8 Soulslike Games With The Best Shortcuts (2024)

Soulslikes are some of the most popular games in the gaming world, as they present players with lots of opportunities, vast worlds with various themes, and, of course, a tangible challenge that can often be both frustrating and rewarding. While not all Soulslikes are as hard as Dark Souls, many of them share other elements that have made FromSoftware's brainchild a timeless classic.

In Soulslikes, players will frequently encounter merciless bosses who will likely make them die more than once, restarting their journey from the last saved spot. While some of these tough bosses are optional, others are mandatory and will force players to traverse great lengths to face them time and time again—that is, if they don't find a shortcut that is available. Here are some of the best Soulslikes with the best shortcuts.

8 Thymesia

The Plague Weapon System Truly Shines

• Interesting concept for combat where disease is the weapon
• Players will have to lead Corvus to uncover the mysteries of the world in question

Following the story of Corvus, Thymesia will have players set out on a journey where they will have to fight through a kingdom that's overrun by monsters in order to save it. Similar to other Soulslikes, Thymesia has a grim setting that perfectly compliments its overall esthetics and the developer’s intentions to convey a dark world with no hope.

While not the scariest Soulslike out there, Thymesia uses a very interesting concept for combat as it allows Corvus to take control of the disease that's plaguing the land. While this title doesn't have as many shortcuts as other Soulslikes, it still has a decent number of them.

7 Salt And Sanctuary

A Great Title With A Unique And Complete Skill Tree

• Massive and complete skill tree
• Players will find themselves inside a ship at the beginning of the game

Salt and Sanctuary is not only a Soulslike with a very complete class system, but it also features a wonderful 2D art style that works very well with its concept. The game opens with the player character inside a ship that's also carrying a Princess. However, the ship is never meant to reach its destination, as it’s attacked by marauders.

If players are skilled enough, they might be able to fight off the Marauders, but unfortunately, even then, they will still be faced by a greater threat that will ultimately make the ship crash. Salt and Sanctuary has one of the most complete skill trees in any Soulslike, and its multi-boss battles, along with the various shortcuts on the map, add a layer of complexity to the game that’s most welcome.

6 Blasphemous

An Action-Packed Title With Strong Spanish Inquisition Influences

• Beautiful 16-bit art style
• The Penitent One has many tricks up his sleeve in terms of combat

Blasphemous is one of those titles that only comes along once every couple of years. This title features amazing and challenging boss fights, a beautiful pixel art style and an overall thematic revolving around religious zealotry and blind devotion to a greater will.

Throughout the game, players will find themselves traversing complex areas full of enemies that will try to make them fall into area obstacles and other perils. Blasphemous’s map is vast and complex, which is why the various shortcuts available in the game are most welcome, even when there are also options to teleport. The sequel, Blashpemous 2, builds on this title significantly, as it also features new weapons that are more varied, and innovative area exploration mechanics.

5 Bloodborne

FromSoftware's Ultimate Nightmare Title

• Arguably the scariest FromSoftware title to date
• Fast-paced action and challenging bosses

While the titles in the Dark Souls franchise are also full of horrendous creatures and grim areas, they pale in comparison to what Bloodborne has in store for players who dare to pick it up. The game is set in the nightmarish world of Yharnam, which has been slowly consumed by a bloodborne disease that has transformed many of its inhabitants into monsters.

Like other titles developed by FromSoftware, Bloodborne has various shortcuts that players can take advantage of to avoid the arduous path back to any powerful bosses that kill them. However, even if they manage to discover every single one of them, they will still have to face some spine-chilling monsters along the way.

4 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

A Fast-paced Title That's Arguably The Hardest FromSoftware Release Yet

• Set in a fictitious version of feudal Japan
• Players can move from one point of the map to another with ease with the game's fluid movement system

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice isn’t only great due to its concept and amazing gameplay, but also because it’s set in Japan, the home of its developer FromSoftware. By setting this title on their home turf, the developers not only managed to deliver an amazing experience that feels and plays like the Dark Souls titles, but also created a world that shows the beauty of feudal Japan.

This game has arguably one of the most fluid travel systems in a FromSoftware game, as it allows players to swing from different points and reach high destinations with ease. However, even with that being the case, having certain shortcuts to make the run back to the various challenging bosses present in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, is always welcome.

3 Hollow Knight

A Captivating Journey In A Dreamlike World

• The Hallownest is full of enemies to defeat
• Beautiful art style that works extremely well with the game's concept

At a glance, Hollow Knight might not seem like a decent Soulslike, as it's hard to believe that a game with a 2D art style is capable of presenting players with a challenge as great as the Dark Souls titles can. However, as soon as players enter the magical world known as the Hallownest, they will quickly discover that the challenge is there, and that they will be put to the test more than once.

Hollow Knight features a vast map full of enemies, difficult bosses, and creepy areas like the Deepnest that will likely give players goosebumps and challenge their sense of direction. In this game, shortcuts are not only discovered through exploration, but also by unlocking different abilities that make them usable.

2 The Surge 2

An Adrenaline-rushing Experience With Exciting Combat Mechanics

• Set in a dystopian future where humanity has exhausted the Earth's resources
• Fast-paced action and combat

The Surge 2 presents players with a very concerning yet very real and potential future for the human species. Set in a dystopian future where the world's resources have been completely exhausted, humanity is on the brink of extinction, which causes a fair share of societal and political issues.

Like other Soulslikes on this list, The Surge 2 has various shortcuts that players can unlock as they explore the world and progress through the game. These help navigate the world with more ease and allow players to save time during some critical moments.

1 Elden Ring

FromSoftware's Ultimate Masterpiece

• Outstanding Fast Travel system
• Large variety of weapons, bosses and armor sets

While other FromSoftware's titles have been critically acclaimed for more than a decade now, none of them have managed to earn the success and popularity that Elden Ring has enjoyed since it was released. Implementing similar game mechanics to other titles of this developer, Elden Ring also introduces an open-world setting which allows players to explore any areas they want in almost any order.

This, along with the large variety of weapons, unbelievably powerful bosses, and armor set, make the game a masterpiece. While not every shortcut in the game must be unlocked to travel The Lands Between in a streamlined fashion, it's always an advantage to have them all, or at least most of them—even when there’s already an outstanding Fast Travel system in place.