According to the Skyrim modding community, Souls-like combat means:
-You have a camera lock on function
-You have a dodge or roll button
-You have ‘attack commitments’ that hold the player and enemies in place during attacks to make the attacks feel more weighty
You have slightly more optional aspects like having weapons with somewhat varied movesets or the punishing difficulty but as far as changing Skyrim’s combat into a Souls-like, those seem to be the defining traits
I’m playing Demon’s Souls now and it really feels like a Zelda game, but edgier, more RPG and with a Stamina bar. In particular because of the many gimmick bosses.
Then Dark Souls 1 and onwards started being more and more of just an Action game, until DS3 (or Bloodborne had I played it) where it’s an action game first. Which is also good. Just different.
Back when Demon/Dark Souls were new I remember people making this comparison explicitly. The only thing they don’t have compared to Z-targeting Zelda is the gadgets, but they add in a lot of depth to the sword stuff that Zelda doesn’t.
I want to see the “I’m a gaming badass souls-like hard game master” types try Zelda 2 for the NES on original hardware, within a single weekend like a proper rental experience. No emulation save states. No internet guides. Original controller. No Game Genie. They play it the way we elder millennials played it. Let’s see how good they really are.
Nah cheesing the bosses is a key part of the Dark Souls experience, you can’t take that away from them for Zelda. Are you even a true Souls fan if you haven’t tricked Iron Golem into falling off the side?
You have ‘attack commitments’ that hold the player and enemies in place during attacks to make the attacks feel more weighty
Imo the point of this isn’t how the game feels, feel is just a byproduct. The point is to have what some might describe as more consequential positioning and decision making with attacks, because you can’t just swivel mid-animation to hit someone who got around the initial path of your attack.
you can’t do that in a fighting game either but fighting games manage to feel fast. slow in souls combat is slow like if everything was the 35 frame charge unblockables in soul calibur
it’s probably closest to arena fighters. i’m sure there’s some no-budget indie arena fighter i’ve never heard of that plays like whatever souls game the devs liked the most.
Ah yeah you’re right, the better explanation is that adding attack commitment allows the Souls-like dodge rolling to function at all. In base game Skyrim enemies will swivel 180 degrees to track you during an attack, and your intended way of dodging them is fully backing away and then rushing back in again while you’re playing the game in first person.
According to the Skyrim modding community, Souls-like combat means:
-You have a camera lock on function
-You have a dodge or roll button
-You have ‘attack commitments’ that hold the player and enemies in place during attacks to make the attacks feel more weighty
You have slightly more optional aspects like having weapons with somewhat varied movesets or the punishing difficulty but as far as changing Skyrim’s combat into a Souls-like, those seem to be the defining traits
According to this definition, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is souls like
I suppose the jump attack is pretty committal but the attacks in OoT are pretty quick
Try playing with only three hearts and only using the Biggoron sword. It is absolutely a Soulslike.
Sure fine ok
Well more like Souls games are Zelda likes but yeah
need more hya!! hup! hyaah!!! in souls likes tbh
At least we get ouuuughghhh to make up for it
I’m playing Demon’s Souls now and it really feels like a Zelda game, but edgier, more RPG and with a Stamina bar. In particular because of the many gimmick bosses.
Then Dark Souls 1 and onwards started being more and more of just an Action game, until DS3 (or Bloodborne had I played it) where it’s an action game first. Which is also good. Just different.
I actually think Zelda and Dark Souls are almost the same game so unironically yes. Dark Souls 2 is basically just one giant Zelda dungeon
Back when Demon/Dark Souls were new I remember people making this comparison explicitly. The only thing they don’t have compared to Z-targeting Zelda is the gadgets, but they add in a lot of depth to the sword stuff that Zelda doesn’t.
I want to see the “I’m a gaming badass souls-like hard game master” types try Zelda 2 for the NES on original hardware, within a single weekend like a proper rental experience. No emulation save states. No internet guides. Original controller. No Game Genie. They play it the way we elder millennials played it. Let’s see how good they really are.
I love Souls games and think Zelda II is awesome. I think I liked Zelda II more than Elden Ring tbh
No cheese-crouch-stabbing Shadow Link.
Nah cheesing the bosses is a key part of the Dark Souls experience, you can’t take that away from them for Zelda. Are you even a true Souls fan if you haven’t tricked Iron Golem into falling off the side?
Imo the point of this isn’t how the game feels, feel is just a byproduct. The point is to have what some might describe as more consequential positioning and decision making with attacks, because you can’t just swivel mid-animation to hit someone who got around the initial path of your attack.
you can’t do that in a fighting game either but fighting games manage to feel fast. slow in souls combat is slow like if everything was the 35 frame charge unblockables in soul calibur
Fighting games aren’t that functional a comparison because mobility works completely differently in them.
it’s probably closest to arena fighters. i’m sure there’s some no-budget indie arena fighter i’ve never heard of that plays like whatever souls game the devs liked the most.
Ah yeah you’re right, the better explanation is that adding attack commitment allows the Souls-like dodge rolling to function at all. In base game Skyrim enemies will swivel 180 degrees to track you during an attack, and your intended way of dodging them is fully backing away and then rushing back in again while you’re playing the game in first person.