7 PvP games like Dark Souls that you should try

It shares the essentials of what Dark Souls does: punishing difficulty, melee combat and fantasy world. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and single-player focus. It sets itself apart with action RPG combat and open world exploration.

Matches like this one are rare: it meets Dark Souls on genre, combat and game mode. The common ground extends to a third-person camera and multiplayer gameplay. Where the two diverge is progression: loot and gear systems.

What brings it close to Dark Souls is punishing difficulty, melee combat and fantasy world, and the two track each other on genre, game mode and tone. Both also lean on exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. The distance is in combat — its own ground is action RPG combat and open world exploration.

If Dark Souls worked for you because of strong narrative focus, melee combat and fantasy world, the same is here. To that it adds single-player focus and a third-person camera. They part company on setting: this one brings horror setting.

It comes from the same genre as Dark Souls and shares punishing difficulty, melee combat and single-player focus. Both also lean on a third-person camera. The distance is in setting and progression — its own ground is tactical combat and a sci-fi setting.

The thread back to Dark Souls runs through deep RPG systems, magic-based combat and fantasy world. To that it adds co-op play and a third-person camera. They part company on setting: this one brings action RPG combat and offline play.

The genre is the same as Dark Souls’s, and with it punishing difficulty, melee combat and single-player focus. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and a third-person camera. Where the two diverge is combat and tone: competitive edge and 3D presentation.