With the Holiday season of 2023 upon us, I’m sure many of us are scrambling to find a gift for our favorite gamer/s in your life. Well, don’t worry; we’re here to help, this time around, for the Soulslikes fan in your life.
Hands down, this year has been fantastic for Soulslikes fans, and there are so many to choose from. But several amazing titles from 2022 still hold up as being just as good, and there are even some non-game things that we’re sure they’ll also love. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the best Holiday Gift ideas for a Soulslikes fan or yourself. Pick up one or as many as your bank account will allow.
1. Elden Ring
Yep, the #1 Souslike game of 2022, Elden Ring, is still a solid suggestion for anyone who enjoys the Souslikes genre or is considering jumping in. Available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, it’s available on just about every platform. With lots of playability, online co-op, and PVP, as well as hours of dying over and over, this game will always be my recommendation for any Souslikes fan.
Get it on Amazon for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam for PC.
2. Dark Souls: Remastered
Ah, yes. The original but remastered and a perfect gift for anyone who hasn’t played Dark Souls yet. Updated visuals and updated gameplay mechanics, yet it retains everything that made everyone fall in love with it and hate it simultaneously. The game also features better netcode and updated multiplayer elements that make jolly cooperation and visceral PVP much better.
Get this from Amazon for PS4/Xbox One and Steam for PC.
3. Dark Souls – The Great Grey Wolf Sif (Definitive Edition) Statue
What if the Souslikes fan is already vested in the series? Well, you start thinking outside the box and look at toys like this one from First 4 Figures. This is the Dark Souls – The Great Grey Wolf Sif (Definitive Edition) statue that recreates that iconic scene and fight from the Dark Souls: Prepare to Die / Dark Souls: Remastered. While this is on the more expensive side of things, coming in at $200, it’s very detailed and will make any Souslikes fan happy… except for those who cry at this boss fight.
Get this from First 4 Figures.
4. Remnant 2
Remnant 2 is my favorite Souslikes title of 2023, and it’s not even close. Gunfire Games has created an amazing title you will want to keep returning to, regardless of how many times you’ve beaten it. The story is gripping and will cause you to think about what is happening. The gameplay has been refined to its predecessor, Remnant: From the Ashes. There are lots of bosses, with some hidden away, waiting for you to find them, many ways to customize your character to your gameplay style, and it has the BEST storytelling and online functionality of any Souls-like game.
Get this from Amazon.
5. Lies of P
Lies of P is a wonderful mixture of several Souslikes titles, including Bloodborne and Sekiro, with a dark fantasy version of the story of Pinocchio, and it works. The presentation is fantastic, the gameplay is fun, and the story isn’t that bad. Some have said it might be the closest thing we’ll get to a Bloodborne follow-up, but it’s a fantastic game that stands on its own.
Get this on Amazon.
6. You Died: The Dark Souls Companion
What if the Souslikes fan in your life is a sucker for lore? You help push them down the Souslikes lore rabbit hole with this gem, that’s what. The You Died: The Dark Souls Companion was a Kickstarter project (I purchased ALL the books) a few years back and comes in a white cover version and a much more expensive leather edition. Inside the 352-page book are pages of illustrations, lore, in-game photos, and more.
This can be purchased over at Tune & Fairweather’s online store.
7. Moonlight Greatsword Replica Sword
Ok, a bit of trivia. Fromsoftware has a sword called the Moonlight Greatsword that it simply loves. So much so that it sneaks this weapon into most, if not all, its games, hoping players will find it, they even put it into its recent release of Armored Core 6. Needless to say, this sword is iconic, and any Souulslike fan will instantly recognize it and love it.
I found a person on ETSY making replicas of this sword a while ago and didn’t hesitate to purchase it. It looks amazing, and it’s a great showpiece. However, it’s also pretty large, coming in at 3.25-feet. But it’s so worth it.
Get this on ETSY.
8. Steam Deck
Yep, the Steam Deck. Why? I think it’s the best way to get into the Souslikes genre, as you can take this with you anywhere. You don’t need to be tethered to a TV and console or PC, and it’s so convenient. I used to take mine and chill in the backyard or while sitting on the front patio, enjoying some amazing gaming on the pint-sized gaming PC – Before my son decided he wanted it more than I did. And it just got better with a refresh that features an OLED screen, a slightly bigger battery, faster Wi-Fi 6E, and refreshed joysticks. Its OS, the Steam OS, is hands down the best and is the easiest way to get into some portable PC gaming.
If you get this, be sure you get the Steam Deck OLED, and not the OG LCD version. It’s not worth it, trust me.
Get this from Steam.
9. Asus ROG Ally
Following up on the Steam Deck, I want to mention the Asus ROG Ally, as it’s my favorite way to play PC games on the go. While it doesn’t feature the battery life that the Steam Deck does, it does give you access to more games, as it supports Windows 11. This means you can run every game available on Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Windows Store / Xbox, Ubisoft, and more.
It also features a slightly larger resolution at 1080p versus the Steam Deck 800p, Freesync, and VRR. And once you’re done gaming, you can use it to surf the net, watch videos, or do anything else on a Windows device. So, if you don’t mind the issues that gaming on Windows 11 will afford you, I think this is the better portable gaming device for Soulslikes.
Get this from Best Buy.
10. Dark Souls 3
I can’t end this list without putting my favorite Souslikes of all time, Dark Souls 3, on it. There’s a reason I own multiple copies across the PS4, Xbox One, and PC and have over 900 hours on the PC version. It is not only Fromsoftware’s best Souslikes but perhaps one of the best Soulsikes games ever made.
It incorporates elements from the prior Dark Souls games, faster gameplay from Bloodborne, and boss fights that were the chef’s kiss for its time. Maybe it’s nostalgia that I put this game on the list, but it’s still a worthwhile experience for any new or veteran of Souslikes games. There’s a reason that after multiple years and countless other titles being released, Dark Souls 3 remains installed on my consoles and PC.
Get this from Amazon.
11. You Died Mug
That’s it. That’s the iconic message you’ll see every time you die in Demon’s Souls and the Dark Souls game. You… Died. And while every Souslike game out there has some take on the message, the OG You Died came from this message.
Get this from Amazon.
