During the PC Gaming Show held at E3, there were several interesting games that made their debut worldwide, including the new action dark fantasy hack 'n slash game, Soulstice. This new IP is from Reply Game Studios, a relatively small Italian development studio that isn't new to the industry thanks to its work on both Theseus and Joe Dever's Lone Wolf. Apart from the word "soul" within its name, Soulstice does seem to share major similarities with Dark Souls games and the upcoming Elden Ring as well, at least from a setting and ambiance standpoint.
As a matter of fact, Soulstice does come with classic Soulslike elements in terms of its dark fantasy world and the main characters, Briar and Lute. That's not all though, because Soulstice seems to also tap into the atmosphere of manga the caliber of Berserk, Attack on Titan, and Claymore. The enemies are quite interesting as well; they are Wraiths who have crossed the Veil and can now wreak havoc on mankind and even possess their victims, while players are one of the so-called Chimera, the union of two souls.
The Influence of Soulslike Games on Soulstice
While very reminiscent of both Dark Souls and Elden Ring, Soulstice appears to stray from the mechanics of similar games in terms of combat. Soulstice is a game packed with action where fighting enemies comprises most of the experience, and it seems to be drawing inspiration from Japanese action games more akin to the Devil May Cry series and Nioh. This makes Reply Game Studios' new title both appealing for its Souls-like nature combined with a different hack 'n slash combat system that is much faster than that of Dark Souls, while also retaining some of its strategic aspects.
The relationship between the two protagonists, the sisters Briar and Lute who are reborn as a Chimera, is key to the plot of the game, and it also reflects on the abilities that players will get to unlock and then use. Players will get to manage both the physical prowess of Briar and Lute's capabilities of controlling the battlefield with supernatural abilities that transcend those of her sister. This synergy can also be used to explore the world of Soulstice in moments of solace from battles, employing skills and abilities that seem to be designed for combat in order to traverse the land and uncover its secret.
The transformation that allowed Briar and Lute to become one and their coming of age story doesn't seem too dissimilar from that of Fullmetal Alchemist, and the influence of Japanese art and video games is vibrating in Soulstice. Regardless, Soulstice does have its own identity, and it shows off its advanced graphics thanks to the power of next-gen consoles.
Soulstice's Approach on the Soulslike Genre
As such, despite the fact that Soulstice's combat is set to differ from that of Dark Souls and possibly Elden Ring as well, it does remain a game that fans of the genre will find compelling in some ways. In fact, Soulstice may go to show that powerful games can be handcrafted by small teams as well rather than big studios. All of this combined should appeal to many fans, though exact details regarding its length, characters, enemies, and world remain to be seen.
Fans will learn more in the coming months, but for now, it does look like a promising action dark fantasy IP. Overall, Soulstice's allure is in its unique rendition and mixture of fast-paced combat in a world that is inspired both by Souls-like and the foundations of Japanese creativity.
Soulstice is in development and will release in 2022 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.