Demon's Souls introduced the now-familiar formula, Dark Souls popularised it and Bloodborne perfected it. Now there are hundreds of video games that owe a lot of their mechanics to the FromSoftware's notoriously difficult (to some) franchise.

Earlier this week I was on a certain video game forum when one user mentioned that he was looking forward to "Weeb Souls" without clarifying exactly which title he meant. While there are only a handful of games that can be described as being "weeb" (i.e. themed around anime and/or Japan) and having Souls-like gameplay, I thought I'd describe a few below to help clear up any confusion.

Nioh (2017) - PS4, PC

The first game that could be described as "weeb souls" is Nioh, where you play as William Addams, the world's first white samurai, as he fights demons across a politically tense Japan while in search of a dangerous enemy. Developed by Team Ninja, who were also behind Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden, it has a faster, more hack-n-slash feel to it when compared to the usually slow and methodical Souls series as well as a few interesting twists on old functions. Interestingly, the story of the game based on real life, albeit rather loosely. E.g. real life William was in fact an advisor to Tokugawa Ieyasu in the 17th century, but he was actually English as opposed to Irish, and probably didn't fight yokai.

Worth noting is that Nioh 2 was announced last year at E3, but beside the fact that it'll include a traditional character creator not much has been revealed yet.

Code Vein (2019) - PS4, Xbone, PC

Bandai Namco, publishers of the Dark Souls trilogy, are now developing their own game inspired by FromSoft. The animesque art style is a blatant departure from the grim tones of most Souls-likes and definitely makes it stand out from the rest of the pack. In here, players take on the role of a customisable vampire in a post-apocalyptic world, where they search for powerful blood beads while facing deadly beings known as Revenants. Code Vein has more of a focus on co-op play than most games of its ilk, even providing the player with the ability to choose one of several A.I companions 

Originally meant to be released last September. it's sadly been delayed until an as of yet undisclosed date this year. 

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019) - PS4, Xbone, PC

The O.Gs are back at it again. While everyone else has been taking notes from their previous games, Miyazaki and FromSoftware return with some unique variations on the gameplay you'd come to expect from them. New traversal mechanics add a whole new dimension to combat when compared to their older games, plus the story takes center stage here instead of being relegated to item descriptions and dialogue from obscure NPCs. No multiplayer or character creation, but protagonist Sekiro has a prosthetic arm that can be fitted with a number of tools and weapons, including a grappling hook, a shield and a spear. And as the name implies, there's also the ability to respawn after death, although the mechanics behind it are yet to be revealed.

Sekiro is set to be released on March 22. Which upcoming "Weeb Souls" are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments!