Summary
Many games across a broad spectrum of genres are famed for their difficulty, from complex strategy titlesto ruthless JRPGs. Soulslike titles are perhaps considered special because of how that difficulty is baked into the very DNA of each game in a unique way. There’s no difficulty option, no easy workarounds, just a player, their build, and an increasingly difficult slew of enemies and obstacles.
And make no mistake, builds are the very bedrock of the soulslike genre. How players shape their character is of vital importance, whether they’re going for a niche focus on a certain weapon type or tweaking to make their build asoverpowered as possible. While many soulslike games opt to skip the process of selecting a class, many of the titles direct from FromSoftware themselves offer the player a choice of class, as do many of the games inspired byDark Souls. Classes, depending on the title, might be integral to a certain playstyle, or simply an option to get a certain type of start in the game.
Salt and Sanctuaryexcels as an amalgamation of the soulslike and metroidvania formulas, bringing the sense of exploration that comes from both games alongside their reputations for high difficulty and in-depth character building.
Classes in this game determine starting stats, as well as the player’s starting location on theexpansive skill tree. This makes classes a little more significant than in traditional soulslikes where they really tend to just provide base stats, starting gear, and little else. Most classes give a decent start into the world, except for pauper and chef.
Many players dismiss or look down uponDark Souls 2for the part it had to play in the series’more divisive features. Those who don’t give this game a fair chance, however, are missing out on one of the best soulslike experiences available to date.
The classes in this game mostly come with special consumable items, reflecting the game’s emphasis on these - one of the many things that stands out between it and others in the trilogy. The merchant class in particular doesn’t have many benefits stat-wise but comes with some great items for the early game.
Bloodborneremains one of the most well-loved entries in FromSoft’s catalog, despite the console exclusivity hurting its visibility overall. The classes in this game, or “origins” as they’re called, operate differently fromDark Soulsclasses as they tend to push characters toward a certain playstyle a little more.
The best weapons in the gamewill be most appropriately wielded by those who picked a good origin for that item. The violent past origin is best for those inclined to wield heavy weapons, for example, and as with most soulslikes, there is a deprived-like option called “waste of skin” for those who want a challenge with their stats.
Considered one of the best games of all time and for good reason, it’s hard to undersellDark Soulsand its impact on the gaming scene.Demon’s Soulsmighthave truly kick-started the genre, butDark Soulsperfected it.
This is seen in the classes before anywhere else. Each class offers a unique start to the world. The warrior and bandit are good for raw strength, while there are some classes perfectly suited to ranged or magic builds.
In retrospect and with the refreshing perspective offered by something wholly original likeElden Ring, it’s safe to sayDark Souls 3brought some unique things to the table,especially where consumablesand QoL features were concerned, but was quite reductive of the first title for the most part.
One area where this game does innovate, however, is in the classes. More classes are optimized for early hybrid builds between weapons and spells, and classes like the sellsword come out of the gate with lethal effectiveness.
Elden Ringsent shockwaves through the gaming community and the soulslike scene, offering an unparalleled level of freedom in this genre where exploration and build-customization were concerned.
The ten classes in this game are all incredibly distinct, and while the choice matters, it only really matters for the first few hours of gameplay until players figure out how to leap from their starting class composition to a different build that suits them better.
This game’s welcomed revival of theLords of the Fallenname came with a myriad of influences, but this didn’t stop the title from standing on its own two feet. There is a novel spin on the class system here that gives this mechanic more importance than in other games.
While this game only starts with nine classes, players can unlock four more throughout the game, making certain choices or completing particular quests. This means that the total of thirteen classes and the distinct starts they give players are incentives for subsequent runs.
The blood codes inCode Veinare a core part of the experience, far more than the launchpad into builds that some of the other classes on this list are. InCode Vein, the classesarethe builds, and synthesizing their skills and attributes together is an integral part of the experience.
This title takes a very different approach to its classes when compared to other soulslikes, so it’s no surprise that it has far more classes than any of the other titles on this list.
