Gaming Under the Influence
[Podcast]E.84

Essential Soulslike Games
[part 1: 3d variants]

So we've established[i] that games coverage (and the rote “gamer”) tends to reduce its object to subject-or-market immanent metrics: desire, pleasure, value, profit. Further proof this week shit-blazed across the internet as kojima fans petitioned for a new game to be canceled for its Microsoft affiliation (an affront to their market-immanent substitute for "games", a channel for their desire: brand identity).

What is the alternative to these loci of criticism entirely extrinsic to the work? We can start by establishing the taxonomy of the work to be analyzed. Taxonomical approaches, which are oriented to the game in-itself and attempt to classify its parts[ii], purse the [interrelated] essential components of form & matter, concept & mechanics[iii]; what is the game world and how is it mechanically & symbolically expressed? Today on GUI 84 we offer just these kinds of thoughts on our staple genre: the soulslike (which we have defined here in a mechanical sense[iv]), with the intentions of establishing the loose outlines of a genre canon.

We will divide the genre into 2D & 3D subcategories; this week we talk about the latter.

YEAR

3D SOULSLIKE CANON

2009

Demon’s Souls – From Software

2011-2016

Dark Souls 1-3 – From Software

2014

Lords of the Fallen – Deck 13

2015

Bloodborne – From Software

2017-2021

Nioh 1-2 – Team Ninja

2017-2019

The Surge 1-2 – Deck 13

2018

Darksiders 3 – Gunfire Games

2019

Sekiro – From Software

2019

Remnant: From the Ashes – Gunfire Games

2019

Code Vein – Bandai Namco Studios

2019

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order – Respawn Entertainment

2020

Mortal Shell – Cold Symmetry

2020

Hellpoint – Cradle Games

References

[i] https://greendragoncvr.com/blog/2021/6/29/contra-commodity-gaming

[ii] https://greendragoncvr.com/a-theory-of-video-game-criticism 6.b

[iii] https://greendragoncvr.com/game-anatomy

[iv] https://greendragoncvr.com/the-special-value-of-soulsborne-gameplay