The success of Dark Souls spawned a wave of similar games, giving birth to a new genre – Soulslike. Now most of these Souls games don’t do anything unique or interesting and just come off as uninspired copies. But that’s not true for Deathbound, a game by Trialforge Studios that brings a unique twist to the genre.
Imagine playing different characters you can switch between (on-the-fly) in a post-apocalyptic world that blends dystopian sci-fi and medieval fantasy together. That’s Deathbound in a nutshell.
Glimpse Into A Dark, Dystopian Future
After a narrative cutscene that introduces the backstory of one of the characters, the game starts off on a dark street. At first glance, the environment seems futuristic in design, with blue lights running across the walls of modern, brutalist buildings. Yet, there are barrels lying around, tents set up, shabby wooden structures, and barriers that tell a whole different story- that this world has been under siege for a long time.
While the game sets the tone and tries to convey the story, it isn’t quite explained how and why everyone is using swords, spears, and other such primitive weapons. Surely there are more advanced weapons or something that can be salvaged from ancient technologies.
Even so, it is one of the most interesting takes on a post-apocalyptic world I have seen, and it fits perfectly for a soulslike game. Going through dark, neon-lit alleys as I slay knights and archers against the backdrop of skyscrapers- there’s a unique contrast at play here.
Steep Learning Curve But Satisfying Results
The game lets you switch between four different heroes, which the game calls Essences. Each Essence is its own character with different weapons and moves. While it’s simple to understand that I can switch between each character using the d-pad buttons, I am just not used to something like this.
As you progress, you stumble upon fallen warriors that can be absorbed as an Essence, allowing you to have another new hero you can switch between. At each Phylactery (bonfire), you can change which of the four characters you want for your run.
It took me a while to get used to the fact that I HAD to constantly switch between characters. You cannot just stick with one Essence. The intended design makes them to only be able to take a few hits and deal a few before their stamina runs out.
Using the d-pad this often is not something I have done in such a game. While I ultimately got a hang of it, the mechanics still felt a little clunky. Hits would just not register at times, and the timing felt a bit off in some cases. But overall, the combat turned out to be pretty satisfying. Pulling off that perfect dodge as you switch to another character and attack with them is something you can only experience in Deathbound.
Due to this hero-switching mechanic, the game lets go of the traditional gear and armor mechanic of RPGs. Instead, it offers variety in weapons and playstyle through the Essences. You could be a magic-wielding spellcaster like Olivia Heinz, or switch to become a fearless warrior like Therone Guillaumen.
Lengthy Boss Fight
As I went about this dystopian future of Deathbound, I was met with some pretty formidable opponents. Eventually, I came up to the final boss fight of the demo – Impending Truth. This boss felt easy to understand and outsmart, but the health pool was just a bit too large, especially for the first main boss of the game.
The boss in itself isn’t too difficult. But because he has so much health, it took way too long to get his health down doing the same moves over and over again. However, this can easily be fixed for the final version, and I hope they apply the same to the bosses that come after.
Verdict
Deathbound is a solid soulslike game. It has great world design, satisfying combat, and a unique mechanic that lets you switch between multiple characters even during combat. The demo shows great potential as it was very polished, ran smoothly, and had no bugs for my playthrough on ultra settings.
| The Good | The Bad |
|---|---|
| Amazing post-apocalyptic setting that blends sci-fi and medieval | Sometimes combat can feel a bit clunky |
| Unique and fun hero-based combat system | Subpar UI design and presentation. |
| Good pacing between checkpoints and boss fights | |
| Great storytelling of the world through its environment. |
Rating: 8.5/10
GamesHorizon received a preview copy for Deathbound. Players can now wishlist the game on Steam and get the latest updates on X and TikTok.
