New 9/10 Soulslike Is A Worthy Bloodborne Replacement

Published Sep 13, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work. Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work. Bloodborne has become the quintessential soulslike for many, even rising above the likes of Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring. Its dense, oppressive atmosphere, stunning gothic world, and vastly improved combat serve as the hallmarks of a truly phenomenal soulslike while simultaneously setting it apart from the majority of its competition, which, naturally, makes it an alluring prospect. Unfortunately, the tantalizing aspects of Bloodborne are also its undoing, rendering it wholly unique in so many respects that finding an alternative is nigh on impossible. Of course, that doesn't mean there aren't games like Bloodborne available. A few daring developers have attempted to throw their hat into the proverbial ring, offering experiences that manage to replicate certain elements of its near-perfect design. However, few have truly come close to becoming an ideal replacement for it. Fortunately, that seems like it's all about to change, as a new competitor has risen to the challenge, garnered itself quite the favorable reviews, and perhaps even positioned itself as a true alternative to FromSoftware's classic. The Next True Bloodborne Alternative Has Arrived It seems very much evident to me that the era of Bloodborne is officially over. While rampant rumors and wild speculation surrounding FromSoftware's reasoning for not producing another Bloodborne title can be found in abundance online, the fact of the matter is that the studio simply has no plans, at least any time soon, to do something with the IP. Despite proving to be a wildly successful title both critically and financially, thus making a sequel a commercially viable entity, Bloodborne has been left to rot, with no hope of ever returning to its shadow-smothered world. Of course, as aforementioned, this ostensibly opens the floodgates for pretenders and potential replacements to wrestle their way into the fray and come out on top. We've had numerous games ape the Bloodborne formula within the indie scene, many of which have offered something of value to fans, but few that have truly delivered the experience we're all craving. Fortunately, it would appear that the recently released Withering Realms from acclaimed indie developer Moonless Formless has finally accomplished the impossible. Withering Realms is the studio's sophomore title; its predecessor, Withering Rooms, garnered a rating of Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam from well over a thousand reviews. Withering Realms is very much headed in the same direction, its soulslike gameplay, post-Great War setting, gothic atmosphere, and intriguing premise positioning itself as a truly exceptional title that's not only worth playing for those of us who deeply miss the excitement of playing Bloodborne for the first time, but also for horror aficionados looking for a new world to explore. Withering Realms Could Scratch That Bloodborne Itch Withering Realms puts players in the role of Clover, a nine-year-old ghost who's brought back to life after a mysterious supernatural event sees the dead rise from their graves and all manner of horrible creatures roam the earth. She finds herself in the company of a sentient doll, one that's capable of fighting off said nightmarish monsters with all manner of weapons (guns included) and helping her venture out beyond the town of Penwyll to discover a way of resurrecting her. Its Steam store page describes it as such: "In this Horror Action RPG from the creator of Withering Rooms, join Clover and her doll guardian as they explore the mysterious town of Penwyll and the sprawling graveyards that surround it, seeking a way to bring her back to life." Withering Realms is, first and foremost, a soulslike action title that balances an assortment of guns with the traditional dodge roll and parry mechanics. It offers giant bosses that must be defeated in order to access the neighboring regions in the overworld, an assortment of disturbing and horrifying locations filled with enemies to kill, treasure hidden in the darkest depths of its deadliest dungeons, and the aforementioned town of Penwyll, wherein players can upgrade their doll and uncover various secrets. It truly does offer everything Bloodborne did while managing to carve its own niche in the oversaturated genre. Its merging all manner of mechanics from popular soulslikes and Metroidvanias (not least of which are Bloodborne and the equally excellent Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights), but in doing so doesn't lose the very thing that makes it unique. Evidently, this mix of Bloodborne-esque mechanics and its own innovative ideas has resonated with fans, as the game currently has a Very Positive rating on Steam, with 95% of its reviews being positive. Should you wish to play Withering Realms, you can always try its free demo first. After that, the entire game, including 50+ weapons, 110+ enemies, various locations, and the aforementioned bosses, is available to you through the game's Early Access release. More content and patches are set to be introduced during the Early Access period, with its developer envisioning it lasting no longer than May 2027. Of course, for those to whom it doesn't appeal, FromSoftware's new game, The Duskbloods, may also scratch that Bloodborne itch. Released March 24, 2015 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence Developer(s) From Software Publisher(s) Sony Engine Havok