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Can’t wait for Elden Ring? Play these games in the meantime

Elden Ring is the most hotly anticipated game of 2022. It’s the next massive game from acclaimed developer FromSoftware, creators of the Soulslike genre, and the game already looks like it’s brutal fun. That said, its release is still over a week away. As such, some players might be getting a bit anxious and want to scratch that Soulslike itch prior to Elden Ring‘s launch.

Those who just can’t wait to play Elden Ring — or those who are just looking for similar games to enjoy alongside it — should check out these titles. They’ll all give players a tough, but enjoyable, time. 

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Sifu

Sifu's main character striking an enemy.

Released earlier this month, Sifu is an intense action game with a unique hook. Every time the player dies in Sifu, they will age. Players become a little stronger with each death, but also have less health to work with until they die by aging over 80. Sifu rewards dedication and memorization as players are forced to learn the right combos and routes through levels if they want to beat each level’s boss before dying of old age. Fans of FromSoftware games will appreciate how Sifu encourages players to get better through harsh punishment for failure. This game can be quite frustrating at first, but once players learn the right strategies it becomes immensely rewarding. 

Digital Trends loved Sifu, giving it four and a half stars. “Sifu‘s punishing loop and intense combat are nothing short of brilliant,” Otto Kratky’s review asserts. “It’s one of those rare titles that doesn’t just want players to do their best; it demands it instead. Falling short of that requirement means the entire experience is going to be that much harder until you start doing better. For a majority of people, that’s not going to translate to a fun gameplay experience, but it perfectly serves the game’s themes.”

Sifu will definitely give Elden Ring a run for its money as the toughest game of February 2022. It’s available now on the Epic Games Store, PS4, and PS5.

Mortal Shell

Mortal Shell: Enhanced Edition - Official Reveal Trailer | PS5

For those that don’t want to replay FromSoftware’s originals but want something that hits all of the same notes nearly as well, I recommend Mortal Shell. It’s a shameless Dark Souls clone, but it makes up for it by introducing some surprisingly solid twists on the Soulslike formula. Players possess the “mortal shells” of dead warriors the gain access to the weapons and abilities Dark Souls players normally associate with certain classes. Players can also harden themselves at any time, even mid-attack.

These small tweaks to the formula add a ton of depth, as players can find and upgrade the shells that work best for them in any situation. The hardening mechanic also means Mortal Shell feels a little more aggressive to play than traditional Dark Souls as players will constantly assess when they should harden or tank and attack for maximum effect. The game is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. It’s currently included with Xbox Game Pass.

Skul: The Hero Slayer

Skul: The Hero Slayer - Console Launch Announcement

Skul: The Hero Slayer is more of a roguelike — a genre where one must replay the adventure from the start when they die — rather than a Soulslike. Still, those who like games that reward a player’s mastery of mechanics will like the punishing roguelike gameplay loop of Skul: The Hero Slayer. It also flips the script of most fantasy adventures as players control a character who’d typically be considered the bad guy. The Hero of Caerleon and Imperial Army unexpectedly attack the Demon King and his forces after a truce, so players take control of a skeleton that can equip different skulls to gain different abilities. 

Playing as the villains is a fun change of pace, and the constant skull-switching is reminiscent of class-building in Soulslikes or shell-switching in Mortal Shell. Skul: The Hero Slayer is a tough game where the smallest enemies can give the player just as tough of a time as gigantic bosses if the player isn’t attacking or dodging at the right time. Fans of Soulslikes, roguelikes, and pixel art should still get a kick out of this game on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. It’s currently included on Xbox Game Pass. 

Infernax

A knight stares down a purple monster in Infernax.

The newly released Infernax is a 2D game that draws inspiration from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and the Castlevania series. Players control a knight on a quest to free his homeland from a curse. It’s a bloody retro action game full of skeletons, dungeons, and lots of pixelated blood.

While it may not look like a Soulslike, it has a few surprising similarities. For one, players gain experience points that can be spent on stat upgrades by killing monsters. However, they lose all that experience if they don’t bank it at a save point, similar to how bonfires work in games like Dark Souls. It’s also full of creepy, gothic monsters that fans of the Souls series will love. Since it can be knocked out in a handful of hours, it’s the perfect indie for fans who want to prepare for Elden Ring‘s general vibe in a game with some similar (but more low stakes) risk-reward. Infernax is available now on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It’s available as part of Xbox Game Pass as well. ~ Giovanni Colantonio

Death’s Door

A crow stands in front of a giant obelisk in Death's Door.

It’s not as tough as any of the other games on this list, but Death’s Door is still one of the best indie games of 2021. It follows a crow who collects the souls of giant bosses in order to unlock the titular gateway. Despite the involvement of Souls, Death’s Doors is structured like a Metroidvania and plays more like Hades or The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past. Still, its world captures the eerie vibe that makes many of FromSoftware’s games so enthralling and is much more accessible than the other games on this list because of its lower difficulty.

