You might want to look into the King's Field series. DS is considered to be the spiritual successor of King's Field. While I agree that DS has some shine and allure to it that can't be matched, the King's Field games have a lot of similarities to DS. The games are all about the exploration aspect. They are difficult games. They have many secret chambers where you may find new equipment or weapons. They are level based, like DS. Not very much story to them either, which there wasn't exactly a lot in DS. The King's Field series is definitely filled with slower moving game play, but it has it's own unique feel to it. I tend to enjoy the games quite a bit. I received two of the games for Christmas, and I have to say they fill that gap that is missing in my heart after playing through DS. Check it out and let me know what you think! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_Field_(series)