“Soulslike”

Originating with FromSoftware’s Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, the term has since become a handy label for games where you read enemy patterns and trade blows in tense, high-stakes combat—what many now shorthand as hardcore action.

The problem, developers say, is that some players try to box in games that aren’t Soulslike by slapping that term on them anyway—and the constant comparisons are wearing them down. Silent Hill f producer Motoi Okamoto, whose game has recently been widely (and mistakenly) assumed to be Soulslike, addressed the phenomenon in an interview with IGN.

He noted that he frequently sees the label “Soulslike” being tossed around online, and voiced regret that Silent Hill f has been casually grouped into that category. To him, the term often feels overused or misapplied; many players, he suggested, seem to assume that any game with a stamina bar and a dodge function automatically qualifies.

Okamoto also pointed out that the combat system in Silent Hill f is not a wholesale copy of FromSoftware’s formula but instead builds on Silent Hill’s own history. For instance, Silent Hill 4 featured a charge meter, and Silent Hill 3 used a stamina gauge—mechanics that his team deliberately revived and expanded. He expressed frustration at Silent Hill f’s combat being reduced to nothing more than a “Soulslike” label.

He went on to explain that dodging and stamina are common in many action games, and his team approached Silent Hill f from that same action-game perspective. He encouraged players to actually try it themselves, saying that once they’ve faced its monsters in motion, the game’s distinct identity will become clear.

Meanwhile, among players Silent Hill f is being tagged as one of the most anticipated titles of the latter half of the year, and it’s slated to launch on September 25 for PS5, Xbox, and PC.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.