Digital Trends really enjoyed the game, awarding it four and a half stars. “Death’s Door presents players with an endlessly interlocking fantastical world filled with secrets, exhilarating boss fights, and a grim tale that managed to get more than a few laughs out of me,” Otto Kratky writes. “In between all of this is a simple yet thrilling combat system that once again proves that the right developer can do a lot with some simple tools.” Death’s Door is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch. It is included in Xbox Game Pass. 

Demon’s Souls

Tower Knight in Demon's Souls.

Players who picked a PS5 up for Elden Ring should check out this FromSoftware classic if they haven’t already. Bluepoint Studios, which is now owned by Sony, remade the first Souls game from the ground up exclusively for the PS5. Alongside Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Horizon Forbidden West, Demon’s Souls is one of the best showcases of what the PS5 can do. Its dour, medieval world is realized in gruesome detail, with impressive lighting and visuals adding even more to the atmosphere that FromSoftware is so good at crafting. 

For the most part, the gameplay of Demon’s Souls remains relatively untouched, so the experience should play out exactly as you remember it. It will remind players of why they love this kind of game before they experience what may very well be FromSoftware’s magnum opus. Really, players can’t go wrong by replaying another of FromSoftware’s games ahead of Elden Ring, but PS5 owners will get the most out of trying Demon’s Souls as a primer.

Elden Ring launches on February 25 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Editors' Recommendations

Elden Ring developer’s next game is Armored Core VI
A mech carrying things overlooks a destroyed world in Armored Core 6's reveal trailer.

Armored Core is back. FromSoftware, the developer of Elden Ring, is working on Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. The upcoming sequel was announced Thursday night during The Game Awards 2022 via a short cinematic trailer. It's gearing up to launch sometime in 2023.

ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON – Reveal Trailer

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Everything announced at The Game Awards 2022
A mech carrying things overlooks a destroyed world in Armored Core 6's reveal trailer.

The Game Awards has rolled around once again, awarding developers who made some of the year’s best games and unveiling a bunch of new trailers and game announcements. Geoff Keighley’s annual event is equal parts award show and video game showcase, and The Game Awards 2022 was no different.
Games like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Final Fantasy XVI, and Tekken 8 made appearances, while Death Stranding 2 and Armored Core VI were revealed for the first time. There were a ton of game reveals to take in, so here's a roundup of every announcement from The Game Awards 2022.
THE GAME AWARDS 2022: Official 4K Livestream: Thursday, December 8 (7:30p ET/4:30p PT/12:30a GMT)
Hades II announced by Supergiant Games
Hades II - Reveal Trailer
Supergiant Games, the developer behind 2020's critically acclaimed Hades, revealed its next game will be a sequel to Hades. We got a look at some beautiful animation and roguelike gameplay starring the Princess of the Underworld, and we learned that the game, officially titled Hades II, will enter early access next year.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is out on March 17
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Official Reveal Trailer
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor got an awesome and intense trailer at the Game Awards 2022, and voice actor Cameron Monaghan came out afterward to hype up the game further. The game is launching on March 17, 2023. 
Hideo Kojima unveils Death Stranding 2
DEATH STRANDING 2(Working Title)- TGA 2022 Teaser Trailer
It wouldn’t be a Geoff Keighley show without an appearance from Hideo Kojima, and thankfully Kojima had more to promote than a podcast this time around. We got the first trailer for the Death Stranding 2, a working title currently stylized as DS2, from Kojima Productions. This first teaser trailer is just as vague as Death Stranding's were, as it features Lea Seydoux's character traveling with al baby before talking with Norman Reedus' Sam.
Horizon Forbidden West will get an expansion set in LA next April
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores | Announce Trailer
Like The Frozen Wilds for Horizon Zero Dawn, Burning Shores is a massive expansion for this year's Horizon Forbidden West. The cinematic reveal trailer shows Aloy flying around a volcanic Los Angeles archipelago before a giant creature in the Hollywood sign attacks her. Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores will launch on April 19, 2023.
New The Super Mario Bros. Movie clip stars a ton of Toads
The Super Mario Bros. Movie | “Mushroom Kingdom” | Official Movie Clip
Keegan Michael-Key showed up during The Game Awards to show off a new clip from The Super Mario Bros. Movie. After joking about whether Toad has a hat or just a head, he showed off a clip of Mario walking through the Mushroom Kingdom amid ton of multicolored Toads. It's our longest uncut look at footage of this animated feature yet and it does a great job highlighting Illumination's interpretation of Mario's world. The Super Mario Bros. Movie comes to theaters on April 7. 
Crash Team Rumble announced by Activision
Crash Team Rumble - Official Announcement Trailer | The Game Awards 2022
After two years of leaks and rumors regarding a new Crash Bandicoot multiplayer game, Activision finally revealed Crash Team Rumble at The Game Awards. Crash Bandicoot literally crashed the show to unveil the 4v4 multiplayer action game where players must shoot and jump around stages as classic Crash Bandicoot characters. Crash Team Rumble launches in 2023.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon coming from FromSoftware
ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON アナウンスメントトレーラー【The Game Awards 2022】
Hot off the heels of Elden Ring, FromSoftware was ready to tease its next game. "Feed the Fire. Let the Last Cinders Burn," the trailer says before it becomes clear that it's a new Armored Core game. We then see a lot of cinematic mech action that looks unlike anything FromSoftware has made in the last decade.  Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon will launch in 2023 for PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. 
Final Fantasy XVI Revenge trailer gives us our best look at the game yet
Final Fantasy 16 - Revenge Trailer | The Game Awards 2022
Final Fantasy XVI Executive Producer Naoki Yoshida revealed a new Final Fantasy XVI trailer titled Revenge at The Game Awards. This showing gave us a deeper look at the story and themes of revenge that run throughout the whole game. We saw more of the Eikons that players will fight against and some new bits of exploration and combat gameplay. To cap things off, Square Enix confirmed that Final Fantasy XVI would be released for PS5 on June 22, 2023.
Everything else

