What comes from Souls-style games?
In GamerSky’s 2024 interview, Liang described looping routes and closed doors within a simplified version of Souls-style map design. In his RPG Site interview, he again named level design among the borrowed influences.
That supports expecting exploration that connects back on itself. It does not mean every checkpoint, death penalty, stat system or multiplayer feature from another game also applies.
What changes in the combat expectation?
The same GamerSky answer places traditional action-game combat inside those environments and stresses a faster pace. Liang’s RPG Site interview names Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden and Metal Gear Rising among the action influences.
The useful comparison is therefore movement and combat flow, not just how dark a trailer looks. If you enjoy fast action but avoid games described mainly through repeated punishment, the developers’ positioning is more relevant than the umbrella label.
Do you have to accept one high difficulty?
No. The released ordinary modes are Wayfarer, Pathbreaker and Hellwalker; those three can be changed during play through Settings. Sixty-Six Days is a separate post-completion challenge, not an ordinary difficulty switch.
This is a post-launch rules correction, not our measurement of every encounter. Wayfarer does not establish that every fight is effortless, and Hellwalker does not provide a numerical comparison with a FromSoftware title.
Which expectation should you bring?
If connected exploration is your main attraction, the Souls comparison has a clear basis in Liang’s answers. If your main attraction is expressive action, the action-game influences deserve equal weight.
If you want an exact replacement for one favourite Soulslike, the shared label is too broad to promise that. Evaluate the combination the team is describing, rather than assuming a complete package of familiar mechanics.
What this comparison does not settle
Developer interviews explain intent, and demonstrations show a particular build. Neither substitutes for testing final responsiveness, balance or every difficulty setting.
Our combat design page explains why the action may look fluid while still needing readable enemy cues. It is a production explanation, not a parry-timing or boss-strategy guide.
See how the designers balance martial arts and readable attacks
Does it have an easy mode or difficulty options?
The released ordinary modes are Wayfarer, Pathbreaker and Hellwalker, and those three can be changed during play through Settings. Sixty-Six Days is a separate challenge unlocked after completion.
Ordinary mode supports manual saving. The challenge-specific no-manual-save and rollback limits should not be applied to the whole game.
Sources checked
- GamerSky original interview with Liang — continuity, flow and Kungfupunk (July 16, 2024; Chinese)
- RPG Site original interview with Soulframe Liang (December 19, 2025)
- PlayStation Blog — combat, world and difficulty options (August 17, 2026)
- Epic Games Store News — original interviews with Liang, Bob Wu and Julius Li (December 12, 2025)