10 Best Dark Souls Games That AREN'T Dark Souls

10. The Surge 2

Developer, Deck13 Interactive, seemed to have carved out a niche for themselves in creating Soulslike games since releasing Lords of the Fallen in 2014. That game had a gritty fantasy setting and was clearly beholden to Dark Souls, but Deck 13’s The Surge and its sequel have pivoted to a sci-fi setting, ditching greatswords and magic for body augmentation and nanomachines.

The Surge 2 has quick and brutal combat which feels closer to Bloodborne than Dark Souls. A key mechanic unique to The Surge is the ability to target specific body parts, and once enough damage has been inflicted these limbs can be severed with a visceral finishing move; this is predominantly how you’ll acquire new gear.

A common criticism of The Surge was its uninspired setting and level design and it’s clear the developer has focused on improving these areas in the sequel - and they’ve largely succeeded.

While both Surge games indulge in some rote sci-fi nonsense in terms of their plot, they are both mechanically complex and enjoyable.