BioShock creator Ken Levine finally revealed his first title at Ghost Story Games: Judas.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, an isometric action-adventure game, was announced by PlatinumGames and launches on March 17, 2023.
Nintendo showed off a sizzle reel of its announced 2023 games.
Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord got a trailer. 
Destiny 2's Lightfall expansion got a new gameplay trailer.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League got a new trailer revealing that an evil Batman is in the game, meaning that it will feature the late Kevin Conroy's final performance. It will be released on May 26, 2023.
Party Animals' trailer showed off its various playable animals, the outfits they can wear, and the stages they fight on. 
The Last of Us Part 1 comes to PC on March 3, 2023.
Celeste follow-up Earthblade was announced and launches in 2024.
Dune Awakening got an in-engine trailer.
Forspoken is getting a demo on PS5.
Genshin Impact got a trailer teasing an upcoming character.
Ascendant Studios and EA Original revealed Immortals of Aveum.
Tekken 8 got a new trailer revealing lots of new fighters.
Nightingale got a new trailer.
An Xbox Game Pass trailer highlighted games available on the subscription service, as well as ones coming in 2023.
Colossal Cave's full 3D reimagining from Sierra Online founders Ken and Roberta Williams will be released on January 19, 2023.
Baldur's Gate 3 will finally leave early access and release in August 2023.
Airship Syndicate and Digital Extremes announced a fantasy online action RPG called Wayfinder, which will get a beta next week. 
Fire Emblem: Engage got a new trailer confirming that a DLC starring Three Houses characters and more will launch throughout 2023.
Sky got a trailer highlighting an upcoming in-game concert.
Diablo IV's June 6, 2023, release date was confirmed after a musical performance from Halsey and a new trailer.
Amazon Games will publish Bandai Namco Studios' anime-style MMORPG Blue Protocol for PC and current-gen consoles in 2023.
Remnant II, a sequel to the sleeper hit multiplayer shooter Remnant: From the Ashes, was announced.
Transformers: Reactivate was announced with a cinematic teaser trailer. 
Company of Heroes 3 got a live-action trailer
Meta Quest game Behemoth VR was revealed with a cinematic trailer. 
Don't Nod and Focus Entertainment announced action RPG Banishers: Ghost of a New Eden.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine II received a new gameplay trailer.
Meet Your Maker's April 4, 2023 release date was confirmed in a cinematic trailer.
A gameplay overview trailer for Blood Bowl III was shown off.
The next-gen update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was highlighted in a launch trailer. 
We got a first look at The Lords of the Fallen gameplay.
Epic Games and 505 Games announced Crime Boss: Rockay City, a first-person heist game game starring Michael Madsen and Kim Bassinger, Damion Poitier, Danny Trejo, Danny Glover, Michael Rooker, Vanilla Ice, and Chuck Norris. It will launch on March 28, 2023.
The first raid for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II received its debut trailer.
The Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expansion got a new trailer that reveals Idris Elba is in the game. 
Rocket League: Frosty Fest begins December 14.
Wild Hearts got a new trailer unveiling some of the giant new Kemono that players will fight.

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The best live service games of 2022: 10 ongoing games we couldn’t stop playing
A Sea of Thieves skeleton sits in front of text that says 2022 Best Live Service Games.

Some games are meant to be played once, savored, and then shelved for the next one -- not unlike a book or a movie. But many other games are meant to be played and replayed over a long period of time, offering wildly different experiences each time you sit down and boot them up. There were many ongoing games to pick from in 2022, a lot of which include live service elements like online multiplayer, microtransactions, and regular content updates -- though not all are worth investing your time into.

Even though there are plenty of stinkers out there to avoid, there were also several ongoing games that kept our attention in 2022, ranging across several genres. From globe-trotting online roleplaying games to far simpler games you can play at a café bench, here are 10 games that set the bar for live service in 2022.
Fortnite

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