Elden Ring takes FromSoftware's Soulslike combat into an open world designed by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. The Legacy Dungeons preserve the dense, interconnected level design of earlier entries while the Lands Between rewards patient exploration. GPA scores it at 95% for both Difficulty and Action — the highest Action score in the database.
Game Characteristics
Action
90%
Dystopian Setting
85%
Graphics
85%
High Difficulty
80%
Open World
80%
Existential Themes
70%
Story Depth
70%
Dark
70%
Multiple Endings
60%
Strategy
50%
Character Building
40%
Horror
30%
Roguelike
20%
Logic
20%
Player profile fit
Recommended for: Intermediate to Advanced players (A score of 50 or higher indicates a good fit.)
Dark Souls III accelerates the series' pacing and sharpens its boss design into its most refined form. The lore runs through item descriptions and environmental detail rather than cutscenes. GPA scores it at 90% for both Difficulty and Lore Focus — two axes that define the experience more precisely than genre alone.
Tag Similarity
Action
85%
Dystopian Setting
90%
Graphics
70%
High Difficulty
95%
Open World
0%
Existential Themes
80%
Story Depth
70%
Dark
90%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Black Myth: Wukong sends the Destined One through a retelling of Journey to the West with shapeshifting Soulslike combat. 10 million copies in four days. GPA scores it high on Action and Difficulty.
Tag Similarity
Action
85%
Dystopian Setting
65%
Graphics
90%
High Difficulty
80%
Open World
65%
Existential Themes
60%
Story Depth
70%
Dark
55%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Demon's Souls was FromSoftware's proof of concept for the Soulslike format, and the PS5 remake preserves the original's structure in high fidelity. The World Tendency system changes enemy behavior based on in-game actions. GPA scores it high on Difficulty and Dark World — the combination that defines the series' origin point.
Tag Similarity
Action
85%
Dystopian Setting
90%
Graphics
80%
High Difficulty
95%
Open World
0%
Existential Themes
75%
Story Depth
65%
Dark
85%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Hollow Knight puts a silent knight in a vast underground insect kingdom built with hand-drawn art and a score that shifts by region. The map system withholds information until it's earned. GPA scores it at the top for Difficulty and Action among platformers, with Dark World running high — a combination that points at players who want atmosphere alongside the mechanical challenge.
Tag Similarity
Action
85%
Dystopian Setting
80%
Graphics
80%
High Difficulty
85%
Open World
0%
Existential Themes
65%
Story Depth
70%
Dark
75%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin packages all three DLC chapters and rearranges enemy placements and NPC questlines from the original release. The HP degradation mechanic on death distinguishes it from the other FromSoftware entries. PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC. GPA scores it high on Difficulty and Dark World — the Dark Souls entry that most rewards NPC questline investment.
Tag Similarity
Action
78%
Dystopian Setting
85%
Graphics
58%
High Difficulty
85%
Open World
0%
Existential Themes
65%
Story Depth
0%
Dark
78%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor continues Cal Kestis's journey through a galaxy under Imperial consolidation, adding new lightsaber stances and a Metroidvania planet structure. GPA scores it high on Action and Story Depth — a sequel that deepens the combat options and the political stakes from Fallen Order.
Tag Similarity
Action
80%
Dystopian Setting
50%
Graphics
85%
High Difficulty
65%
Open World
60%
Existential Themes
50%
Story Depth
70%
Dark
50%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Beast of Reincarnation sends Emma the Sealer and her dog Koo across a post-apocalyptic Japan in the year 4026, where a corruption called the Blight has transformed the landscape into a beautiful but hostile wilderness. Emma absorbs abilities from defeated Nushi creatures, building toward a confrontation with the titular Beast. Combat blends real-time parrying in the Sekiro register with turn-based command elements. Game Freak's first non-Pokémon AAA title. GPA scores it high on Emotional Story and Dark World — a companion-bond action RPG that reviewers placed between NieR: Automata and Princess Mononoke.
