash is kinda called soulsborne. So it will be forever around.

 

[rofif]

good game is a good game.
Used to be called action game. You know, like stellar blade

 

[Bond007]

Hopefully not long.
The games will remain but the popularity train will cease as most things do.
In time people will hate them. Everyone clamored for open worlds, fluff, long games, side quests. Now people hate all that shit, finally.

Well, the tides are turning anyway.

 

[chakadave]

I don't think mechanics like this go away. They just meld into everything else. It is sort of like the Metroidvania. Once it permeated the industry it sort of becomes a template for all sorts of games and genres.

People like options in games. They like experimenting with equipment and move sets. That is why the Souls like is a good template to put these types of systems in a game.

Souls is just Ocarina of Time z-targeting combat with a green fatigue bar, the damage cranked way up, and absurdly long and delayed attack animations. People can't seem to get enough of it.

But those things make it interesting and compelling. Boss fights have always been about timing and learning patterns. It is more of an expansion of that 3d combat in OoT.

 

[tusharngf]

Souls like is nothing but lose copy of metroidvania... Miyazaki simply replicated the same in 3d.

 

[Hollywood Hitman]

I think just like all genres, it'll always forever be there. Metroidvanias, turn based, arpgs, platformers, FPSers, now souls... It's simply a genre and maybe itll go thru hot and cold spells but it'll never be gone. It's a great style of game play.

 

[Spyxos]

Already got tired of it. So not for long anymore.

 

[laynelane]

So long as Fromsoft/Souls games continue to be popular - other developers will continue to adopt mechanics and concepts from them. It is a trend, but it's not as prolific as others have been. I remember when CoD first started catching on many years ago. Developers desperately tried to copy it, even to the extent of changing long-established and successful IPs in an attempt to emulate it. I don't see the Souls trend the same way and the reason why it exists isn't just about making more money either. Souls games, while successful, didn't see massive numbers until later games (particularly Elden Ring) after all. Basically, there's an appeal there not only to customers but to developers as well.

 

[El Muerto]

The market is becoming over-saturated with souls likes and we're not seeing regular hack 'n slash games like DMC or Bayonetta anymore. It will probably stick around but we'll see less games in the genre. I for one can't stand the slow fighting in souls likes, having to dodge, parry, parry, attack. It gets old quick.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

It'll stick around for a while because they're relatively easy to make and there's an audience who enjoys predictable pattern recognition design.

 

[semiconscious]

I don't think mechanics like this go away. They just meld into everything else...

this. video gaming builds on itself, & incorporates itself. it continuously evolves...

 

[Zacfoldor]

It'll stick around for a while because they're relatively easy to make and there's an audience who enjoys predictable pattern recognition design.

Yeah, that audience is called all mammals on earth.

 

[coachmcguirk91]

So long as Fromsoft/Souls games continue to be popular - other developers will continue to adopt mechanics and concepts from them. It is a trend, but it's not as prolific as others have been. I remember when CoD first started catching on many years ago. Developers desperately tried to copy it, even to the extent of changing long-established and successful IPs in an attempt to emulate it. I don't see the Souls trend the same way and the reason why it exists isn't just about making more money either. Souls games, while successful, didn't see massive numbers until later games (particularly Elden Ring) after all. Basically, there's an appeal there not only to customers but to developers as well.

There is way more variety within the Souls genre than the fast paced COD genre. Not really comparable, imo. Nioh, Stellar Blade, and Dark Souls all play very differently. Souls games can be linear, non-linear, open world ect. If a game emphasizes combat, lose xp after death, and has bonfires, then I would call it a Souls game. There is a lot room for developers to expand the genre beyond that. Not so much with military shooters

And the reason why so many studios are developing Souls games is because they are really low budget to develop for. Outside of Elden Ring, every Souls games budget is under 50mil. There are about a dozen new studios copying the Souls genre for that very reason. They see Fromsoft as a great example of how to grow a studio

 

[Soodanim]

If Elden Ring hadn't been such a smash hit I think it wouldn't be outrageous to think it was on a downward slant. Fatigue is a buzzword but it's also real. Variety is the spice of life.

 

[March Climber]

I believe it will start to evolve as more developers find their own voice with the concept

Fourth post best post.

 

[Arsic]

While there has been plenty of knock offs, there really hasn’t been any that quite yet are on par for me and I think I’ve played damn near every one of them. The majority I have not completed or only played a few hours. The exception is lies of P.

That game 100% gets it. So the trend will be around for a long while simply because most people don’t know yet how to tap into the full capacity of what makes these kinds of games so great

 

[laynelane]

There is way more variety within the Souls genre than the fast paced COD genre. Not really comparable, imo. Nioh, Stellar Blade, and Dark Souls all play very differently. Souls games can be linear, non-linear, open world ect. If a game emphasizes combat, lose xp after death, and has bonfires, then I would call it a Souls game. There is a lot room for developers to expand the genre beyond that. Not so much with military shooters

And the reason why so many studios are developing Souls games is because they are really low budget to develop for. Outside of Elden Ring, every Souls games budget is under 50mil. There are about a dozen new studios copying the Souls genre for that very reason. They see Fromsoft as a great example of how to grow a studio

The subject is trends, not the games themselves. I do agree with you on the differences, though. That's why all the attempts to emulate CoD in already established franchises weren't successful. It was too much of a difference in terms of what was already established and what the audience already liked.

