8 Games Like Bloodborne That Feature Dark Settings With Mysterious Lore
Released exclusively for PlayStation 4 in 2015, Bloodborne takes you on a journey through the gothic city of Yharnam, plagued by a mysterious blood-borne virus. As the Hunter, you navigate this haunting world facing off against formidable bosses, all while enhancing your character's abilities and arsenal.
Bloodborne stands out for its agile combat and intricate environments, offering a deep narrative experience rooted in its unique setting.
If you're looking for games that echo the intense challenge and dark themes of Bloodborne, our list includes a variety of soul-like games across different platforms that promise to deliver similar thrills and adventures to Bloodborne fans and newcomers alike.
Read on!
8 Games Like Bloodborne That Feature Dark Settings With Mysterious Lore
Dark Souls III
Release Date : Mar 24, 2016.
Developer : FromSoftware.
Publisher : Bandai Namco Entertainment.
Platforms : PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows.
Metascore : 89.
Dark Souls III came after Bloodborne, and it’s considered its cousin because it’s stylistically similar to its predecessor. You can even find some assets that seem they’ve been recycled from Bloodborne.
In Dark Souls III, players dive into a grim world as part of the Dark Souls series. It unfolds in the decaying Kingdom of Lothric, where the Ashen One is tasked with preventing the world from plunging into an Age of Dark as the First Flame, the source of all life and the curse of the undead, fades.
This title challenges you with tough enemies and intricate combat. I found the Nameless King to be one of the hardest bosses, mainly when he first arrived on his dragon.
Dark Souls games are essential in the action role-playing genre, offering a deep, engaging experience that tests your skill and strategy.
Dark Souls features:
You can customize your character with multiple weapons, armor, and magic spells.
Multiplayer elements include cooperative play, invasions, and leaving messages for other players.
Boss battles with unique mechanics.
Dark Souls 3 Global Steam CD Key is available for purchase on RoyalCDKeys.
Lords of the Fallen
Release Date : Oct 13, 2023.
Developer : Hexworks.
Publisher : CI Games.
Platforms : PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows.
Metascore : 75.
Released in 2023, In Lords of the Fallen, you step into a world where humanity has waged war against a God and its army, the Fallen Lords. You play as Harkyn, a convicted criminal with a chance for redemption by fighting these formidable foes.
The game is set in a dark world of challenging enemies and bosses requiring strategic combat skills. Emphasizing the souls-like genre, it offers a blend of heavy, tactical combat where every move must be calculated. However, Often dubbed “Lite Souls,” it offers a less punishing challenge compared to Bloodborne, providing a more accessible difficulty level.
The narrative explores themes of sin, redemption, and the nature of conflict between gods and humans. Essentially, players fight through a series of menacing locations, unraveling the game's mysteries and confronting the fallen lords to restore balance.
I love that Lords of the Fallen focuses on exploration over boss fights. My favorite place to farm vigor is Pilgrim's Perch, where I could find multiple enemies with spiky cages on their heads.
Lords of the Fallen features:
You can customize your character from three classes with unique skills and abilities.
The game world is interconnected, encouraging exploration to uncover secrets and lore.
It includes a New Game Plus mode, offering increased difficulty and replayability.
Lords of the Fallen Steam CD Key is available for purchase on RoyalCDKeys.
The Sinking City
Release Date : June 25, 2019.
Developer : Frogwares.
Publisher : Frogwares.
Platforms : PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows.
Metascore : 71.
The Sinking City immerses you in a mysterious, flooded world with a strong Lovecraftian atmosphere, just like Bloodborne. Set in a Victorian setting, you play as a detective exploring the half-sunken city of Oakmont.
The story goes deep into cosmic horrors and the unknown, challenging you to solve cases and uncover dark secrets. It focuses on investigation over combat, though encounters with eerie enemies test your resolve.
Fans of the supernatural and the unexplained will find the game's quality narrative and unique mechanic of piecing together clues particularly engaging. Lastly, the title offers a blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and occasional combat, creating a hauntingly immersive experience.
I just finished it a few days ago, and it has become one of my favorite games in this genre. Searching for clues, researching the Mind Palace mechanics, and even the stressful combat all felt incredible.
The Sinking City features:
Dynamic weather system that affects the gameplay.
A crafting system for creating tools and weapons to aid in investigations.
A sanity mechanic that influences the protagonist's perception and interactions.
The Sinking City PS5 PSN CD Key is available for purchase on RoyalCDKeys.
Lies of P
Release Date : Sep 19, 2023.
Developers : Neowiz Games and Round8 Studio.
Publisher : Neowiz Games.
Platforms : PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft Windows, macOS.
Metascore : 80.
Lies of P is an adventure that throws you into a dark world inspired by the classic tale of Pinocchio.
The game is recognized as a spiritual successor to Bloodborne, with its eerie atmosphere and an intricate combat system that demands skill and strategy. The story weaves through a beautifully crafted world, drawing you into its lore and mysteries.
With its slow-paced combat compared to Souls games, Lies of P offers a unique play experience, blending similarities with the Souls genre while creating its own identity aside from Pinnochio's story. You'll engage in this adventure, exploring the world, uncovering the story, and mastering the combat to survive.
Still, I loved the references to the original story of Pinocchio. For example, in the side quest "Portrait Of A Boy," I found Gepetto's dead son Carlo. I had to constantly lie and check if the nose in the portrait was growing.
Lies of P features:
Introduces a complex puppetry mechanic, allowing you to upgrade and customize your character.
Environmental puzzles and interactive elements.
A morality system that influences the storyline and character interactions.
