Soulsborne games have become some of the most influential titles of all time, with FromSoftware becoming a giant in the gaming industry following the success of titles like Dark Souls and Elden Ring. These games are notable for their incredible level design, amazing combat, high difficulty, and unique online mechanics which remind players that their struggles aren't isolated. When it comes to talking about combat mechanics in Soulsborne games though, it's only a matter of time before dodging comes into the picture.
Rolling around to dodge attacks became quite popular with the advent of Dark Souls, and later games have integrated quickstepping to help combat feel more fast-paced and exciting. So, with the Soulslike genre stemming from the success of Miyazaki's efforts, it's only a given that various other Soulslikes have also tried to integrate unique dodging mechanics that are pretty innovative in their own way without feeling completely unwieldy to use.
5 Nioh 2
Nioh is one of the most high-profile Soulslikes that can be immensely hard if players jump into it completely blind. The first game was a blast in its own right, so it's a massive achievement that the second game improved upon all the mechanics in its predecessor while ironing out some of the kinks that irritated players in the previous title. Nioh 2 is a blast to play through in every sense of the word, with players getting to experiment with a wide range of weapons, stances, skills, and everything else along the same lines.
Nioh 2 doesn't shy away from beating players into the ground until they master the game's systems. As a result, learning when to dodge is imperative to ensure that players don't die at the hands of the game's tougher bosses. Dodging can be combined with ki pulses to expedite stamina recovery while also weaving through enemy attacks and taking no damage whatsoever, making players feel like actual ninjas.
4 Dead Cells
After the whole plagiarism debacle, many people were happy to find out that Dead Cells was a great game that deserved its popularity despite the ludicrous manner in which this game became popular. This combination of roguelite elements, Metroidvania exploration, and Soulslike combat is a blast to play through and forces players to get better with every single run.
Dodging is imperative in Dead Cells, and there's some great timing attached to this as well. Players should wait for the yellow exclamation mark before initiating a dodge and rolling behind an enemy, catching them unawares and unleashing a world of hurt on them. This technique, along with many others, ensure that players will be able to tackle the many tough threats in Dead Cells.
3 Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
One of the newer Soulslikes with great dodge mechanics, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a fantastic game that fans of Team Ninja's titles should definitely check out. The game is beautiful and the combat is amazing, even if the level design of this title is subpar compared to the titles that inspired the Soulslike genre. The game has some pretty unique combat mechanics, including a Spirit gauge and a unique spin on the whole concept of dodging.
Usually, dodging negatively impacts the Spirit gauge and forces players into a corner if this bar is a bit too much into the negative. However, players who pull off a perfect dodge will be rewarded with a cinematic camera while also severely hurting the enemy's Spirit gauge in the process. This pushes players to dodge attacks with perfect timing to minimize the impact on the player's Spirit gauge and also gain an opening to severely damage an enemy.
2 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was a nice surprise, with this game's take on Soulslike combat being pretty refreshing. Using a lightsaber and Force powers to destroy enemies makes for a great time, and fans can't wait to check out the sequel and everything new it brings to the table. While there's definitely room for improvement, the dodge mechanics in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order are certainly quite fun in their own right.
Fallen Order employs a dodge system that has become pretty popular in modern games. Players can press the dodge button once to do a quickstep and quickly tap it twice to initiate a dodge roll instead. Along with this, players can unlock the Precision Evade ability that allows them to move right behind an enemy if the dodge button is pressed with the correct timing, allowing players to unleash some quick hits with ease.
1 Remnant: From The Ashes
The idea of a Soulslike title with third-person shooter combat sounds like a formula for failure. However, this turned out to be an erroneous line of thinking, with Remnant: From the Ashes becoming one of the best Soulslike titles with a great spin on the formula that fans loved. It's easy to see why so many people are hyped for the sequel to this title.
Remnant: From the Ashes utilizes dodge-rolling and players must use this to avoid any enemy who enters melee range. Of course, this move is also great if players want to avoid any ranged projectiles as well. On its own, this dodge mechanic may seem like nothing special, but it's the manner in which this mechanic combines with the other facets of Remnant's combat that makes it so satisfying to use.