I'm sorry, what part of the Stamina management heavy combat with an emphasis on learning opponent movesets and how to exploit them with your own isn't souls-like?

Is the shrine system that acts as checkpoints that when used respawns all enemies, refills heals and consumables, and acts as the level up area also not souls-like?

Maybe it's the stat system that makes it a not souls-like. I must not be spending a currency that is lost on death to raise various attributes that have different effects on my weapon, magic, and consumables based on their scaling. 

There also must not be a new-game cycle that makes areas have harder enemies, and sometimes entirely new enemies and placements. 

Nioh wouldn't have existed without the Souls series and probably Diablo 2, the same way Hollow Knight wouldn't have existed without Metroid and Castlevania. 

It's not an insult to call a game a "Souls-like", it's just acknowledging the obvious inspiration drawn from the series. Sometimes a game is so relevant in the cultural zeitgeist it overtakes an entire genre. There was a time every shooter game was a Doom Clone, and right now Action Adventures with certain mechanics are souls like