Lies of P Steam CD Key is available for purchase on RoyalCDKeys.
Remnant From The Ashes
Release Date : Aug 20, 2019.
Developer : Gunfire Games.
Publisher : Perfect World Entertainment.
Platforms : PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft Windows.
Metascore : 78.
This is the Remnant franchise's first game, called Dark Souls with guns. In Remnant: From The Ashes, players dive into a post-apocalyptic world overrun by creatures known as the Root. This title takes the Souls-like style found in Bloodborne but incorporates third-person shooter elements into this gameplay.
You embark on an adventure through dynamically generated worlds, each presenting unique challenges and enemies. The story centers on humanity's struggle for survival and the quest to reclaim the world from the clutches of The Root.
It offers fast-paced combat, requiring you to manage firearms and melee weapons skillfully - the new Sparkfire shotgun is my favorite. The game also emphasizes cooperative play, allowing for a shared adventure and strategy in overcoming difficult bosses and areas.
Remnant: From The Ashes stands out for its blend of genres, engaging story, and thrilling gameplay.
Remnant: From The ashes features:
It supports up to three-player cooperative multiplayer.
You can unlock and upgrade various weapons and gear to suit their playstyle.
Character progression is flexible, with many traits and skills to develop.
Remnant: From the Ashes Complete Edition Steam CD Key is available for purchase on RoyalCDKeys.
Salt and Sanctuary
Release Date : Mar 15, 2016.
Developer : Ska Studios.
Publisher : Ska Studios.
Platforms : PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Vita, Linux, macOS.
Metascore : 84.
Salt and Sanctuary is a 2D action role-playing game that offers a challenging experience, drawing heavy inspiration from the Souls-like genre. You embark on a dark, perilous journey through a cursed island filled with dangerous enemies and towering bosses.
The game combines fast-paced combat with deep RPG elements, allowing you to customize your character with various weapons, spells, and skills. The environments encourage exploration and the discovery of the island's grim lore.
You can also claim safe spaces and customize them with various NPCs. I enjoyed every time an enemy followed me into my sanctuary because my friends defended me by attacking them.
Compared to Bloodborne, this title offers the same challenge and atmosphere, albeit in a side-scrolling presentation.
Salt and Sanctuary features:
You can claim safe spaces and customize them with various NPCs.
It supports local co-op gameplay, allowing two players to explore and fight together.
You can choose from multiple character classes at the start, each with strengths and starting gear.
Salt and Sanctuary Steam CD Key is available for purchase on RoyalCDKeys.
Thymesia
Release Date : Aug 18, 2022.
Developer : OverBorder Studio.
Publisher : Team17.
Platforms : PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows.
Metascore : 69.
Thumesia is a souls-like game that stands out for its unique take on the genre. While Thymesia may not match Bloodborne’s game scale or immersion, it excels as an indie game with perfectly executed elements like the narrative and mysterious story.
You'll dive into a dark, gothic world ravaged by war and disease, embodying a mysterious character named Corvus, known for its ability to wield diseases as weapons.
Initially, I didn't know how to use plague weapons, and when I learned that you gain energy by using them repeatedly, I experimented with different ones, discovering the Twin Swords as the most powerful. The gameplay focuses on combat, where players must skillfully dodge, parry, and strike enemies using a combination of standard attacks and disease-based abilities.
As you explore the haunting environments, you uncover the narrative, piecing together the story behind the game's troubled world. Thymesia draws inspiration from similar titles, offering a fresh experience with its distinct mechanics and atmospheric setting.
Thymesia features:
It includes a memory system where you can absorb enemies' powers and use them strategically.
You can customize your playstyle with various plague weapons with distinct abilities and effects.
You can transform into a raven, adding a unique dimension to exploration and combat.
Thymesia Global Steam CD Key is available for purchase on RoyalCDKeys.
Mortal Shell
Release Date : Aug 18, 2022.
Developer : Cold Symmetry.
Publisher : Playstack.
Platforms : PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, Amazon Luna.
Metascore : 76.
Mortal Shell takes you into a dark, foreboding world of danger and decay. In this adventure, you assume the role of a mysterious being, navigating through hellish environments and facing off against formidable enemies.
The game is celebrated for its unique "Shell" mechanic, where you inhabit the bodies of fallen warriors, each offering distinct combat styles and abilities. This incorporates a strategic layer to the gameplay, as players must choose the right shell for the challenges ahead - I used the Salomon shell because the stats are very balanced, in my opinion.
The intense combat demands precision, echoing the punishing difficulty typical of souls-like games. Mortal shell’s somber world, similar to Bloodborne, is filled with numerous secrets ready to be discovered. It offers a fresh take on the genre, delivering a challenging and immersive experience with a slow pace, a stimulating atmosphere, and exploration.
Mortal Shell features:
A non-traditional progression system focusing on enhancing the shells and weapons.
It requires unique strategies and an understanding of game mechanics to defeat formidable bosses.
You can harden your body to stone mid-combat, providing a strategic defensive mechanism.
Mortal Shell Steam CD Key is available for purchase on RoyalCDKeys.
Games Like Bloodborne - Summary
For Bloodborne fans seeking similar thrills, our list of games like Bloodborne is a guide to more intense challenges and dark, atmospheric worlds.
From the decaying Kingdom of Lothric in Dark Souls III to the mysterious, flooded streets of Oakmont in the Sinking City, each game offers a unique adventure steeped in lore and combat. They also promise to captivate with their intricate gameplay and immersive environments.
Lastly, we can’t forget to mention other souls-like games similar to Bloodborne, such as Remnant 2, Darksiders, and Shadow Warrior, each bringing their own elements to this genre.