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In 2014, three years after FromSoftware caused an industrial quake with Dark Souls, Lords of the Fallen was released. Created by Deck13 and CI Games, it was a middling attempt at recreating the punishing magic of FromSoft\u2019s masterpiece. In the years since it has fallen into obscurity; a largely forgotten B-tier relic from the dawn of the eighth console generation. But while Lords of the Fallen isn\u2019t notable for its quality, it will always be an important part of gaming history. It was the first significant \u2018soulslike\u2019. An entire genre of FromSoftware copycats began here.<\/p>\n

Almost ten years later, gamescom 2023 was the stage for a trio of important soulslike games. Spearheading the show was Black Myth: Wukong, the incredibly slick reinvention of China\u2019s classic Journey to the West story that \u2013 based on the hugely excited audience reaction \u2013 may be the most important soulslike so far. Alongside it was Lies of P, the big hitter from last year\u2019s gamescom, which once again proved itself as an elegant interpretation of FromSoft\u2019s best designs. And then there was Lords of the Fallen, CI Games\u2019 and new developer Hexworks\u2019 follow-up to the original mainstream Dark Souls clone. <\/p>\n

Between the three of them, it\u2019s never been clearer as to how much the formula has evolved and flourished. No longer just an attempt to cash in on FromSoftware\u2019s brutal-but-intricate RPG design, the soulslike is a fully-fledged genre in its own right, and a fascinating space for diverse challenges. <\/p>\n