Games Like Elden Ring To Check Out After Visiting The Lands Between

Big surprise, we know, but From Software's other games are a whole lot like Elden Ring in several key areas. The following games are great choices if you loved Elden Ring:

• Demon's Souls
• Dark Souls Trilogy
• Bloodborne
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

In addition to these games (with the exception of Sekiro) featuring a leveling system similar to Elden Ring's runes system, they also have interconnected areas with shortcuts opening up as you move deeper. Checkpoints like Dark Souls' bonfires and Bloodborne's lamps are nearly identical to Elden Ring's sites of grace, and the risk-versus-reward tension you feel when moving forward in Elden Ring is in every single one of the games. Of course, so is the difficulty, which is especially true in the offline Sekiro as you are not able to summon help.

A game that is similar to Elden Ring for completely different reasons than Dark Souls or From Software's other games, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild redefined open worlds. Its influence on Elden Ring is apparent, especially with the pin system you can use to make your own landmarks on the map for exploration later. It's far easier than Elden Ring and isn't a Souls-like at all, but it's filled to the brim with secrets you find completely organically, giving you a sense of discovery that isn't possible in more guided open-world games. Cheese is also on the menu, just like in Elden Ring, letting you literally jump over certain sections of the map if you figure out how to do so.

Deck13 first took a (back)stab at the Souls formula with Lords of the Fallen in 2014, and it was not very successful, lifting some of the series' aesthetic elements without understanding the structure. The Surge, and especially its superior sequel, did not make that mistake. Set in a city torn apart by chaos after a major technological disaster, it trades the fantasy for science-fiction. You battle with repurposed construction tools like hammers and saws alongside more-advanced technology, all while upgrading your gear, unlocking doors and elevators, and battling powerful bosses. It isn't just a reskinned take on Souls, however, with a unique dismemberment system letting you choose which body part to focus on and sever during a battle in order to acquire armor parts or weapons.

Another sequel that is superior to its predecessor, Nioh 2 doesn't feature an open world like Elden Ring, instead using a series of discrete levels with interconnected segments. A bonfire equivalent is here, as well, as is the currency you drop upon death and use to level up your character. Nioh 2 also offers more incentive for combat experimentation than Elden Ring, as you don't need to bolster weapons to make them effective--instead, you will find new ones constantly and can try them out for a chance of pace. Doing so can make even the hardest bosses seem more manageable, as does the new Burst Counter move, which lets you quickly turn the tables and aggressively attack your enemy. PS5 owners can pick up The Nioh Collection, which includes remastered versions of both Nioh games.

Almost every Souls-style game uses a melee combat system, which makes sense given how much time you spend memorizing bosses' attack patterns so you can dodge them, but Gunfire Games made a bold decision with Remnant: From The Ashes. It's a combined Souls-like and third-person shooter, and it somehow succeeds at both. Post-apocalyptic settings aren't exactly in short supply these days, but Remnant's nature-centric take on the concept help it to stand out, as does the extensive cooperative support. If you're looking for a huge, secrets-filed world to explore, look elsewhere, but Remnant: From The Ashes' combat should feel like a creative riff on existing ideas after playing Elden Ring.

Before Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order released, the thought of a Souls-style game in a galaxy far, far away didn't seem to make much sense, but Respawn managed to make it work by lifting key elements from several other games, too. The world and spectacle are classic Uncharted, but anyone who uses a melee weapon and likes to counterattack in Elden Ring will pick up Fallen Order's combat very quickly. You're given a fair amount of freedom in how you tackle each encounter, even down to splitting your lightsaber in two or rocking a double-sided Darth Maul blade--well, if you've played Elden Ring, you might have the Twinblade on your mind instead.

In a few ways, Assassin's Creed Odyssey is the opposite of Elden Ring. Its UI is busier, pointing you more explicitly toward objectives, and the open world isn't really designed to be explored at will. However, the combat system delivers the "defend, punish, defend" loop Elden Ring does so well, albeit with more customization via skill trees for special abilities. That loop, already etched into your brain from hours of battling tough bosses in Elden Ring, will be instantly familiar. Even the stealth bears some resemblance to Elden Ring, as it's often used to take out one or two targets before going into an all-out brawl.

Love Elden Ring, but wish it had gone through the Hot Topic at the mall first and turned into an anime? You're in luck, as that's exactly what Code Vein is. Set in a world overrun with vampiric creatures, Code Vein's action is absolutely bonkers, with swords, axes, hammers, and more available alongside special vampire abilities called Gifts. They truly make you feel like the ultimate vampire warrior, and every swing of your weapon just feels fantastic. As a bonus, one of the late-game areas bears a striking resemblance to Anor Londo from Dark Souls, so it's got that going for it.

A decidedly un-AAA take on the From Software formula that still understands its essence, Ashen is a strange game. It features some ludicrously difficult bosses, a bonfire-like checkpoint system, and tons of secrets across its desolate landscapes, but it also oozes a sense of calm that isn't present in any of From Software's games other than Elden Ring. You don't have to worry about something attacking you absolutely everywhere, giving you an opportunity to explore the gorgeous open world that has a minimalist art style. A technical showcase this is not, but it's impressive nonetheless.

The Witcher 3 makes our list of games like Elden Ring for its world rather than its combat or any Souls-like mechanics. Geralt's journey takes him across a staggeringly large area, varied and full of deadly creatures as well as NPCs who need some problems solved. Exploration plays a major role in fully enjoying The Witcher 3, as CD Projekt Red put an enormous amount of care into making sure that nothing feels like filler content. You're also able to get advantages against certain enemies by making use of the right potions, and for anyone struggling with a particular boss in Elden Ring, that "maybe this will work" approach will be very familiar.

Horizon Forbidden West is similar to other AAA open-world games in terms of its UI and hand-holding, as you get quest journals and lots of other progress-tracking features that are not in Elden Ring. However, the experience can also be very emergent as Aloy stumbles across enormous dungeons called Cauldrons that can take a big chunk of time to complete. Elden Ring players will be familiar with this sort of side-tracking loop, as the game routinely sends you toward an objective while distracting you with caves and tunnels to explore, instead.

If Breath of the Wild was one source of inspiration for Elden Ring's world design, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was certainly another. Its "do anything" approach rewards you for venturing into the unknown to discover dungeons, treasure, and quests, and though it certainly lacks the difficulty of Elden Ring, it offers a similar level of flexibility and personalization in the combat. If you want to go in as a stealthy bow-equipped assassin, you can, or you can attack with a frontal assault using a sword and shield. With no set classes, you can mix and match, as well, rocking a fire spell with one hand while bashing enemies' skulls in with a club in the other.