Can't say I agree with you on budget being the only reason. There's a lot of things that Fromsoft games do besides the three things you listed. As an example, I'm playing a PS2 game right now. I was offered a tutorial on how the combat works in several different scenarios and I said "no" each time. The game went on to give me a shortened version of the tutorial any way. That's something Fromsoft games get right - they don't hand hold the player whatsoever. It's okay to even challenge them. It's that kind of stuff that appeals to players and, imo, developers alike.

I'm not sure how studios see Fromsoft, but I do agree with you that they're a great example on how to grow a studio.

 

[PauloRoberto]

IMHO, the problem with soul-like tendency is that everyone would and is iminating souls game to a fault and not really addressing some issues that FROM games have, like the lack of a fu***ing pause button even when playing offline and the horrible side quest system (that worked on demon souls just because it's 5 corridors as worlds and there os not many side quests).

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

its already worn out its welcome (and DS1 is one of my all time favorites)

too many shit-tier clones, real souls games are still good but super formulaic, and a new trend is bound to pop up eventually.

after elden ring 2 and bloodborne2, from will need to mix it up.

 

[peek]

5 more years. Tops. Maybe less.

 

[Loomy]

Can someone describe what makes a "souls like" for me?

 

[Paasei]

I’m tired of it since Elden Ring. Haven’t bothered with anything else since.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Yeah, that audience is called all mammals on earth.

Tendency based design is objectively superior to pattern based design. Pattern based design is rather crude.

 

[BossLackey]

Can someone describe what makes a "souls like" for me?

From my perspective:

- 3rd Person action
- No aerial combat
- Less emphasis on combos
- RPG character progression
- Enemy reset
- "Bonfire" mechanic
- Perma-loss of experience points
- Emphasis on bosses

 

[lughnasadh123]

"following trends suck"

Also

"yes, we need to keep following this trend"

 

[EverydayBeast]

 

[Nickolaidas]

I think that - like almost every genre - it's here to stay, but it'll eventually stop being the go-to game idea in a few years. Remember how in the late 90s/early 00s every game under the sun wanted to be a first person shooter? Or fighting games in the 90s?

They'll still make Souls games just not at the same pace.

 

[JimmyRustler]

I honestly thought it was already on a downward projection and then I exploded with Elden Ring.

Who knows? As long as From keeps pumping out games like this… never.

 

[ReBurn]

So far I think it's had too much staying power.

 

[Sharius]

it will come back, once people get tired of DMC-esque action game

 

[Shubh_C63]

Well...DOOM sticked around so Souls will never get old also.

Lets talk about gameplay styles that have actually died.

 

[Sharius]

Well...DOOM sticked around so Souls will never get old also.

Lets talk about gameplay styles that have actually died.

i kinda miss fix angle survivor game tho

 

[simpatico]

Souls just picked up a torch that Castlevania put down after SotN and successfully made it 3D.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

From have backed themselves into a corner with ER. Nowhere to go but bigger and cheaper (or harder, if you somehow got duped into thinking ER is hard but fair). Others will have to pick up the torch. Lies of P showed the way.

I really don’t know where people see Castlevania in Souls. Castlevania has never been about boss fights and mobs with a gazillion HP and infinite combos. The overall map structure of Dark Souls is kinda similar, and that’s where the similarities end.

 

[Sharius]

i don't really want castlevania go 3D tho, lord of shadow kinda mid, they should just stay 2D with upgrade visual, maybe similiar with trine series, trine tried to go 3D with their 3rd one and failed misery, then they come back and stay 2D

 

[AJUMP23]

As long as FROM keeps making them good.

 

[John Bilbo]

I think the peak has passed. In four years another trend will be taking a footing in it's stead.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

I think lately we are seeing more fast-paced hack and slash than pure Soulslike.

 

[SJRB]

It popularized (maybe even basically created) a genre and it's never going away.

 

[Hollywood Hitman]

But I mean, even tho we know what souls is it really is just the feel of combat and a style, like the ability to go explore areas and find loot is an age old concept souls just added that element of susprise and learn as you go sorta thing, with the sometimes slower combat or heavier feeling combat etc... I get that it's a genre but it's sorta tied to mainly the style of progression, hard to explain.

 

[Fbh]

I think we'll see some mechanics that were popularized by dark souls for decades to come. Things like a bonfire system, a slower paced stamina focused combat or a type of "souls" mechanics are probably here to stay.

The trend that seems to be finally diminishing is many devs trying to literally just make "We have a FromSoft game at home", where they try to replicate the formula in almost every aspect. I think what we'll continue seeing are games like Hollow Knight, Jedi Survivor or Nioh that integrate some Souls mechanics but also do enough to set themselves apart and feel unique.

 

[Wildebeest]

It's an oversaturated genre, but so is everything else. At the time, it went against conventional wisdom that to grow gaming you had to streamline games and drop game mechanics like stamina and trial and error. People don't really talk about streamlining any more, and that is partly because games like souls have grown by pushing a loyal playerbase to learn their way of doing things. The question is does that playerbase really want to learn other genres or they have they at this point been trained into being one trick parry bots or something, not wanting any other type of game mechanic.

 

[Lorianus]

China alone has like 20 souls game's in the work from AA to AAA, i guess it's here to stay for the forseeable future.