Tag Similarity
Action
80%
Dystopian Setting
85%
Graphics
82%
High Difficulty
70%
Open World
65%
Existential Themes
75%
Story Depth
75%
Dark
75%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Dark Souls Remastered brings the 2011 original to PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC with improved frame rate and netcode, including the Artorias of the Abyss DLC. QLOC handled the remaster. FromSoftware's world-building through item descriptions and environmental layout remains the genre benchmark. GPA scores it at the top for Difficulty and Dark World — the Soulslike origin point that established the vocabulary all successors use.
Tag Similarity
Action
82%
Dystopian Setting
88%
Graphics
65%
High Difficulty
90%
Open World
0%
Existential Themes
70%
Story Depth
0%
Dark
82%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Lies of P retells Pinocchio as a Soulslike set in a Victorian-era city overrun by automatons. The weapon assembly system lets players combine handles and blades from different weapons. GPA scores it close to Elden Ring on Difficulty and Dark World, with the Soulslike tag shared across both.
Tag Similarity
Action
85%
Dystopian Setting
90%
Graphics
85%
High Difficulty
85%
Open World
0%
Existential Themes
70%
Story Depth
75%
Dark
85%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Stellar Blade follows EVE on a mission to reclaim Earth from alien creatures. The parry-focused combat rewards learning attack patterns. GPA scores it high on Action and Graphics — the character design and environmental art are among the strongest visual presentations in the Action category.
Tag Similarity
Action
85%
Dystopian Setting
70%
Graphics
75%
High Difficulty
70%
Open World
0%
Existential Themes
80%
Story Depth
65%
Dark
60%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Rise of the Ronin puts Team Ninja's high-difficulty sword combat into an open-world Bakumatsu setting, with historical figures appearing as companions and antagonists. GPA scores it high on Action and Difficulty — the open-world pivot that applies Nioh's combat depth to a larger structural format.
Tag Similarity
Action
80%
Dystopian Setting
50%
Graphics
75%
High Difficulty
65%
Open World
70%
Existential Themes
50%
Story Depth
70%
Dark
55%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Ghost of Tsushima hands Jin Sakai a katana and an open version of feudal Japan and largely steps aside. The wind navigation system replaces minimap markers. GPA scores it high on Emotional Story and Dark World, with Open World sitting close behind — a combination that describes an action game built around atmosphere as much as combat.
Tag Similarity
Action
85%
Dystopian Setting
50%
Graphics
95%
High Difficulty
70%
Open World
70%
Existential Themes
70%
Story Depth
80%
Dark
30%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Bloodborne moves through Gothic Victorian streets and cosmic horror architecture with an aggressive combat system that punishes defensive play. The Rally mechanic returns health through attacking immediately after taking damage. GPA scores it at the top for Dark World and near the top for Difficulty — the Action score is higher than Dark Souls entries, reflecting the faster combat tempo.
Tag Similarity
Action
90%
Dystopian Setting
95%
Graphics
85%
High Difficulty
95%
Open World
0%
Existential Themes
80%
Story Depth
70%
Dark
90%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Batman: Arkham Knight closes the Arkham trilogy with the Batmobile fused into the combat and traversal systems. Gotham at night is the strongest visual presentation in the series. GPA scores it high on Action and Dark World — the combination that defines the Arkham series across all entries.
Tag Similarity
Action
85%
Dystopian Setting
65%
Graphics
90%
High Difficulty
50%
Open World
70%
Existential Themes
55%
Story Depth
75%
Dark
60%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Armored Core VI returns after a decade with a mech assembly system that lets players reconfigure loadouts between missions. Each boss is designed to pressure specific AC builds. GPA scores it high on Action and Strategy — the combination that describes a game where mechanical optimization and combat execution sit at equal priority.
Tag Similarity
Action
90%
Dystopian Setting
80%
Graphics
80%
High Difficulty
85%
Open World
0%
Existential Themes
65%
Story Depth
70%
Dark
70%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Set in a world where the Paintress condemns entire age groups to death each year, Expedition 33 sends a doomed party into a dying world to break the curse. The turn-based combat integrates real-time parry mechanics that shift the rhythm of every encounter. GPA scores it highest in Emotional Story and Story Depth — the French aesthetic and existential weight make it one of the most distinctive RPGs of 2025.
