Soulstice – Review

It’s a common misconception that the AA mid-budget games that were so popular during the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox era have disappeared, but this is clearly not the case in the 2020s. Some publishers, such as THQ Nordic, Focus Entertainment, Nacon, and Modus Games, are providing ambitious but not necessarily polished games from smaller and medium-sized development studios with funding. So, it’s no surprise that the fantasy action game Soulstice, developed by Modus Games and published by Reply Game Studios, piqued my interest.

Even though Soulstice was developed by an Italian studio, it plays like a PlayStation 2 or 3 game from Japan in the 2000s. Even though the name and background suggest a Soulslike, the gameplay is more in line with Devil May Cry or any of PlatinumGames’ other action games. Soulstice isn’t without its flaws, what with its terrible camera and lack of diverse environments, but the game’s heartfelt inspiration and originality more than make up for its flaws.

The influence on Soulstice is immediately apparent. Players, much like Bayonetta’s protagonist at the start of the game, face off against waves of foes while riding a platform that seems to be falling infinitely. After a tense showdown with a powerful foe, the action slows as the game flashes back to when Briar and Lute were slowly rowing their way into Ilden, a city completely destroyed by a tear in the sky.

In this reality, when a person dies, they move “beyond the veil,” but for some reason, the veil has tier over the city, killing or corrupting its inhabitants. Chimera Briar and Lute were fused against their will after nearly dying, and they were sent to Ilden to investigate and deal with the threat. Though the voice acting can be cheesy at times, those who enjoy delving into video game lore will appreciate Soulstice’s thoughtful development of its world and characters.

Influence from anime and manga such as Berserk and Claymore can be seen in the film’s presentation and cinematography, which feature heavily armoured warriors and an abundance of enormous swords. In addition to its action-packed gameplay, Soulstice’s story features some surprisingly deep themes about toxic relationships with both people and institutions. While many games in the middle price range fall short on story, Soulstice succeeds admirably. The budget is most obviously felt in the voice acting and the limited number of environments.

While most of Soulstice takes place in the well-realized world of Ilden, it often lacks the visual flair that helps set the game apart. The city of Ilden is very drab, and most of the action takes place in nondescript mediaeval cobblestone streets, buildings, and sewers. In comparison to studios like PlatinumGames, who are experts at varying the game’s setting and visual formula to keep things fresh, this is glaring.

There are some striking visual moments in Soulstice, but the series’ relatively contained world leaves me wanting more travel. But what really matters in a game like this is what goes on inside those areas. Soulstice is entertaining, thankfully, despite a major caveat to the gameplay.

Soulstice often recalls the best moments of PS2 action games. Players will engage in fast-paced combat against waves of enemies, with those who pull off particularly impressive combos being rewarded with higher ratings at the end of each encounter. Although it may be slower paced than games like Bayonetta, Soulstice’s combat still feels solid thanks to the game’s many innovative additions to the tried-and-true action game formula.

All of them revolve around Briar’s little sister Lute, who is a Shade and therefore magically bound to her. Lute will automatically attack enemies, but players can take control of her to avoid or deflect certain devastating blows. Some of Soulstice’s foes also have blue and red hues associated with them. Because Briar’s regular attacks are deflected by these foes, players need to have Lute create an Evocation Field to damage blue enemies, or a Banishment Field to damage red enemies, before they can deal any damage. But these have a finite lifespan; once Lute’s entropy is completely depleted, she will vanish for a while.

Soulstice fights revolve around the delicate balancing act of activating and deactivating these fields to create and strengthen combos and raise the Unity of Briar and Lute. When a player reaches maximum Unity, they gain access to a special synergy attack that they can use at the end of combos or they can go Berserk, which gives them temporary superpowers and negates the need for Fields. If the player’s health is low at the time, Briar will launch an independent attack, and completing the minigame will result in instant death. In sum, this is a novel and in-depth action system that will please any fan of the genre. A major issue, however, is that Soulstice has one of the worst cameras I’ve used in years.

When players have control of the camera during a fight, Soulstice’s camera becomes uncontrollable whenever combat occurs in close proximity to a wall. Since Ilden is a city with numerous enormous walls, this becomes an even bigger issue. Sometimes the camera won’t move when you try to move it, making it hard to keep track of your targets and whether or not they’re in range. Another pathetic feature is the lock-on system, which causes the camera to spin erratically whenever an enemy is knocked back or killed and the lock-on camera shifts to a new foe. Some encounters, particularly those involving an enemy type best attacked from behind and spawning other enemies that try to revive it upon its death, become exponentially more challenging as a result of these camera issues.

Whether it’s due to inexperience with the genre or a lack of time before release, the game’s camera is a major letdown that makes it impossible for me to give it a glowing recommendation. However, if you’re a fan of action games and have dealt with subpar camera work in the past, you might enjoy this fresh take on a tried-and-true genre.

In an era where copying the Soulslike formula is all the rage, it’s nice to play something that harkens back to the type of action game that used to be more popular. Soulstice is a worthwhile alternative with a lot of creativity and passion on display, punching above its weight, but Bayonetta 3 will probably eat its lunch in a month if it has a bit more depth and AAA polish.

In spite of the game’s lacklustre quality, I’m happy to see that the AA industry is strong enough to support releases like Soulstice. The game’s singular vision is fully realised. It’s not afraid to shake things up by introducing a Western aesthetic to what has traditionally been a Japanese-dominated genre. Fans of action games from the early 2000s will appreciate Soulstice for being a confident game that recaptures their spirits, despite the fact that the camera issues prevent it from competing with genre greats.