Highlights:
* Lord of the Rings and Constantine qualify as movies that would make great soulslike games because they possess the fantasy setting and violent action characteristic of the genre.
* Like Deathbround, a party-based LoTR soulslike would be incredible.
From Software’s Dark Souls is credited for the advent of the soulslike genre although many games incorporated some of its elements in the past. It is considered one of the most challenging gaming genres. Not only does it feature tough fights, Melania in Elden Ring being an example, but it also heavily relies on environmental storytelling, features hazards that test a player’s familiarity with the world, and provides a range of combat options.
Interestingly, many notable films feature the atmosphere, action, and storytelling that would make for compelling Soulslike games. Developers can faithfully adapt a movie into a game while introducing their own tweaks in the storyline or missions to enhance the experience of soulslike lovers.
5 Action-Packed Movies That Would Make Great Soulslike Games
In Soulslike games, the action usually takes place in a dark fantasy setting, allowing players to fully comprehend the danger of the virtual world. Moreover, the main character encounters foes that are way more powerful than them which in turn leads to frequent dungeon runs. The odds are stacked against them similar to the protagonists in some of the most iconic films.
Constantine
The Constantine movie is based on the namesake character from DC Comics. Expert at spell-casting, John Constantine will be the perfect protagonist for a soulslike background. The anti-hero could even channel his occult powers into objects like in the movie to guide himself to the objective or use them to battle demons and angels alike.
Constantine’s plot also enables a soulslike game to write itself. Featuring Keanu Reeves in the lead role, the action-packed film sees John mending his ways and doing good deeds to prolong his life. While this would result in a choice-based system in an open-world game, the fights will feature John against powerful Biblical demons. A movie-inspired title will inevitably include a dark storyline and setting characteristic of most soulslike games.
John Wick
Another Keanu Reeves film finds a spot in this list of movies that would make great soulslike games. John Wick is a hitman whose need for retribution compels him to wage war against the most powerful crime bosses. The movie series can be faithfully adapted into a soulslike game alongside its noir elements and action-packed sequences.
Wick’s proficiency with weapons, which includes guns, knives, axes, books, and pencils, would give players a range of options to defeat the enemies. Moreover, the developers can take inspiration from the character depictions in the movie to make boss fights, for instance, Iosef Viggo relying on his guards while being weak himself. While one waits for a unique shooting-soulslike experience, one can check these recommended games for John Wick fans.
Lord of the Rings
A soulslike Lord of the Rings game hasn’t come to fruition despite the multiple RPG games available in the market. It is surprising because LOTR’s setting and storyline naturally provide for a long-running series of Souls games. There are a variety of creatures teeming in Middle Earth while the characters in the story are fully-fledged out, each being driven by a certain goal.
Bilbo Baggins isn’t the ideal ‘weapon-proficient’ soulslike protagonist. However, there are other characters such as Aragorn, Legolas, and Gandalf to which players could switch between battles similar to the party-based soulslike, Deathbound. Morgoth, Nazgul, Saruman, and Sauron’s corrupting eye would make for powerful enemies in a dangerous open world with environmental hazards like lava or natural disasters such as tornadoes.
Black Death
The action horror film by Christopher Smith has a soulslike setting, featuring monks, necromancers, undead, Tree Men, and other oddities. Osmund, played by Sean Bean, is a monk whose search for a woman begins a complex storyline with many twists. He is also a fanatic who punishes those who have renounced God at a time when the Black Death had everyone disillusioned.
Osmund’s actions can be left for the player to interpret in a potential soulslike while they travel back in time to a plague-ridden England. Black Death’s advantage is that it combines fantasy elements in a morbid, historical setting, which could seamlessly transition into a game. Speaking of combat, Osmund’s arsenal can be widened to include more weapons other than his trusty sword.
The Evil Dead
Originally released in 1981, Sam Raimi’s cult classic introduced the character of Ash Williams (played by Bruce Campbell). The trilogy of films features the flawed yet “groovy” hero in a lone battle against the undead. A soulslike game would suit the franchise as compared to the survival horror by Saber Interactive, given the heavy focus on Ash and his gradual development from being the hunted to being the hunter.
The mere thought of Ash Williams with his signature Boomstick shotgun on the back and the chainsaw hand fills fans with excitement. A potential The Evil Dead soulslike could feature multiple variants of the same. Chip in a magic system to make the combat more interesting.
