17. The Surge 2. The best souls-likes, rated easiest to hardest

Deck13 learned their lesson after the release of The Surge and nailed the sequel, which is a better game in every significant way. However, this is also why the game is easier than its predecessor. Improved camera work means no more frustration when fighting larger enemies, and better location design no longer cheats you so much with hidden enemies. The Surge 2 is a very good example proving that the better a production is in technical terms, the easier it becomes, because we spend less time fighting the machine behind it, and can focus on the monster instead.

The Surge 2 has moments where the difficulty level jumps purely artificially to keep us with the game a little longer, which is most noticeable with the final boss. I don't know if Deck13 did this on purpose, or if they just couldn't afford anything better. We'll find out with The Surge 3 – if it's ever made.

1. More about The Surge 2

16. Steelrising

Spiders Studio, which has produced mostly mediocre titles (with Greedfall being the exception), decided to jump on the so-called "Soulslike" train. Steelrising is definitely distinguished by its setting. An alternative Paris ruled by Louis XVI, where the rebellion was ignited by ominous automatons, is something that is quite unusual in video games.

Of all the games in this genre, Steelrising is neither overly difficult nor too easy. It appears that developers, despite their limited experience in the genre, have managed to strike a good balance when it comes to the entry level. This should not only appeal to veterans of the genre, but also to those who may be intrigued by the game's innovative setting.

1. More about Steelrising

15. Lords of the Fallen (2014)

When developing Lords of the Fallen, CI Games drew a lot of inspiration from the first installment of the Dark Souls series, especially in terms of difficulty level. However, I feel that in the case of this game, it's most strongly affected by the general torpidity of the main character. Bosses in LotF seem to be much easier, as, in fact, regular enemies. In addition, your HP is fully restored at every save point without respawning enemies, so the game can be finished by pretty much any player out there.

However, the gameplay isn't generic. Looking at the game as a whole, it's clear that Lords of the Fallen is Deck13's debut in the souls-like genre, and many aspects of the gameplay were copied without much consideration. It often leads to frustration when a seemingly familiar element appears in an unfinished form and, as a result, makes the gameplay more difficult than it should be.

1. Lords of the Fallen in our encyclopedia