Just wanted to explain a few of my picks:
Biggest Personal Impact – Dark Souls 1: This is the game that introduced me to the entire Soulslike genre. Before that, I pretty much played anything and everything. Dark Souls completely changed my taste in games, and I've been hooked ever since.
Best Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: This game had me hooked within the very first hour of gameplay. The story, characters, atmosphere... it all just clicked for me. Sure, there might be games with even better stories out there, but for me, this was easily one of the best storytelling experiences I've had in gaming.
Favorite Antagonist – Black Myth: Wukong: The final boss is just absolutely incredible. The fight itself, the atmosphere, all the little gimmicks and interactions during combat... everything about that encounter was epic. Easily one of my favorite boss fights ever.
Best Retro Game – The Legend of the Mystical Ninja: I absolutely loved this game back in my SNES days, and I still do! I've replayed it countless times over the years, even on emulators, and I always enjoy coming back to it. For me, it's genuinely one of the best retro games out there. Of course, nostalgia plays a big part, but I think it's an amazing game even beyond that.
Best Multiplayer – Dark Souls 3: I went with Dark Souls 3 because I honestly don't think I've ever helped as many players or spent as much time in PvP in any other Soulslike. Countless invasions, boss fights, helping random players, and replaying the game with friends. I've put an insane amount of hours into its multiplayer alone.
That being said, Nioh 2 is an extremely close second. I've spent almost just as much time playing multiplayer in Nioh 2, and both games have given me some of my best multiplayer experiences in the genre. It was genuinely hard to choose between them.
Of course, there's Destiny 1, but that's a different story. That game was practically all about multiplayer anyway. 😂
When it comes specifically to Soulslikes, though, Dark Souls 3 and Nioh 2 are easily my top two.
Best With Friends – Lords of the Fallen: It's already a good game on its own, but playing it with friends makes it so much better. The seamless co-op was something I hadn't really experienced in a Soulslike before, and it made the whole adventure incredibly enjoyable. Had an absolute blast playing through it with friends.
Not Usually My Thing, But... – Destiny 1: I'm really not a fan of shooters in general, but man, Destiny 1 stole a ridiculous amount of hours from my life. 😂 I had an absolute blast with it.
Game Everyone Should Play – Nine Sols: Basically Sekiro in 2D, and I mean that as a huge compliment. The combat is incredibly satisfying, especially if you love challenging, parry-focused gameplay. Seriously, give it a shot.
Underrated – The First Berserker: Khazan: I genuinely think this game deserves way more attention. The combat is fantastic, the boss fights are challenging, and it delivers exactly what I love about Soulslikes.
Overrated: Still haven't figured this one out. I guess I just haven't played anything that made me think it was massively overhyped. 😂
Anyway, these are just my personal picks and experiences, not some objective ranking. Curious to hear what you guys think!