Black Myth: Wukong is not the only Soulslike-adjacent project that tackles the themes of godhood.

Black Myth: Wukong is finally released on the PlayStation 5 and PC platforms and will be released on the current Xbox consoles later than anticipated. The gaming community fell in love with the Soulslike genre, and while Game Science did not design the game to represent the beloved genre, it does feature plenty of similarities.

The Soulslike genre is not for the faint of heart; however, these games are rich in lore, history, and storytelling. Game developers take inspiration from different mythologies and translate it into an interactive and immersive experience, which is not an easy feat. Here are five other games that are worth experiencing at least once.

5. Elden Ring

FromSoftware carried over everything the developers have learned while working on Elden Ring. Image Credit: Bandai Namco

The gaming community had high hopes for the next major FromSoftware entry and Elden Ring did not disappoint. The base game was filled with countless enemies to fight and dungeons to clear in the Lands Between. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki spent a great deal of time working on this project and immediately developed an expansion called Shadow of the Erdtree. The DLC was a worthy follow-up to the base game and was universally praised by fans and critics alike.

Reports suggest that Game Science is actively working on a story expansion for Black Myth: Wukong and the gaming community hopes the developers will take their time to work on a great product similar to FromSoftware. The lore of Elden Ring is vast and rich and tackles the themes of godhood which is perfect for enthusiasts of mythology. Paired with a great combat system, this game won the hearts of fans even before winning Game of the Year back in 2022.

4. Stellar Blade

Eve immediately won the hearts of the gaming community and was a great protagonist. Image Credit: Shift Up

Shift Up took a massive leap of faith when the developers decided to work on a console game. Stepping out of their comfort zone from developing mobile games and the rest was history after the successful launch of Stellar Blade. Director Hyung-Tae Kim revealed he dreamt of the project for a long time and it was a dream come true to see it complete and shared by the gaming community.

Kim was inspired by the success of the Soulslike genre and tried replicating it without fully jumping the gun. The video game was known to be difficult, even on the easiest difficulty, which reflects the Soulslike genre; however, players enjoyed the combat and Kim’s take on the futuristic genre. The visuals and aesthetics of Stellar Blade were enough to win the gaming community over, and it is carrying the Japanese gaming community alongside Elden Ring which speaks volumes of their lasting impact.

3. Bloodborne

Director Hidetaka Miyazaki spoke highly of this Soulslike project. Image Credit: FromSoftware

Despite being released nearly a decade ago for the PlayStation 4, Bloodborne aged like fine wine. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki loved working on this project and some would consider this as the project that kicked off the Soulslike genre. Miyazaki imparted plenty of his original ideas and concepts that made the game a tremendous success and carried over to future projects.

Unfortunately, the franchise has been abandoned by Sony Interactive Entertainment and has shown no signs of making any more content apart from merchandise. Miyazaki revealed he would love to go back and expand the lore even further if the opportunity presents itself but Sony had the final say. Some would argue that Bloodborne would have been a much more viable option to be given an enhanced PlayStation 5 Pro version, it would easily convince the gaming community to grab the overpriced and powerful console.

2. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor

This original Star Wars series takes heavy inspiration from the Soulslike franchise and expands the lore. Image Credit: Respawn Entertainment

The gaming community was initially skeptical when Electonic Arts and Respawn Entertainment announced an original Star Wars franchise focusing on the adventures of a young Padawan named Cal Kestis. The gameplay and design were inspired by the structure of well-known Soulslike games like the bonfire mechanic from the Dark Souls franchise was adapted through meditation points that serve as a checkpoint for players

After the success of the first two Star Wars Jedi games, Electronic Arts confirms that the game developers of Respawn Entertainment are hard at work to complete Cal’s story for the final chapter. The combat heavily mirrors Black Myth: Wukong where players can lock on enemies and time their attacks. This genre of video games encouraged the gaming community to be more vigilant of their surroundings and the developers cleverly placed the story in between important eras of the Star Wars franchise.

1. God of War (2018) and Ragnarok

The God of War series thrived on taking inspiration from Greek and Norse mythology. Image Credit: Santa Monica Studio

Santa Monica Studio dug deep into mythology with the original trilogy ending with Kratos brutally eviscerating the Olympian Gods in his quest for revenge. The Greek Saga showcased countless entities and different biomes for Kratos to explore and after successfully killing his father in God of War 3, the retired god stumbled onto the lands of Northern Scandinavia where he met his second wife and got caught in the web of the family drama of the Aesir Gods and the Nine Realms.

The Norse Saga was a breath of fresh air for the PlayStation mascot and the game developers made a few creative changes from a gameplay perspective and narrative approach. The last two God of War games were much more intimate for the character as they tackled the themes of fate and destiny, while Kratos comes to terms with his past and what it means to be a god and a father. The combat was much more refined and some players would love to replay certain boss fights against the Valkyries in the 2018 game.

Some enemies in the sequel like the Berserkers were added to replace the corrupted Valkyries and the game developers might have been carried away. The franchise is nowhere near the difficulty of a traditional Soulslike but these boss battles can be rage-inducing. In the Norse Saga, the developers delved deeply into the concepts of godhood and the idea of second chances, weaving these themes intricately into the storyline with mythology as a backdrop that worked wonders for the franchise.

Have you played any of these games after beating Black Myth: Wukong? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!