The basic formula is essentially a mix between the Devil May Cry series when it comes to traversal and exploration, especially the first entry in the series, and the Bayonetta series when it comes to combat, with a scoring system very reminiscent of the games developed by PlatinumGames. And, just like for the story and settings, this isn't a major issue, as things are put together rather nicely, making for a solid character action game experience. An in-game Codex also provides more information on the world, characters, and even weapons (with a system reminiscent of the NieR series), so it's clear how the developer put a lot of care into these aspects.Įven when it comes to gameplay, Soulstice doesn't feel particularly original. Being a massive fan of Claymore and Berserk, I knew where the story was going from the start, but this didn't prevent me from enjoying the world and characters produced by Reply Game Studios. Right from the start, Soulstice also presents a few mysteries, and the good pace of the reveals leaves players hungering for more. While the voice acting is far from being the best, sometimes ruining immersion, the game does an excellent job in introducing the world and characters, making them interesting and engaging from the get-go. Eventually, Briar will understand that this mission is much more than simply killing Wraiths, Corrupted and Possessed, as she will come to understand more about the Order she belongs to and her unique status among the Chimeras.ĭespite being maybe a little too inspired by Claymore, the Soulstice setting and story are definitely among the highlights of the experience. Like other Chimeras, she gained extraordinary powers by fusing with another soul, her sister Briar's in her case, and she is sent to the city of Ilden to investigate a Tear in the Veil that seems to be getting larger and larger as time passes. As it usually is, peace never lasts forever, and evil creatures often manage to appear in the world of man by creating Tears in the Veil, and the knights of the Order of the Ashen Blade, known as Chimeras, are the only ones that have the power to banish these creatures from the world.īriar is one of these Chimeras tasked with defending men from the evil that breaks through the Veil from the Tears. With peace back to the land, the three gods built three cities that make up the Holy Kingdom of Keidas, allowing humanity to conduct their lives safe from the forces of Chaos. Following the war against the forces of Chaos, the Keepers, three powerful deities, sealed evil behind the Veil. All these difficulties didn't stop Reply Game Studios from making Soulstice, an engaging title that combines the best features from the best character action games ever released with a well-realized setting inspired by two iconic manga series that is just a step away from being one of the best action games released in the past few years, due to some technical and gameplay issues that, while not major, do impact the experience negatively.Īs I mentioned in my two hands-on previews, the Soulstice setting and story are heavily influenced by Norihiro Yagi's Claymore, with a few elements lifted from another all-time manga classic, Kentaro Miura's Berserk. The Devil May Cry and Bayonetta series, to name a few, are now instantly recognizable thanks to their iconic characters and fast-paced, deep action gameplay.įor this reason, it can be challenging to create a good character action game, and the almost niche status of the genre doesn't make many developers want to try their hand at making this type of game. Still, this alone may not be enough, as well-realized settings and characters are necessary for this type of game to truly engage a wide range of players. Being primarily focused on combat, they need to feature very deep systems. Character action games, on the surface, are more straightforward than other types of games, like full-blown role-playing games, but appearances can be deceiving.
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