Summary
Soulslikegames are often characterized by their intense difficulty. It’s easy for fans to get overwhelmed by some of the hardest bosses and dungeons in a given Soulslike title. Luckily, they rarely have to face this challenge alone.
Many of the games in the genre offer some sort of summoning mechanic, which lets players conjure NPCs and even other players to help them overcome insurmountable challenges. Thesesummoning systems,likeeverything about a good Soulslike, often need a bit of trial and error to fully understand, but they can be an absolute boon to a struggling player.
2023’sLords of the Fallentakes a lot of inspiration fromDark Souls. While both games have a summoning system,Lords of the Fallenfeatures a much simpler summoning mechanic than its forebear.While visiting a Vestige, players can simply choose to beckon a lampbearer, summoning anyone available to be called.
These companions will last for a while; the host can respawn them when they die, and they’ll come back until their cooperation ends. Unfortunately, the servers have had their fair share of issues. Players who are trying to summon aid might find themselves waiting for a while.
Code Veintakes the Soulslike formula in strange new directions, with a vampire-infested post-apocalypse rife with both magic and strange technology alike. The game’s uniquely anime take on the genre helps it stand out, as does its simple and accessible summoning system.
Players can freely send and receive distress signals from the multiplayer menu. There are some restrictions; for instance, players cannot be summoned to regions they haven’t reached yet, and players can’t summon into an area where the boss has already been defeated. But as long as there’s someone available that avoids these criteria,Code Veinvampires can always find a helping hand.
ThelegendaryDark Soulsis the reasonSoulslikes are so prominent today, and many of the core features of the genre trace their roots to how they were presented in this game. This includes character summoning; like many other Soulslikes to come,Dark Soulslets players call in heroes from other realms to defeat their most terrible foes.
Dark Souls' summoning system is refreshingly simple. When a player has consumed a Humanity to reverse the Undead Curse, they’ll be able to see and use summon signs on the ground to call in other players and NPCs. This form of jolly cooperation is exemplified by the fan-favorite NPC Solaire, whose friendly demeanor and deadly effectiveness in combat have made him a true legend in theDark Soulscommunity.
Nioh 2, like its predecessor, brings Soulslike action to Sengoku-era Japan. To that end, the game presents a summoning system that’s thematically appropriate for the world, letting players conjure up help without breaking immersion.
To summon help inNioh 2, players must visit a shrine and set up a multiplayer request. From there, they can set a password, or choose to only summon players from their friends list. The number of players summoned is determined by how many Ochoko Cups are offered on the shrine. This simple but thematic summoning method helps players tackle one of the hardest Soulslikes out there.
Dark Souls 2may not be the most popular Soulsborne game in FromSoft’s library, but it’s still an excellent choice for multiplayer. Like its predecessor, summoning allies inDark Souls 2is relatively simple. Other players' summon signs will appear freely on the ground after players use a Human Effigy to reverse their hollowing.
This mechanic is bolstered by the way Human Effigies work inDark Souls 2. As players die repeatedly, their maximum health will get lower and lower due to the curse of hollowing. Using a Human Effigy restores this HP loss, meaning that a player is likely to use one after they’ve already died to a boss a few times. This gives them a chance to see who’s available to aid them against the boss that’s already caused them some trouble.
Unlike a lot of Soulslike games on the market,Lies of Pdoes not have any multiplayer support. However, it does still have a summoning system. Several major bosses inLies of Phave NPCs availablejust outside their arena for players to call upon.
By stripping out the complexities of online play,Lies of Pis able to present an perfectly streamlined summoning system for NPCs. By trading in a Star Fragment at the summoning pool, P can instantly conjure whichever NPC is waiting to assist. The only hindrance is collecting enough Star Fragments.
The fast-paced and aggressive play style required ofBloodborneplayers can be hard for some Soulslike fans to adjust to. Luckily, this game has some very robust and accessible mechanics for summoning help. Instead of consuming a rare item to see summon signs like in theDark Soulstrilogy, players must simply ring a bell to conjure any nearby hunters waiting to help. Doing so does cost one Insight, but this currency is very easy to come by inBloodborne, and players earn it passively by encountering and defeating bosses.
In addition to players, there are, as always, NPCs to be summoned against specific bosses. These characters' summon signs are always visible, and by spending an Insight, players can freely summon them without restriction. This makes devastating bosses like the Blood-Starved Beast and the Shadows of Yharnam much more bearable for inexperienced hunters.
InDark Souls 3, the curse of Hollowing has faded to a mostly superficial condition. Instead, players use Embers to temporarily reignite their flame and view summon signs throughout the world. Using an Ember greatly increases the player’s health, which means summoning is naturally encouraged near bosses that they’re already struggling against.
Dark Souls 3also featuresa much more prominent Covenant systemthan previous games in the series. Each covenant interacts with the game’s online mechanics differently; players might be called upon to defend certain areas or to rescue other characters who are under attack. Either way,Dark Souls 3gives a lot of depth and engagement to its relatively simple summoning mechanic.
Demon’s Soulsmay not be the legendary title its successor was, butit still set the standardfor summoning thatDark Soulsand its many successors followed. InDemon’s Souls, characters must be in human form to summon allies, but they canbe summonedwhile in the game’s weaker soul form.
Players are strongly encouraged to make themselves available for summoning, because helping another player defeat a boss restores their human selves. This removes the harsh HP reduction that a lot of new players struggle with, making summoning a very helpful mechanic for both the summoner and the player who answers the call.
The legendaryElden Ringbroke new ground in terms of multiplayer accessibility. Rather than forcing players to stake a valuable and scarce resource on their summoned aid,Elden Ringplayers can use a Furlcalling Finger Remedy instead, which is a relatively common item whose sole purpose is revealing summoning signs. NPC summon signs appear automatically, and there is no cost to use them.
Elden Ringalso expands the boundaries of single-player summoning with the use of Spirit Ashes. These special items conjure creatures and NPCs with the ring of a bell, and can be used in many dungeons and boss chambers throughout the Lands Between. Between Furlcalling Finger Remedies and Spirit Ashes, players canconjure a mighty squad of alliesagainst whichever boss is giving them trouble.
