Articles Code Vein

The soulslike genre owes its existence to Demon's Souls, released by FromSoftware in 2009. A PlayStation exclusive, it first earned a cult following among hardcore players in its homeland of Japan. From its core mechanics, FromSoftware's lead designer Hidetaka Miyazaki built a new game — Dark Souls — which launched a series that became iconic the world over. Soon the "soulslikes" started arriving: games that copy the Dark Souls formula of success. An entire genre was born, built on the hallmarks of Dark Souls — punishing difficulty, "bonfires" (checkpoints for saving and leveling up), enemies that respawn on a location once you die, collecting experience ("souls"), stamina management in combat, fragmentary storytelling, and — most importantly — gruelling boss fights that force you to learn every move set.

The best vampire games let you hunt vampires or become one — here are 30 picks for PC and consoles, from Castlevania and the original Bloodlines to Bloodlines 2 and The Blood of Dawnwalker. Vampires are a natural fit for video games, yet relatively few major titles have put them at the center. That has started to change: after years of delays, Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 finally launched in 2025, followed by The Blood of Dawnwalker from former The Witcher 3 developers in September 2026. Still on the horizon is The Duskbloods, a dark new game from the creators of Bloodborne.