Xbox Series X|S Code Provided By Fallen Flag Studio
As an amateur to the Soulslike genre, I’m always looking for new titles that really stand out and pull me in. Luckily for me, Fallen Flag Studio’s Eldest Souls brings a unique playstyle to the genre by offering 2D pixelated visuals and a Boss Rush mentality. The end result is a wildly fun time that you’ll enjoy again and again, trust me.
Story
Eldest Souls isn’t a game that focuses too heavily on the story but on its presentation instead. There is a story though and it does a great job at setting up what unfolds. Basically, humanity and The Old Gods had been living in harmony with each other for as long as anyone could remember.
All that changed though when one god planted a seed in the minds of the other gods not to trust humanity. Wars ensued and humanity began to crumble. Now there’s only a single hope left, our protagonist, and it’s up to them to battle their way through each individual god and restore peace.
Gameplay
The game first and foremost is a Soulslike game but it balances it well with strictly taking a Boss Rush route, ie. you don’t have to worry about fighting mindless minions around each level. Each of the game’s boss fights is contained to a small area where you’ll really need to focus on your enemy’s patterns in order to actually succeed.
I find playing a Soulslike game in 2D so much easier than in the regular format that those games are known for. Don’t get me wrong, this game is terribly hard and you’ll be both screaming profanities as well as whining for the game to finally throw you a bone. It’s so rewarding though once you finally get to laugh in the boss’s face as it fades to nothing.
Combat is extremely smooth and because of its dashing mechanics, you’re able to glide from one side of the arena to the other, most times. When you aren’t, you’ll be hacking away at your enemy and dodging their long list of attacks that may evolve as the fight progresses.
I felt that the game did a very good job with combat but I will say that once in a while, the hit detection from enemies did seem slightly off. It didn’t negatively impact me too much though and I had a great time regardless. Even though I liked killing them, the bosses are by far the standouts in this game. Their attacks are so varied that they really kept me on my toes at all times.
The game offers many unique mechanics, attacks, and skills that help to further the gameplay in order for you to discover your own playstyle. These can also do things like steal health from enemies or simply hit them even harder. It’s fun to play around with these playstyles and I’m glad that the game takes a very easy-to-understand approach. Everything is laid out clearly, and screens aren’t bloated with unnecessary items on them.
The three playstyles that you get to choose from are Windslide, Berserker Slash, and Counter. Windslide is for nimble players that strike at any time and aren’t afraid to get in the boss’s face if need be. Berserker Slash is the offensive player who takes their aggression out on the bosses directly. The last one, Counter, is for players that have the patience to wait it out for the best possible time to strike. I personally played Windslide as it kind of felt like a mixture of the two.
I could be wrong but that’s just the way it felt to me. Regardless, you can upgrade the skills in each one to give you boosts or new attacks altogether. You also have the opportunity to equip Shards dropped by defeated gods and infuse them into your playstyle. You can infuse multiple at a time and they offer many different improvements to your build overall.
Aside from dispatching bosses, you can roam freely around the game’s many areas by simply running around or traveling via fast-travel back and forth to experience this gorgeously created world. You’ll also want to take advantage of doing the game’s side-quests too.
These side-quests will allow you to interact with the game’s NPCs and basically go on hunts for them for missing items. It’s a nice little side attraction for the game. The plus side to them is that not only do you learn a little more about the lore but you can get some rewards that could help your stats as well.
Visuals and Audio
I’d have to say that in both aspects, Eldest Souls can be absolutely gorgeous. The music and art style complement each other beautifully and there’s nothing I would change about them one bit. The colors are saturated just right and the music always makes sure you feel what the developers intended you to feel. Don’t even get me talking about the bosses though. Each has their own menacing look to them that just steals the show.
Replayability
Eldest Souls offers so much replayability, in so many ways. There’s a New Game+ mode for when you beat the game as well as an Arena Mode. Each of these can be unlocked upon beating the game once. NG+ though will consistently get tougher the more times you beat the game, thus giving you an excuse the play it over and over. Either mode though gives you the chance to really tackle the combat system and set up your build for the chance to test things out differently.
What It Could Have Done Better
As a newer player to the genre, I would’ve liked to see some difficulty options. I get that the devs had a vision but it can deter some folks that may just want to play for fun and don’t enjoy getting frustrated. Armor options would’ve also been a welcomed edition as well. As I said above, hit detection seemed off once in a while as well, so maybe just tweaking the off-shoots would help.
Verdict
Fallen Flag did a fantastic job at taking what they knew about the genre and translated it into a beautiful 2D take on it that had me glued to the screen for hours at a time. It’s clear that a lot of effort went into Eldest Souls and it oozes out of every pore. While I would get irritated by the difficulty, I had a blast when push came to shove. This is a fun game, especially if you love to rage quit.
