This is maybe a silly and useless suggestion and not what you're looking for, but the early Zelda games are coming to mind for me. Like, versions that were only on GameBoy, or the first 2 NES titles. Might be kinda painful to go back that far, but those games were hard. The story was sparse, and they didn't tell you much about how to actually play the game lol. I never beat the early NES ones.
this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2026
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Soulslike - Discussion, News, Memes
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This is a community for discussion, news, and memes pertaining to the video game sub-genre "soulslike".
Given Lemmy's size, the definition of soulslike may be treated relatively loosely. While games like the numerous FromSoft titles, the recent Star Wars Jedi games, Lies of P, Nioh and similar games should be the focus, games that incorporate soulslike elements - like Hollow Knight and Blasphemous, for example - may also be discussed here.
Basic Lemmy-quette applies. Additionally, since flairs don't exist yet, please do make sure to include a marker to denote what game your post is about in square brackets for clarity's sake. An example could be:
[BB] This enemy is so difficult!
or
[DS1] Anyone struggling with the gargoyles?
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Have you played Lunacid? It's recent but I feel like it's slipped under the radar for a lot of people. DLC is coming soon, too.
Shinobi on PS2. I haven't played it in decades but I remember enjoying it. People say it's very difficult but I was able to beat it as a kid.
Haven't played it but I have heard some about it and have it on my wishlist.
Honestly, such an interesting question and all I can come up with are the two Soul Reavers and Defiance. Maybe Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask could work too? Since OoT introduced z-targeting which is basically how the targeting camera from soulslikes works
I'm wondering about the N64 Castlevania, despite having played it once back in the day (I rented it). Can't remember if I gave up on it because it was hard or if it just wasn't good. I am pretty sure it had similar combat, but it just wasn't as tight.
I also just remembered Ninja Gaiden, the xbox one, was kinda similar. It at least was uncaringly hard. Hell, even back in the NES days, Ninja Gaiden was regarded as impossibly difficult and one of the few games of that era I was never able to beat.
Try Lords of the Fallen if you haven't done so yet. The game puts a cool spin on the formula by allowing you to explore an alternate ghost world, and the dodge is really powerful. Magic casting feels really satisfying to use, unlike the early Souls games, and it's quite a polished game. I love the voice of the angelic lady that serves as the first boss of the game.