Soulstice Preview: A Dark Tale of Two Sisters

Brought to the world by indie developer Reply Games Studio and publisher Modus Games, Soulstice is an action RPG starring two sisters, Briar and Lute. Together, these sisters are what is known as a Chimera, the most powerful weapon of the order known as the Ashen Blade. The ritual that bonded Lute’s spirit to Briar also gave her unusual strength and agility. Now they work as a team, Briar using her skill with various weapons to dispatch enemies while Lute helps out by deflecting enemy attacks and controlling the battlefield.

But it’s not all about fighting corrupted monsters and wraiths. As the two sisters explore the devastated capital city of Ilden, there is plenty to explore and discover. Lute helps exploration by revealing ethereal objects and platforms Briar can utilize to progress. Plus, it wouldn’t be an action RPG without the ability to spend points on upgraded skills, both on the side of Briar and Lute.

Soulstice is a good game. What keeps it from being great are a few small features that constantly bog down gameplay and exploration. From the start, this game’s dark tone, both in terms of art style and storytelling, will not be for everyone, but problems like weird camera angles and frustrating roadblocks can start to get in the way.

No Room For Sunshine

Players are immediately dropped into a strange, epic world on the verge of collapse. The capital city of Ilden is experiencing a phenomenon called a “Tear”, not like the sad kind. This Tear has corrupted the people of the city into monsters and unleashed spectral wraiths, leaving the city in ruin. So, not much room for sunshine and happiness.

The overall color palette reflects this, with most of the explorable world featuring varying shades of grey. It’s only the ethereal elements, like the wraiths, that bring the occasional pop of red and blue to the forefront. This is a very appropriate style considering the tone this game is going for, so it works well.

Aside from the epic setting, the characters within Ilden also stand out. Each enemy has a great design, and they are all quite easy to tell apart. Maybe some of the wraiths can get confusing, but overall it is easy to tell at a glance what the player is up against, which is very helpful in a game that will often throw swarms of various enemies at the player.

The Wider World

Perhaps the most interesting part of Soulstice is the wider world. The game is very comfortable with leaving a lot of mysterious elements up front. The player is thrown right into the action with little to no exposition. So when something interesting does come up, such as the term “chimera” or the organization known as “The Ashen Blade” the player is left curious and wondering. This element of mystery, and the idea that there is a lot more happening in this world outside of the player’s actions, makes the game feel more real and lived in. Plus uncovering mysteries is great motivation for pushing forward through the game.

Unfortunately, while there is some very interesting worldbuilding, the actual dialogue between characters isn’t always the most compelling. It’s hard not to skip through each line of dialogue, preferring to read the text rather than wait for the characters to finish speaking. Most of the enjoyment here comes from speculating about what else is going on, rather than listening to The Observer belittle and underestimate Briar and Lute again and again.

It is worth noting here more than anywhere else that this preview is only based on the first 25% of the game, so compared to the graphics and gameplay, Soulstice’s story has a lot more opportunity for change. While environments might change and new mechanics might be introduced down the line, the core elements of the game will likely remain relatively similar. But even just the introduction of a new character, or some kind of major plot twist, could take the game’s story in a whole new direction. So take this part of the preview with a grain of salt.

Frustrating Gameplay

Where some of the most frustrating elements of the Soulstice experience lie is with the gameplay. First and foremost, the camera. While exploring the world of Ilden the camera shifts quite often, usually anytime the player enters a new area. Sometimes the camera also shifts perspective as the player runs across an area, which makes things appear very cinematic, but makes it much harder for the player to manage where they are running. This makes delicate platforming and walking up spiral staircases some of the most challenging parts of this game.

On the other hand, combat tends to be a much more satisfying challenge. The enemies constantly scale up in terms of difficulty and complexity, with the occasional boss fight thrown in as well. Usually defeat is only temporary, with satisfying victory within grasp after a few attempts. Though there are moments of frustration as well. As the game's complexity grows, so too does the number of actions that need to be managed during combat.

There is one boss battle (the archer) that was so overwhelming in terms of the number of buttons that needed to be pressed. His arrows needed to be blocked with a well-timed B button, he can only be damaged while Right Trigger was activated (which can only be up for so long), plus there are the regular old attack buttons, shiting camera angles, the dodge button, and a gang of minions also trying to smack you. Sometimes it’s not the actual combat that is difficult but just managing all the different aspects of the battle.

But for the most part, combat is the highlight. Unlocking and trying out the various weapons along with coordinating with Lute is a very fun way to take on hordes of wraiths and corrupted. Just before the combat starts to get repetitive, the game throws a new enemy or boss at the player or gives them a new weapon to try out.

Final thoughts

Soulstice feels like it’s on the verge of greatness, but there are just a few small hurdles it couldn’t clear. There is no doubt that this is a fun game and many players will likely enjoy their experience. But for some, the extremely dark tone and style coupled with the annoying camera might be too much.

Frustration is not necessarily a bad thing. Fighting and failing against a tough opponent many times, while certainly frustrating, makes the eventual victory all the most satisfying. This is a common occurrence against many enemies and boss battles in Soulstice. The frustration that comes from awkward camera angles and less than exciting dialogue has no payoff.

Please keep in mind that this preview is only based on the first 25% of the game, and though many of the issues that slow Soulstice down (like the annoying camera) likely won’t change in the remaining 75%, anything is possible. Many of the mysteries about the wider world will likely be revealed later on in the game, and maybe some new character or plot directions will also be introduced, bringing a more diverse array of tones and styles to the game.

Overall, Soulstice is a good game. It’s a highly ambitious indie title that generally manages to accomplish what it sets out to do. This is an epic adventure through a grim fantasy world with enough action to carry the player through. With how much there is to explore in the world of Soulstice, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a sequel somewhere down the line, and perhaps that is where the series will reach its full potential.