Summary
It’s no surprise thatSoulslikegamers and Lovecraft fansare like peas in a pod, which is exactly why playing thebest Lovecraft Soulslike gamesis a true delight. Both Lovecraft stories and Soulslikes focus on struggling against enemies of cosmic scale, inscrutable lore, and a sense of foreboding that permeates every word and pixel.
It’s no surprise, then, that lots of developers had the exact same idea. Whether it be fighting cosmic abominations with names in spoken in incomprehensible languages, or discovering ancient lore that may be better left hidden away, the Soulslike genre is a perfect vessel for Lovecraft’s unique brand of cosmic horror, which is growing in prominence and popularity every year.
While most people think of themany monstrous gods like Cthulhu that would make terrifying bosseswhen Lovecraft comes up, cosmic horror is actually much broader than many think. Take, for example,Thymesia,a brilliant Soulslike game that embodies the Lovecraftian esthetic through its exploration of fear and disease in aworld inspired by Renaissance and Victorian visual designs.
In a world where science is inscrutable, and diseases spread like wildfire, it’s easy to see how a pandemic would feel like cosmic horror in its uncaring brutality. Pair that with the horrific source ofThymesia’s central disease, and this is a potent example of a Lovecraftian Soulslike.
While most of Lovecraft’s fiction took place in the early 20th century and ancient eons past, modern developers have brought his particular brand ofhorror into the realm of sci-fi.Hellpointisset in a gothic sci-fi worldwhere the cosmic gods of the universe are tangible beings that the player must struggle in vain against in bloody combat.
Considering that Lovecraft’s most horrifying creatures are essentially alien gods, then it makes perfect sense how the genre can combine so effectively with a sci-fi Soulslike setting. Just be sure not to crumble in the actual face of the true gods.
Adark retelling of the Pinocchiostory doesn’t sound like a hotbed for Lovecraftian horror, but the remarkable SoulslikeLies of Pmanages it. Set in a world where humans have created “puppets” to do their bidding,Lies of Pboldly fuses existential questions of what it means to exist and come face to face with one’s creators, exactly like Lovecraft’s fiction does.
Things get even more Lovecraftian inLies of Pwhen it becomes clear what exactly the mysterious fuel that allows the construction of Puppets is. Needless to say, like most of Lovecraft’s fiction, it’s sometimes better to leave some knowledge undiscovered.
Picture the scene of a haunted sailor crashing onto a mysterious uncharted island full of horrific monstrosities emerging from the fog.Salt and Sanctuary’snautical imagery, haunting atmosphere, and frightening monster design all scream Lovecraftian influence.
Part of Lovecraft’s particular brand of horror is stumbling into a world long gone to ruin and piecing together the horrific story of how that came to be.Salt and Sanctuaryis a perfect example of this, provoking nearlycountless mysteries on a frightening island, defying comprehension. Brave thehorrors of this Lovecraftian RPGif you dare.
On its surface,Hollow Knightlooks like a fairly standard 2D interpretation of the Soulslike formula. However, as the player delves deeper into Hallownest and discovers how the once regal kingdom came to be destroyed, it becomes clear as more of itshidden secrets are uncoveredjust how deep the horrifying rot goes and the hand the ancient gods that govern the fate of all bugkind had in it.
ThoughHollow Knightvaries in tone, towards the end of the game, the cosmic nature of the game’s antagonists comes to the fore, and the player becomes aware of just how small they are in the face of world-ending threats, provoking adelicious sense of unexpected Lovecraftian horror.
Dark Soulsdoes take place in a fantasy setting, which doesn’t scream Lovecraftian influences (despite its terrifying-looking enemies). However, as the player reaches the endgame and starts to understand the world around them, Miyazaki’s masterpiece becomes a clear reinterpretation of the existential stakes of Lovecraftian horror.
In short, the world ofDark Soulsis in aconstant state of rebirth, decay, and destruction.There is nothing the player or anyone can do to stop the oncoming end and its horrifying envoys. Instead, they have to embrace existential realities and face the fear of the unknown if they want the world to somehow flourish again. What’s more Lovecraft than that?
Blasphemousis a very fun reinterpretation of Lovecraft’s formula of horror. This Soulsike reinterprets Lovecraft’s often secular writing by reimbuing it with the esoteric nature of Christianity, showing how some of the fundamental concepts of one of theworld’s most popular religions can be reinterpreted as genuinely horrifying.Gamers are used to this in theform of terrifying cults, but never quite like this.
By the time the player is faced with fighting horrifying gargantuan babies and incomprehensible angels, it becomes clear that Lovecraft’s cosmic horror isn’t consigned to alien creatures like Cthulhu but also cosmic concepts much closer to home.
Bloodborneis, without a doubt, the purest and strongest evocation of Lovecraftian horror in any Soulslike to date. While the game begins with more Gothic horror visuals, as the player ventures deeper into themany hidden areas of Yarnham, they discover just how deep the rot goes and how the entire concept of blood ministry the world is founded upon involves thediscovery of ancient alien creaturesthat want nothing else than domination and suffering.
No doubt introducing the worlds, ideas, and visuals of Lovecraftian horror to thousands of players who had never encountered it before,Bloodborneis a sterling example of a Lovecraftian Soulslike that fuses its mechanical prowess with its inscrutable lore to deliver a truly unforgettable experience.