Tag Similarity
Action
60%
Dystopian Setting
85%
Graphics
80%
High Difficulty
60%
Open World
60%
Existential Themes
85%
Story Depth
90%
Dark
60%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Nioh 2 builds its samurai action around the Soul Core system and a Yokai Shift transformation that temporarily unlocks a second move set. The Burst Counter mechanic rewards reading specific enemy attacks. GPA scores it high on Action and Difficulty — the combination that places it in the Soulslike cluster while the transformation system provides a mechanical layer Dark Souls entries lack.
Tag Similarity
Action
90%
Dystopian Setting
70%
Graphics
80%
High Difficulty
90%
Open World
0%
Existential Themes
0%
Story Depth
60%
Dark
75%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
Fallout 4 builds its Commonwealth wasteland around base construction that lets players fortify settlements and supply routes across the map. The companion system adds relationship tracking to the exploration loop. GPA scores it high on Open World and Craft — the Fallout entry that most thoroughly integrated building mechanics into the open-world framework.
Tag Similarity
Action
60%
Dystopian Setting
90%
Graphics
70%
High Difficulty
50%
Open World
85%
Existential Themes
65%
Story Depth
65%
Dark
70%
Chart tags: Action / Dystopian Setting / Graphics / High Difficulty / Open World / Existential Themes / Story Depth / Dark
About "Elden Ring"
▸Game Composition (GPA Analysis)
エルデンリング（Elden Ring） leads with its Action RPG identity, anchored by the core feel of "Elden Ring takes FromSoftware's Soulslike combat into an open world designed by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R." The headline profile reads Action 90% / Dystopian Setting 85% / Graphics 85%, making it a strong pick for fans of Action and Dystopian Setting. Oriented toward experienced players looking to push their limits.
▸Characteristics & Analysis
Our editorial team scored "エルデンリング（Elden Ring）" by using its feel of soulslike, parry mechanics, and lore-focused as the primary lens, weighting Action and Dystopian Setting most heavily. Top similar titles include "ダークソウル3（Dark Souls III）", "黒神話：悟空（Black Myth: Wukong）", "デモンズソウル（Demon's Souls）".
Games Like Elden Ring — Soulslike Comparison & GPA Difficulty Analysis
GPA Analysis | Action 90% | High Difficulty 80% | Open World 80% | Beginner-Friendly 30%
Games Similar to Elden Ring — The Short Answer
Your best next game depends on what you enjoyed most about Elden Ring. For a similar mix of demanding combat and exploration, Dark Souls III is the most direct predecessor. For deflection-focused swordplay, Sekiro is the strongest choice. For dense, linear levels, Lies of P is a good fit.
For the same FromSoftware atmosphere and gothic world design, Bloodborne is the most natural recommendation. Use the similar games search at the top of this page — adjusting the Action and High Difficulty sliders gives the closest results to Elden Ring.
Game Overview
Elden Ring is an open-world action RPG developed by FromSoftware, the studio behind the Dark Souls series. Released in 2022, it received near-universal acclaim, earning a Metascore of 96 and a user score of 8.4 on Metacritic.
At its core, Elden Ring takes the high-difficulty action and exploration that defined FromSoftware's Souls games and expands them into a vast open world.
The Lands Between is filled with powerful enemies, hidden dungeons, optional bosses, and unexplored areas. But unlike the more linear structure of Dark Souls, the game rarely forces you to overcome a single obstacle before you can continue.
If a boss is too difficult, you can simply leave. Ride Torrent across the landscape, explore another dungeon, find better equipment, collect Runes, or develop a completely different character build. Once you are stronger—or simply more confident—you can return and face the enemy again. That freedom is one of Elden Ring's biggest innovations.
Traditional Soulslike games often turn death into a lesson: you die, learn the enemy's attacks, and try again. Elden Ring keeps that philosophy intact while giving players another option—walk away and come back later. In other words, failure does not always mean hitting a wall. Sometimes, the answer is simply to go somewhere else.
Gameplay Analysis — Difficulty, Freedom, and the Soulslike Formula
GPA rates Elden Ring highly for its action gameplay, with an Action score of 90%, an Open World score of 80%, and a High Difficulty score of 80%.
