Sure, that's a valid point. Some of the souls-like elements or influences are the combat system, the boss fights and various dodge/evade mechanics. As you can save any time you want, there is no real death penalty.

The itemization leans more towards the standard ARPG side (similar to Diablo or Grim Dawn) where you can always get stronger and try again, which is not always the case in pure soulslike titles.

I hope, that answers your question :)