Video games are frequently inspired by other works of art, whether it be movies, books, comics, or other video games. However, some video games take it one step further to be spiritual successors to other games. These games embody the structure, themes, and spirit of the games that they follow in the footsteps of.
Many times these games are made by some or all of the developers that worked on the original. Sometimes they are done because the creators want to make a similar game without having the two be canonically linked. Other times, the developers make spiritual successors because they no longer have access to the rights of the original game for some reason. Still, other times spiritual successors are the product of devoted fans that love an older title and want to create something like it themselves. There have been numerous successful spiritual successors in recent years, which has led to many fans hoping forsuccessors for games likeJak and Daxter. However, there are some spiritual successors that stand out above the rest.
RELATED:Demon’s Souls Remake Dev Boosted Drop Rates to Help with First Boss
Dark Souls the Spiritual Successor to Demon Souls
Many players likely know this already, butDark Soulswas a spiritual successor toDemon’s Soulsdespite both being developed by From Software. WhenDemon’s Soulswas released, it was exclusive to the PlayStation 3 and quickly became infamous for its punishing difficulty, open game design, and gorgeous visuals. The game was critically beloved but failed to find more than a cult following amongst players. Of course, the game did eventually go on to breed the very popular Soulsborne genre of games, including thePlayStation 5 remaster ofDemon’s Souls.
The popularity largely stemmed from the game’s follow-upDark Souls.Dark Soulsis very muchDemon’s Souls' spiritual successor and features very similar combat, world design, and thematic elements of loneliness and desolation. However, the game was kept separate fromDemon’s Soulsand is set in an entirely new world. This also allowed the game to be released on Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3, which helped the game find a bigger audience and become the recognized classic that it is today.Dark Soulsthen kickstarted the Soulslike genre, inspiring many spiritual successors of its own. From Software has also made a series of titles within the genre, including thehighly anticipatedElden Ring.
BioShock the Spiritual Successor to System Shock 2
A spiritual successor that is likely less known thanDark SoulsisBioShock.BioShockis the spiritual successor toSystem Shock 2, which were both developed by Irrational Games.System Shock 2was a critical success but was considered a commercial failure by its publisher EA, which refused to allow a third game to be developed in the series. Years later, this lead to the team at Irrational Games releasingBioShock, an FPS game that features a similar open narrative structure, horror elements, and mystical powers that fans had come to love inSystem Shock 2. Of course,BioShockfound success and is widely considered one of thebest video game trilogies of all time.
Cities: Skylines the Spiritual Successor to SimCity
SimCityis widely synonymous with the city builder genre. However, its most recent release in 2013 left many fans frustrated due to its required online connectivity and simplification of its core systems. This led to the game’s community welcoming the game’s spiritual successorCities: Skylineswith open arms.Cities: Skylinesadvertised itself as a modern return to what made fans fall in love with the originalSimCitytitles. It included more customizable systems, deeper mechanics, and gorgeous graphics. In the six years since, the game has received multiple expansions andboasts some impressively high statistics fromCities: Skylinesplayers.
RELATED:Stardew Valley Dev ConcernedApe Working On New Game
Stardew Valley the Spiritual Successor to Harvest Moon
Stardew Valleywas only developed by a single indie developer, ConcernedApe. However, the game has remained incredibly popular even five years after its release, andStardew Valleyhas become a blueprint for indie games. However, the game was largely inspired by the originalHarvest Moongames and started as a clear spiritual successor of the series. It includes similar farming mechanics, a 2D perspective, building relationships with villagers, and even mining and fishing.
However,Stardew Valleyhas grown over the years to very much become its own thing. The game has received extensive updates that have added a number of entirely new features like enchantments, multiplayer, new activities, and even an entire tropical island for players to visit and upgrade. The updates have led toStardew Valleybuilding a name for itself, and possibly even eclipsingHarvest Moonas the de facto farming simulator for many fans of the genre. Of course, there are still somefarming activities fans hope to see inStardew Valley, so hopefully, there are more updates still to come.
Undertale the Spiritual Successor to EarthBound
Undertaleis another indie title that took the industry by storm when it was released. Players quickly fell in love with the game’s writing, peaceful encounter options, and its charming retro aesthetic. However, the game was a spiritual successor to the cult-classic Nintendo RPGEarthbound. Both games feature a strange world living right under our noses that a child has to venture into to save people. Both games also feature unique turn-based combat systems and engaging stories. Hopefully, fans do not have much longer to wait forUndertale’slong-in-development sequelDeltarune.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night the Spiritual Successor to Castlevania
It has been numerous years since fans of theCastlevaniaseries got a new entry. This led formerCastlevaniaseries producer Koji Igarashi to crowdsource and developBloodstained: Ritual of the Night. The game attempted to maintain as much of what players loved aboutCastlevaniaas possible, with the game being the same in every way except for the name. It featured a similar gothic aesthetic, horrifying monsters, 2D metroidvania gameplay, plenty of gadgets, and was extremely difficult. There was even a secretretro difficulty mode included inBloodstained: Ritual of the Nightfor purists who wanted to tackle all of the challenges the game could offer. Thankfully, a sequel has been confirmed to be in development, so metroidvania fans have another title to look forward to sometime in the future.
MORE:10 Indie Games That Are Impossible To Beat Without A Guide