GPA score overview — Elden Ring
Action ◀
90%
Open World ◀
80%
High Difficulty ◀
80%
Decaying World
85%
Story Depth
70%
The combat remains unmistakably FromSoftware. Dodging, stamina management, attack timing, positioning, and learning enemy patterns are all essential. At the same time, the game offers an enormous range of weapons, skills, spells, Talismans, Spirit Ashes, and character builds.
That flexibility changes how difficulty works. A boss that feels impossible with one build may become much more manageable with another. Players can experiment with ranged attacks, magic, status effects, summons, heavy weapons, or fast melee builds. Exploration itself can also serve as a form of character progression.
This creates a satisfying loop: explore, become stronger, return, and overcome the obstacle that once stopped you. The open world is therefore more than a change of scale. It fundamentally changes the way a Soulslike handles difficulty. Our parry-focused games roundup places Elden Ring around 80% on an editorial parry-difficulty scale—below Lies of P (88%) and SEKIRO (95%), but still demanding.
The Problem: Is Elden Ring Actually Beginner-Friendly?
Despite its reputation as one of the most acclaimed games of its generation, I would not recommend Elden Ring unconditionally to someone who has never played a Soulslike before. GPA gives the game a Beginner-Friendly score of just 30%.
The reason is not simply that the game is difficult. Elden Ring also expects players to figure out a surprising amount of its systems on their own. Which stats should you level up? How should you upgrade your weapons? What are Ashes of War for? When should you use Spirit Ashes? Which areas are worth exploring, and which enemies are better left alone?
The game provides some explanations, but it rarely holds the player's hand. For experienced Soulslike players, this lack of guidance can feel like part of the appeal. They already understand the basic language of FromSoftware's games: observe the enemy, learn the pattern, manage stamina, experiment with equipment, and accept death as part of the learning process.
For newcomers, however, there is another layer of difficulty before the combat itself even becomes the main problem. You may not know why you are dying, but you may also not know whether you are using the right equipment, building your character effectively, or approaching the area in the intended way.
That is why I see Elden Ring as a particularly rewarding game for Souls veterans, but a considerably tougher introduction to the genre for complete beginners.
Target player scores (50+ = recommended fit)
Beginner30
Intermediate60
Advanced90
Beginner-friendly 30% is low — open world or not, you are expected to learn systems yourself.
A World That Refuses to Explain Everything
The game's world design is another major part of its identity. GPA gives Elden Ring an 85% score for its Decadent Worldbuilding, alongside 70% for Story Depth and 70% for Existential Themes.
Much of the story is deliberately fragmented. Instead of explaining the history of the Lands Between through constant exposition, FromSoftware scatters information throughout the world. NPC dialogue, item descriptions, architecture, enemy placement, environmental details, and the remains of past events all contribute to the bigger picture.
The player is expected to connect those pieces. This approach can be frustrating for players who prefer straightforward storytelling, but it gives the world a sense of mystery that is difficult to reproduce through conventional narrative design. The Lands Between feels like a place that existed long before the player arrived—and will continue to exist after they leave.
The Legacy of Dark Souls
Elden Ring can also be viewed as the culmination of FromSoftware's Soulslike design philosophy. The Dark Souls series established the basic language of difficult combat, interconnected exploration, character builds, and learning through repeated failure. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice pushed the studio's combat design toward more precise timing and aggressive encounters. Elden Ring brings many of those ideas together and places them inside a massive open world.
The result is not simply “Dark Souls, but open world.” The open world changes the meaning of difficulty itself. When a boss defeats you repeatedly, you are not necessarily expected to keep attacking the same wall. You can explore, experiment, become stronger, discover a new weapon, or completely rethink your approach. That freedom is what makes the game's difficulty work so well.
Elden Ring on Nintendo Switch 2
In August 2026, Elden Ring finally arrived on a Nintendo platform with ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition for Nintendo Switch 2. The edition includes the base game, the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, and additional content, giving Nintendo players a complete way to experience the game.
The Switch 2 release also gives a new audience an opportunity to enter the Lands Between. However, the change in hardware does not change the fundamental nature of the game. It is still demanding. It is still deliberately vague about many of its systems. And players unfamiliar with Soulslike design will still need to learn how the game expects them to play.
For newcomers, the Nintendo Switch 2 version may make the game more accessible as a platform, but it does not make Elden Ring itself an easier game.
Similar Games on GPA — How the Soulslike Alternatives Compare
The best comparison depends on what you liked most about Elden Ring. Rather than ranking these games, the cards below group them by combat, world design, and level structure. Scores reflect the current values on each game page.
For precise combat
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro shares FromSoftware's demanding combat, but replaces open-world exploration and build variety with a focused system built around deflection and posture. It suits players who most enjoyed learning enemy attack patterns in Elden Ring.
Current GPA scores (five key traits)
Action
95%
High Difficulty
95%
Graphics
80%
Decaying World
75%
Story Depth
70%
For atmosphere
Bloodborne
Bloodborne pairs FromSoftware's demanding combat and fragmented storytelling with aggressive movement and gothic horror. It is a strong choice for players drawn to Elden Ring's ruined world and environmental storytelling.
Current GPA scores (five key traits)
High Difficulty
95%
Decaying World
95%
Action
90%
Dark
90%
Graphics
85%
For linear progression
Lies of P
Lies of P offers demanding combat, weapon customization, and precise guarding within a clearly structured route. It suits players who want dense levels and boss encounters without another large open world.
Current GPA scores (five key traits)
Decaying World
90%
Action
85%
High Difficulty
85%
Graphics
85%
Dark
85%
Final Verdict — A Masterpiece, But Not for Everyone
Elden Ring is one of the most highly regarded action RPGs of its generation, and its reputation is well deserved. But high critical scores do not automatically mean that a game is suitable for everyone.
For players who already understand Soulslike mechanics, Elden Ring offers an extraordinary combination of challenging combat, exploration, character customization, and discovery. The freedom to leave a difficult encounter and return later makes the traditionally punishing Souls formula more flexible without removing its sense of danger.
For complete beginners, however, the learning curve can be steep. The difficulty is only part of the problem. The game also expects players to understand its systems, progression, and mechanics with relatively little guidance. That is why GPA gives Elden Ring a Beginner-Friendly score of 30%.
Ultimately, Elden Ring's greatest achievement is not simply bringing the Souls formula into an open world. Its open structure lets players leave a difficult fight, explore elsewhere, strengthen their build, and return better prepared. That combination of brutal difficulty and freedom is what turned Elden Ring into a defining Soulslike—and one of the most influential open-world action RPGs of its era.
A: Choose Dark Souls III for a similar mix of combat and exploration, Sekiro for deflection-focused swordplay, or Lies of P for dense, linear levels. If open-world freedom matters as much as difficulty, The Witcher 3 and Ghost of Tsushima are also worth comparing.
Q: Is Elden Ring beginner-friendly?
A: GPA gives Elden Ring a Beginner score of 30%. The challenge isn't only the difficulty — the game explains very little about its own systems. Which stats to level, how to upgrade weapons, when to use Spirit Ashes: you're expected to work most of this out yourself. For complete beginners to the soulslike genre, the open world does help: when a boss stops you, you can leave, explore, become stronger, and return.
Q: How does Elden Ring compare to Dark Souls III?
A: The core difference is the open world. Dark Souls III presented difficult encounters as walls you had to break through in sequence. Elden Ring lets you walk away, explore elsewhere, build your character differently, and return when ready. The high difficulty is still there — but you have more ways to respond to failure. Both share FromSoftware's fragmented storytelling and demanding combat. Elden Ring is the larger, more flexible expression of the same design philosophy.
Q: What should I play after finishing Elden Ring?
A: Depends on what you enjoyed most. For tighter parry-focused combat, Sekiro is the natural next step. For more build depth and endgame systems, Path of Exile 2. For a soulslike with a more linear structure closer to Dark Souls, Lies of P. GPA's soulslike roundup covers the genre by difficulty curve if you want a broader comparison.
