It feels like we’re in a character action game renaissance, with the recent reveals of Ninja Gaiden 4, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, Tides of Annihilation, and the Onimusha 2 remaster. While they are all great, gamers online were quick to hope that these action games of yore will replace the popular Soulslike genre. As usual, gamers simply can’t accept the fact that two queen genres can co-exist.
While it is exciting to see character action games make a comeback, let’s not forget that this genre did feel stale at one point. Ever since the original God of War became popular, various publishers have tried copying that formula to varying degrees of success. There were some quality ones released – X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow are easy examples – but too much of them were being pumped out.
Similarly, Dark Souls started the Soulslike genre after the original Demons’ Souls didn’t immediately catch fire. Not long after we were getting Lords of the Fallen, The Surge, and a number of similar games that fans have now dubbed “Soulslike.” However, while fans quickly got tired of similar character action games, fans never really got tired of the numerous Soulslike titles.
Despite the Soulslike genre often being imitated, the good ones always offered something different that would make these games feel fresh. Hollow Knight showed that the Soulslike genre can translate well into 2D, making it a hardcore Metroidvania. Lies of P showed that similar gameplay can be forgiven if the mechanics and settings are good enough. Even Black Myth: Wukong is a good example, making the combat mechanics more aggressive and stylish.
In comparison, a lot of the character action games that followed God of War were often a cheap way to try and replicate its success. For every X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Dante’s Inferno that were able to freshen things up, lame titles like Conan, Thor: God of Thunder, and Golden Axe: Beast Rider would make the genre feel dull. Even pioneers of the genre were starting to fall behind, as the original Ninja Gaiden 3 felt like a simplified entry trying too hard for mass appeal.
Even though character action games felt like they were gone for a long time, they never really went away. Capcom’s Devil May Cry 5 was an excellent sequel that gave fans the best combat this series has ever seen. Bayonetta 3 was an ambitious entry with interesting new mechanics, even if the story wasn’t everyone’s favorite. Square Enix even made secret character action titles, with Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy XVI taking clear inspiration from that genre.
Luckily, it seems that game devs now know to take their time with character action games instead of rushing their release for a movie tie-in or competing with God of War. Now that some devs are more patient, we hope to see more character action games come out and co-exist with Soulslike titles. Both games fulfill very different niches and fantasies, so fans should love that they can get games from these fine genres.