Summary
FromSoftware’sDark Soulsseries has been a trailblazer of the action RPG genre and of modern video game development as a whole. Not only do the games have a very different approach toward level design, gameplay, and combat, but the way that they’ve structured their narratives and stories is completely varied compared to most RPGs. FromSoftware games often have lore that players must discover through playing the game itself rather than having exposition and dialogue being front and center.
A lot of the storytelling and lower in FromSoftware games is complicated and players need to trudge through it and make a sense of what’s happening in the world. Be it the true purpose of the Old Blood inBloodborneor the rise to power of Pontiff Sullyvahn inDark Souls 3; these games feature tons of complicated lore and players often revert to videos on YouTube about how to make sense of it. Most Soulslike games also have a similar pattern in terms of complicated lore, even though it might not be of the same nature as a FromSoftwareDark SoulsorBloodborne. With that in mind, here are the Soulslike games with the most complicated lore.
Mortal Shellis a game that is heavily inspired byDark Souls, and this is evident through its style of storytelling. The game had a lot of interesting ideas in terms of its lore, but it didn’t quite execute them as well as it could have.Mortal Shelldoes a decent jobat atmospheric storytelling; everything is sullen, and sorrowful and has an eerie vibe around it.
While there’s very little in terms of actual explicit narrative, players, through playing the game, can put bits and pieces together. The story revolves around a search for immortality, the exploitation of religion, and unending greed. While some parts of the game have a similar feeling toBloodborne, considering how brief the game is and how little exposition the players get, the lore can get pretty complicated, especially keeping in mind the different factions at play and the hunt for immortality at the heart of it all.
Perhaps the original Soulslike game,Lordsof the Fallen,recently received a remake that had a rocky release but quickly found its footing as one ofthe most enjoyable Soulslikesout there.Lords of the Fallenhas a solid, well-written story. While it isn’t as cryptic as the series it drew inspiration from, it still poses a poignant, compelling, and complicated narrative. The game centers around navigating between the world of the living and the dead.
The game features tons of dilapidated villages, undead swarms, and visually striking sceneries that, when considered in conjunction with dozens of comprehensive NPC storylines and how muddled the transitions between the two realms can be, lead to a fair amount of confusion. While the lore ofLords of the Fallenisn’t exactly cryptic, it’s dense enough, with a broad enough focus to be complex.
Ashenis a game that wears its Soulslike branding proudly on its chest. The game has a very familiar feeling to it for any long-term fan of any FromSoftware games. However,Ashenhas managed to use its Soulslike inspiration to craft its own narrative and carve its own separate identity very well. At its core,Ashenis a game that’s about a simple battle between light and darkness, and it does this very well. While it has a similar feelto Dark Souls 3, the key highlight ofAshenis how the story is told through the different characters players meet and their own stories.
Ashenuses its atmosphere and its environments very well to depict its story. The original world is dark, bleak, and gloomy but hauntingly beautiful. As players progress through the story, recruit more allies, and defeat more bosses, theatmosphere slowly turnsmore warm and welcoming. While the overarching narrative ofAshenis very standard in its approach, the way it utilizes different characters and their motivations, coupled with environmental storytelling, makes it somewhat complicated, and extremely competent.
Perhaps the most successful game in this sub-genre,Lies of Ptells a re-imagined story of Pinocchio, in a gothic setting – a world very similar toBloodborne.However, the gameexecutes its unique premise excellently.Lies of Pweaves a thrilling tale, full of twists, turns, and unexplained mysteries.
The protagonist wakes up in the aftermath of a puppet frenzy through which the entire city is slaughtered. The rest of the game is about slowly unraveling the mysteries of the past, learning and internalizingthis dark fantasy worldwhilst, of course, progressing through the central narrative. The dichotomy between being a puppet and slowly turning human is done well, and what tops it all off is the dozens of side characters that players can interact with and learn more from.Lies of Pdoesn’t have confusing lore, but it is complicated in that this is a wholly built, in-game world with stories around every corner and tons of complex interactions.
Blasphemousperhaps captures theDark Soulsformula of cryptic storytelling the best whilst also owning it with a unique twist. While the game isn’t an action RPG, it stands as one of the most acclaimed Soulslike games out there. Players play a member of the Brotherhood of Priests known as the Penitent One. The game is chock-full of dreadful, bloody, and dark imagery with tons of tragedy sprinkled in for good measure.
The main plot surrounds the cycle of penance, an endless pattern of suffering, tragedy, and subservience for the people of Cvstodia. The game makes quite a few things explicit, such as themes around religion, greed, and guilt. But it is also full of tons of individual tales, lore dumps in descriptions, and incredible world-building.While the game is brief, the lore rivals most FromSoftware games and is most assuredly as complex as it gets.
