We still don’t have a proper name for action RPGs that take inspiration – primarily – from the work of storied Japanese studio, FromSoftware. We have a shorthand for them; Soulslikes, and the term generally refers to a core set of principles.
Soulslike RPGs typically have a form of challenging gameplay. Sometimes that’s achieved through limiting, stamina-based combat, but it could also take the form of a tight parry/dodge window, or animation-led combat that requires planning and punish mindless mashing. Soulslikes are usually set in grim, hopeless worlds, and they can sometimes get ostentatious about what are otherwise mundane concepts.
The really good ones have level design that foreshadows some of what’s to come, and often loops back on itself to really give meaning to your journey through it. But the genre mostly just relies on catching your eye with some cool enemy designs or unusual topographies that, hopefully, compel you to explore them.
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