I know it well, that emptiness after finishing a game that has dominated your free time for months. Elden Ring might be one of those games for many. Personally, I’m unfortunately usually not the type for New Game Plus attempts. I’d rather dedicate myself to something new. A substitute drug, so to speak. And that’s where it helps if it has a few related traits in terms of vibe.
That’s why I want to recommend two titles to you at this point, which hardly anyone should have on their list, but which hit a very similar notch in terms of requirement profile and atmosphere. Neither of these two games is perfect “game of the year” material, they were clearly designed by small teams on a small family’s annual budget. But they stand out for a few likeable aspects that are worth a look.
Shattered: Tale of the Forgotten King
First up is Shattered: Tale of the Forgotten King, which debuted on PC last year and is now available on PlayStation and Switch. It’s more classic Soulslike. Seperated areas, wide level hoses, the occasional shortcut you unlock, a boss here and there, attacks and a parry on the shoulder buttons. You know how to do that.
Shattered’s biggest catch is that the movement feels a bit stumpy and the combat doesn’t convey the same impact as the original. In fact, they can quickly become a little spammy. Still, the basic cycle is a satisfying one, and landing a parry and counterattack is just as fulfilling here as anywhere else. What sets Shattered apart, though, is the world design, which is as fabulously twisted and unreal as any soul tourist knows and appreciates .
At the same time, I know of no world that would be like this one. Dark, right-angled and not-quite-there, the search for the forgotten king feels like a mixture of purgatory and feverish dream, while always making good progress thanks to the rather forgiving level of difficulty. You don’t even lose a significant amount of progression when you die (okay, the places where you have the soul equivalent are a little too far apart for that, which puts this positive point into perspective again a bit).
It’s one of the games with the strongest homebrew vibe I’ve played in a long time, yet a wonderfully confident debut from French Redlock. They were even brave enough to tilt the game into a side view every now and then to let you complete a jump sequence. Certainly not the best Soulslike you’ve ever played, but one of the most interesting.
Redlock wants 30 euros for it, which may be a bit steep, but not completely outrageous. If Mortal Shell or The Surge 2 isn’t an option, here’s a well-kept secret from a Soulslike that’s well worth adding to the list. Beware of the Switch version, it looked very crude and didn’t ignite the same visual magic that is much of Shattered’s otherworldly appeal.
grim
Grime came out last year and has kept me busy for the past three days. It’s more of a side-view Metroidvania route, but otherwise checks all the same boxes that Souls fans love. Light and heavy attack, dodge and parry, upgrades and enemy resets at save points. A fairly mature game, Grime has a surprising level of polish and feels excellent.
Above all, this work looks like nothing else in recent times. As with Shattered, I also have problems grasping the nature of this world and its protagonists, because your hero is a ossified corpus with a small black hole for a skull. It also happens that your parry is your strongest attack, because you absorb a bit of the mass of your often stone enemies every time. It’s weird, but it makes sense in game. I believe. What I respect most about Grime is that the parade is the first thing it teaches you, as it throws you into its broken world for the first few hundred yards without a weapon. So you internalize them right from the start. Cool!
In any case, everything here looks mangy in the best sense of the word, which also fits the name. A world of stone fingers, ribs, teeth and eyeballs that are often only hinted at. Apparently organic monuments to life, created by someone who understood neither its purpose nor its beauty. A game so deliberately ugly that there must be a lot of artistry behind it. In any case, it plays extremely quickly and powerfully and was unjustly lost a bit last year – mea culpa.
For around 20 euros, it’s almost a must-buy if you like the combination of Metroidvania and Soulslike. Unfortunately only on the PC at the moment. What are your Soulslike insider tips?
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