The journey that FromSoftware started us on with the release of Demon's Souls 15 years ago has really come to a head. For years, the soulslike was a genre dominated by a single studio, with only a few would-be competitors treading nervously in the wake of Miyazaki and co. But in the past couple of years, that's all changed - since the launch of Elden Ring, a veritable spate of soulslikes have helped expand the genre. And that expansion shows no sign of slowing down.
The Summer Game Fest schedule 2024 is filling up, and while we don't know exactly what to expect from all of the publishers and showcases, the recent rush of excellent soulslikes is far from over. Lords of the Fallen and Lies of P helped turned 2023 into one of the best years in genre's history, and that momentum shows no signs of slowing down - so with that in mind, here are some of the soulslikes we're keeping a close eye on ahead of this year's conferences.
6. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Let's get the big one out of the way first - Shadow of the Erdtree is one of the most anticipated game events of the year, the first and only follow-up to the runaway hit that took 2022 by storm. The hype has already started to grow, and FromSoftware has already started dropping cryptic trailers about what we can expect to discover on our return to The Lands Between, but with Shadow of the Erdtree arriving in late June, it does seem pretty likely that we'll get some kind of new look at one of the major shows early in the month.
Exactly what that will look like remains to be seen. With speculation still rife as to what awaits us, my money's on a new trailer of some kind - perhaps one that vindicates the Messmer fans out there. I'm also quietly hoping that we get word from some FromSoftware developers, since there's barely anyone better positioned to explain the ways that the world of Elden Ring is changing than the developers themselves. Thankfully, even if neither FromSoft nor Shadow of the Erdtree show up, we won't have too long to wait until we get to dive in, but I'll still take anything I can get.
5. Black Myth: Wukong
Another soulslike staring down a summer 2024 release date is Black Myth: Wukong, an adaptation of the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West. That Chinese mythology will shape the world you travel through and the enemies you fight, but it'll also affect your protagonist, the titular Wukong - equipped only with his iconic staff rather than the wide array of weapons you might find in other soulslikes, Wukong instead relies on a series of spells and upgrades to batter his way towards his goal.
Perhaps a little less nails-hard than, say, Shadow of the Erdtree, Black Myth: Wukong remains one to watch, not least because, ahead of its release date in August, it's become the most-wishlisted game on Steam in the past few weeks. (Monkey's) fingers crossed for a new trailer.
4. Enotria: The Last Song
Far more Anor Londo than Blighttown, the sun-soaked scenes of this promising soulslike inspired by Italian folklore might seem a little friendlier than what we're used to elsewhere in the genre, but it still promises some formidable foes. With a touch of last year's excellent Lies of P in its role-altering masks, there's a huge amount of variety on show in Enotria: The Last Song's complex perks system, but it remains easy to switch between different loadouts for different fights.
With a decent amount of community buzz behind it, a demo available now, and a September 2024 release date not too far from some of this year's genre hits (but still far enough out not to get eclipsed by them), if Shadow of the Erdtree and Black Myth: Wukong leave you wanting more, Enotria: The Last Song promises to be an excellent follow-up.
3. Phantom Blade: Zero
If the idea of Black Myth: Wukong's Chinese inspiration excited you, then you'd better reserve some of that for Phantom Blade: Zero. Its blend of a Steampunk-inspired aesthetic and Chinese martial arts, all with some blisteringly fast combat and what looks like a razor-sharp katana all amounts to an experience reminiscent of some of the wildest moments of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Originally announced last year for a 2024 release date, it seems that this summer could be the perfect time to reveal a little more of Phantom Blade: Zero ahead of a release in the latter months of this year.
2. Lies of P DLC
In a good year for soulslikes, Lies of P was the unexpected breakout, emerging at the front of an impressive pack with its gothic reimagining of the Pinocchio myth. In October 2023, it was revealed that developer Neowiz was hiring for DLC - perhaps to follow up on the game's twist ending - but we've heard nothing about that expansion since.
That is, until earlier this month, when the game's Twitter account emerged with a couple of posts highlighting the Flamberge modification. That could just be a celebration of a powerful weapon, but there's definitely an air of the teaser trailer about this whole thing, if you ask me. The timing also seems auspicious - with some major conferences coming up, what better time for one of last year's breakout games to reveal its anticipated DLC?
1. Hollow Knight: Silksong
Yes, I know it's not really a soulslike, but in the same way that games like Salt and Sanctuary took the genre's format and turned it 2D, you can't deny that the gothic nature of Hollow Knight has at least something in common with the Dark Souls series. This summer's gotta be the one, right? Right??
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