Soulslikes captivate gamers, forcing them to play over and over again and take life-and-death gambles. The live, die, repeat nature of these games makes them more “live” and less “diet”, requiring players to master certain combat mechanics to give them an edge in combat.
One of the most popular and satisfying mechanics to come out of this genre is the stagger mechanic. This usually involves disrupting the enemy's attacks and causing them to lose their balance, effectively “staggering” them. This means that enemies will be defenseless against the player's next attack, causing more damage. Each game in the genre interprets this mechanic differently.
6 Bloodborne
If all else fails, just shoot
Bloodborne It's among the best of the best Soulslikes and has some great examples of stumbling mechanics. The game has a fast-paced and aggressive combat system, and the way it staggers enemies doesn't slow it down.
Just like Indiana Jones brings a gun to a sword fight, you can interrupt enemy attacks by shooting at the right time. If successful, the enemy becomes vulnerable to a counterattack that deals additional damage. It may seem easy, but guns have a limited number of shots, so understanding enemy and boss patterns is key to success.
5 Stranger in Heaven: Final Fantasy Origins
Series that historically utilized Stagger
Stagger-like mechanics have been used in games for a long time, including making fighters dizzy. street fighter 2 to exploit weaknesses The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. final fantasy 13 He was one of the first to adopt modern stagger mechanics, putting it to use in the same year. devil's soul Introducing releases and “staggering”. The series has continued to use the stagger mechanic until recently. Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth but that's just stranger in heaven It belongs to the Soulslike genre.
A quick reinterpretation of the 1987 original. final fantasy, stranger in heaven Uses a “Break Gauge” for both player characters and enemies. Adding to the strategy, different classes and weapons affect different enemy types, but once the gauge is depleted the enemy (or the player) will stagger, leaving you vulnerable to satisfying finishing moves that make combat feel very fluid.
4 Sekiro: Shadow Die Twice
Master Stagger and Die Less
FromSoftware has departed slightly from previous versions. stomach game sekiro. Allowing the player character to jump and hook his way through areas might make the game sound easier, but the combat would still be brutal, perhaps even more brutal. The need for formidable enemies to give gamers a fighting chance has never been greater.
Stumbling sekiro This is done through the game's “posture” mechanic. stomach stratagem. You can break an enemy's stance by deflecting attacks and landing hits. This allows you to stagger them and deal lethal blows, and is much more effective than chipping away at an enemy's health bar.
3 mortal shell
Remain mortal thanks to your shell
mortal shell It introduces perhaps one of the most unique takes on Soulslikes' stagger mechanic. One of the game's main mechanics revolves around the player character strengthening his “shell” during combat. This increases your defense and allows you to absorb enemy attacks at the right time. This will stagger the enemy and enable a counterattack.
The game features a variety of shells with unique abilities and mechanics to suit different play styles. These various shells are found throughout the game, but there is also the option to play an additional challenge mode where no shells are used and essentially the player character can withstand only one hit. This leaves you relying solely on your weapon to stagger your enemies.
2 The Surge 2
mechanical stumble mechanic
the other side stomach The game and many other Soulslikes adopt a dark, gothic fantasy style. The Surge The series replaces medieval gear with futuristic robot armor, or Exo-Rig, as it is known in-game. These upgradeable gear are similar to other sci-fi exoskeletons such as power armor. fallout Game or power loader alien It plays an essential role in watching movies and in the player's survival.
Many of the enemies you encounter throughout the game are either fellow Exo-Rig users or rampaging robots. By targeting these enemy limbs, players can disable certain attacks to stagger them. This unique limb targeting mechanic adds an additional layer of strategy to fast-paced combat.
1 dark souls 3
Original Stagger Refined
Most Soulslikes that feature staggering mechanics use a system similar to the one described above. This means that either the player must chip in from a separate bar other than health, the timing must be perfect, or a mix of the two. This is commonly called ‘poise’. dark souls 3 It uses the previously introduced stagger mechanism. stomach Split and perfect with fluid combat.
The stagger bar is not visible here. Enemies will regenerate Stagger if the player stops attacking, but landing enough hits can break down an enemy's defenses. This will lead to staggered conditions and can change the tide of battle. Weapon choice also plays a role here, as heavier weapons like greatswords can initiate staggered states with fewer attacks. However, these weapons tend to be slow. It all depends on the fan's preferred play style and the character's stats.
