SOULSTICE / DEVELOPER: REPLY GAME STUDIOS / PUBLISHER: MODUS / PLATFORM: PC, PS5 (REVIEWED), XBOX SERIES X/S / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
After creatures known as the “Wraiths” break through a tear in the Veil to attack the living, consuming their life essence and possessing some, the Chimeras, warriors that are reborn of two souls, must battle the evil force to save mankind in Soulstice, the new action game from Reply Game Studios. Players take control of Briar and Lute, two sisters who have been reborn as Chimera and must use their unbreakable bond to empower them to fight the impending doom.
When you think of action-adventure hack-n-slash, your mind will most certainly think of Devil May Cry or more recently, Bayonetta – and after playing Soulstice, we can definitely see the influence. With an emphasis on sleek and fast-paced gameplay and a levelling system that allows players to upgrade weapon combos and unlock character enhancements too, this title still manages to pave its own way and, whilst not always reaching the dizzy heights of its predecessors, is still an incredibly fun and challenging game for players who love a game that rewards attention to combos and replaying segments to get the best scores possible – along with trying different playstyles.
The story is interesting, with intrigue and mysteries aplenty, the relationship between Briar and Lute is wholesome and some of the set pieces and boss battles are spectacular in scope and challenge. However, our main issues with this title compared to the rest of the amazing action-adventure games out there is that Soulstice feels more linear than its peers (with a lack of exploration aside from some small side paths unlocking challenge rooms) and some aspects don’t feel quite as polished, with the lock-on system especially hindering us when going for those perfect “diamond” score runs.
Soulstice is smooth and sleek in its gameplay and design – but something just feels like it’s missing to take it to the next level. A solid overall addition to the hack-n-slash RPG genre that will tide over DMC and Bayonetta fans until the new games come out.
