Soulslike Games With The Most Classes

Key Takeaways

• Classes are foundational in soulslike games, determining players’ starting stats and skill trees.
• Each title has unique class mechanics; some offer specialized items, while others direct players toward specific playstyles.
• Classes in Code Vein serve as builds, emphasizing the synthesis of skills and attributes and offering a different approach compared to other soulslikes.

Many games across a broad spectrum of genres are famed for their difficulty, from complex strategy titles to ruthless JRPGs. Soulslike titles are perhaps considered special because of how that difficulty is baked into the very DNA of each game in a unique way. There’s no difficulty option, no easy workarounds, just a player, their build, and an increasingly difficult slew of enemies and obstacles.

And make no mistake, builds are the very bedrock of the soulslike genre. How players shape their character is of vital importance, whether they’re going for a niche focus on a certain weapon type or tweaking to make their build as overpowered as possible. While many soulslike games opt to skip the process of selecting a class, many of the titles direct from FromSoftware themselves offer the player a choice of class, as do many of the games inspired by Dark Souls. Classes, depending on the title, might be integral to a certain playstyle, or simply an option to get a certain type of start in the game.

8 Salt And Sanctuary

A 2D Soulslike Pioneer – 8 Classes

Salt and Sanctuary excels as an amalgamation of the soulslike and metroidvania formulas, bringing the sense of exploration that comes from both games alongside their reputations for high difficulty and in-depth character building.

Classes in this game determine starting stats, as well as the player’s starting location on the expansive skill tree. This makes classes a little more significant than in traditional soulslikes where they really tend to just provide base stats, starting gear, and little else. Most classes give a decent start into the world, except for pauper and chef.

7 Dark Souls 2

A Masterful Twist On The First Game’s Formula – 9 Classes

Many players dismiss or look down upon Dark Souls 2 for the part it had to play in the series’ more divisive features. Those who don’t give this game a fair chance, however, are missing out on one of the best soulslike experiences available to date.

The classes in this game mostly come with special consumable items, reflecting the game’s emphasis on these – one of the many things that stands out between it and others in the trilogy. The merchant class in particular doesn’t have many benefits stat-wise but comes with some great items for the early game.

6 Bloodborne

A Gothic Soulslike Masterwork – 9 Classes

Bloodborne remains one of the most well-loved entries in FromSoft’s catalog, despite the console exclusivity hurting its visibility overall. The classes in this game, or “origins” as they’re called, operate differently from Dark Souls classes as they tend to push characters toward a certain playstyle a little more.

The best weapons in the game will be most appropriately wielded by those who picked a good origin for that item. The violent past origin is best for those inclined to wield heavy weapons, for example, and as with most soulslikes, there is a deprived-like option called “waste of skin” for those who want a challenge with their stats.

5 Dark Souls 1

The Pioneer Of The Soulslike Genre – 10 Classes

Considered one of the best games of all time and for good reason, it’s hard to undersell Dark Souls and its impact on the gaming scene. Demon’s Souls might have truly kick-started the genre, but Dark Souls perfected it.

This is seen in the classes before anywhere else. Each class offers a unique start to the world. The warrior and bandit are good for raw strength, while there are some classes perfectly suited to ranged or magic builds.

4 Dark Souls 3

The Finale To The Dark Souls Trilogy – 10 Classes

In retrospect and with the refreshing perspective offered by something wholly original like Elden Ring, it’s safe to say Dark Souls 3 brought some unique things to the table, especially where consumables and QoL features were concerned, but was quite reductive of the first title for the most part.

One area where this game does innovate, however, is in the classes. More classes are optimized for early hybrid builds between weapons and spells, and classes like the sellsword come out of the gate with lethal effectiveness.

3 Elden Ring

A New Standard For Soulslikes – 10 Classes

Elden Ring sent shockwaves through the gaming community and the soulslike scene, offering an unparalleled level of freedom in this genre where exploration and build-customization were concerned.

The ten classes in this game are all incredibly distinct, and while the choice matters, it only really matters for the first few hours of gameplay until players figure out how to leap from their starting class composition to a different build that suits them better.

2 Lords Of The Fallen 2023

A Great Revitalization Of An Old Title – 13 Classes

This game’s welcomed revival of the Lords of the Fallen name came with a myriad of influences, but this didn’t stop the title from standing on its own two feet. There is a novel spin on the class system here that gives this mechanic more importance than in other games.

While this game only starts with nine classes, players can unlock four more throughout the game, making certain choices or completing particular quests. This means that the total of thirteen classes and the distinct starts they give players are incentives for subsequent runs.

1 Code Vein

A Vampiric, Anime-Focused Soulslike – 42 Classes

The blood codes in Code Vein are a core part of the experience, far more than the launchpad into builds that some of the other classes on this list are. In Code Vein, the classes are the builds, and synthesizing their skills and attributes together is an integral part of the experience.

This title takes a very different approach to its classes when compared to other soulslikes, so it’s no surprise that it has far more classes than any of the other titles on this list.