Souldiers Review (PC)

Launching small magic missiles at spiders as they pop up from a nest is a good way to deal with them while staying safe, as long as you pop a block or jump when one of their own projectiles gets close. That tactic is much less efficient against a boss enemy that moves fast and tends to have quite a few moments when it is invincible. But such is the life of a caster, always hoping that the next upgrade will boost ranged damage and finding ways to stay out of harm’s way as much as possible while mapping the universe and maybe finding a way back to the real world.

Souldiers is developed by Retro Forge and published by Dear Villagers. I played it on the PC using Steam and it can also be picked up on the Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation 5, the Xbox One X, and older consoles from Sony and Microsoft. This is a very retro take on a Metroidvania, with some interesting art choices.

The story is centered on Brigard, a general, and his force, who get trapped in a world between life and death, called Terragaya. A mysterious Valkyrie appears, and players get to control members of this lost fighting force as they seek to map this new land, find out what happened to the war and the world they left behind, and maybe discover if there is a road back to the land of the living. The writing is decent but does not aim to subvert the tropes of the genre (see if you can quickly guess who’s a clear villain).

The focus of Souldiers is on gameplay. And it all starts with class choice. The player doesn’t have a clear picture of what he’s committing to but there’s no way to switch deeper in the experience, so make sure you take a good look at the scout, archer, and caster. Once the class is fixed it’s time to explore, fight, and puzzle your way across Terragaya.

+4more

The game world is big and open, with the player character initially unable to move through it freely. Sections open up as extra abilities open up, including some centered on six elements that grant players extra power and new ways to interact with the environment. The system is solid, well-suited to the genre, and makes exploration thrilling.

But moving through Terragaya also involves dealing with enemies and, sometimes, bosses, and here the game makes a more muddled impression. The core elements seem fine, with a focus on learning enemy moves and exploiting weakness. But the game is too difficult and never truly rewards the player. Even normal enemies pose problems and the fact that they only drop a little health, or a small amount of money feels bad. Groups and bosses can easily overwhelm. The game advertised itself as close to Dark Souls when it comes to difficulty and delivers on that promise. Playing on Explorer difficulty might not be a bad idea.

Play Video

And the checkpoint system means that there’s no way to gain back what you lost. You often reappear in a situation you know is bad and can only get worse. Health potions are extremely rare and pricey, given the small amount of gold that some enemies drop. Upgrade points for characters are precious. There are puzzles that don’t make much sense. Exploration of the game’s world remains attractive long after combat has become a chore. Every player's mistake is quickly punished, and I never felt that there were clear rewards awaiting at the end of a particularly grueling section.

Souldiers has beautiful and retro pixel art and creates a world that is asking to be explored. The enemies have clear designs, the bosses look wonderful, and there’s flavor present everywhere. The developers are mixing a lot of influences in interesting ways. The game might be a little too colorful, especially during the more frantic battles. The soundtrack is also solid, adding to the feeling of immersion and making even the smallest engagement feel epic.

+4more

The Good

The Bad

Conclusion