| Souldiers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Retro Forge |
| Publisher(s) | Dear Villagers |
| Engine | Unity [1] |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | June 2, 2022 |
| Genre(s) | Metroidvania |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Souldiers is a 2022 Metroidvania video game with role-playing elements developed by Retro Forge and published by Dear Villagers. [2] It released on 2 June 2022 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. [3]
Souldiers is a 2D action-adventure metroidvania with soulslike combat. The player can select one of three classes at the beginning of the game, Scout, Archer, and Caster, each with different abilities and combat styles. The player has access to light and heavy attacks, a dodge ability, and class-specific utility abilities. Throughout the story the player gains the ability to infuse their attacks with different elements, allowing them to deal more damage to enemies of a certain element in exchange for taking more damage from others. The available elements are: Fire, Earth, Lightning, Water, and Wind.
The exploration options are limited by the character's abilities. Thus, the player unlocks new areas as they unlock new power-ups. Enemies defeated give the player experience that allows them to level up. As the character levels up, they can then unlock new abilities in a skill tree unique to each class
Souldiers takes place at the beginning of a war against the Dadelm army. The Royal Council of Zarga, one of the three nations that rule the continent of Ascil, is preparing its military plan. The War Council led by the King of Zarga announces the positioning of the troops determined by General Brigard.
Arkzel, the king's sorcerer and main advisor, who has led him to victory on many occasions, suggests a change of strategy that leads the troop of soldiers to the edge of a cave. After a devastating earthquake, they find themselves trapped in the darkness. A luminous silhouette appears before their eyes and invites them to accompany her. It is a Valkyrie, an entity that comes to find the deceased so that their existence continues beyond the world. Informing them that their circumstances are unnatural, the Valkyrie transports the soldiers, amongst which is the player character, to the world of Terryaga, where they are instructed to seek out the "Guardian".
After regrouping with their commander Brigard in Terryaga's capital of Hafin, the player sets out on several missions to investigate the different factions of the world, encountering among them a parasitic race of monsters that possess their hosts, The deceased enemy general Galath and his forces, as well as a mysterious legion of Armored warriors exterminating their fellow soldiers. Eventually the player is told about a monster named Ratatosk who is attempting to destroy Terryaga by gnawing at the roots of its world tree. The player then traverses the Fire temple to Reach Ratatosk and defeats him, wherein he gives the player a cube to traverse the valley of silence and reach the Guardian.
Clearing the challenges of the Valley of Silence and defeating Galath for good, the player reencounters the legion of warriors, reborn through the power of their leader, who the player then defeats and absorbs. Ascending to a mystical tower, the player encounters the Guardian Beigon, who is revealed to be infected by one of the parasites. Beigon steals the players combined power and attempts to kill them, only for the Legion of warriors to empower the player with their fallen energy, allowing them to defeat Beigon and release him from the parasite. Beigon reveals that Arkzel was possessed by the power of one of the parasites, and lured the army to the cave to ensure that the parasites could devour the Players homeworld. Beigon opens a portal for the player and their comrades to return home and attempt to save their world.
The game was announced on October 20, 2021 in partnership with IGN . [4] Souldiers was also featured in the MIX (Media Indie Exchange) NEXT showcase 2021 with a commented trailer by the developers introducing the gameplay and classes of the game. [5]
Souldiers was originally produced in Spanish and was subsequently localized into British English, French, German, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese. Localization was coordinated by Ad Ludus Game Localization, with the Spanish to English translation itself also being directly produced by the same. The game was initially scheduled to launch on May 19, but was delayed to June 2 to add further polish. [3]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PC) 77/100 [6] (NS) 72/100 [7] (PS5) 78/100 [8] (XSX) 78/100 [9] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Nintendo Life |   [10] |
Souldiers received "generally favorable" reviews for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and "mixed or average" reviews for Nintendo Switch, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Mitch Vogel of Nintendo Life praised the art style, abundance of collectibles, and combat system while criticizing the performance problems, long load times, and difficulty spikes. [10]
Blasphemous is a Metroidvania video game developed by Spanish studio The Game Kitchen and published by Team17. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on 10 September 2019, with Warp Digital handling the console ports. Versions for macOS and Linux were released on 21 September 2020. A version for Amazon Luna was released on 20 October 2020. It began as a Kickstarter campaign in 2017. A sequel, titled Blasphemous 2, was released on 24 August 2023.
Guacamelee! is a Metroidvania action platforming video game developed and published by DrinkBox Studios, initially launched in April 2013 for platforms PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita and was later ported to Windows in August and to OS X and Linux in February 2014. The enhanced Super Turbo Championship Edition was released for Wii U, Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 in July 2014 and later on the Nintendo Switch in October 2018. The game is inspired by traditional Mexican culture and folklore, like alebrijes and Day of the Dead.
Giga Wrecker is a puzzle-platform game developed by Game Freak and published by Rising Star Games. It was released for Windows in February 2017 and Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One as Giga Wrecker Alt. in April 2019.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a 2018 platform game developed by Game Atelier and published by FDG Entertainment. Part of the Wonder Boy series, it was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in December, for Windows in July 2019, for Stadia in July 2020, for PlayStation 5 in December 2021, and for Xbox Series X/S in August 2022. It was generally well received by critics.
Hollow Knight is a 2017 Metroidvania video game developed and published by independent developer Team Cherry. The player controls the Knight, an insectoid warrior exploring Hallownest, a fallen kingdom plagued by a supernatural disease. The game is set in diverse subterranean locations, featuring friendly and hostile insectoid characters and numerous bosses. Players have the opportunity to unlock abilities as they explore, along with pieces of lore and flavour text that are spread throughout the kingdom.
Sundered is a Metroidvania video game developed and published by Canadian studio Thunder Lotus Games. It was released on July 28, 2017, for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and PlayStation 4. A definitive version of the game, Sundered: Eldritch Edition, was released on December 21, 2018, for Nintendo Switch and Xbox One and on May 26, 2020, on Stadia.
Chasm is a Metroidvania video game developed and published by Bit Kid, Inc. for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in July 2018, the Nintendo Switch in October 2018, and the Xbox One in November 2018.
YesterMorrow is a 2D scrolling platform game developed by Slovak studio Bitmap Galaxy and published by Blowfish Studios for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 5, 2020. Upon its release, the game received generally favorable reviews on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, but negative reviews for Nintendo Switch due to technical issues.
Narita Boy is a 2021 action-adventure video game developed by Spanish team Studio Koba and published by Team17. The game is an action platformer that follows the titular Narita Boy as he tries to save the Digital Kingdom from the Stallions. The game was released on March 30, 2021 for Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and for Amazon Luna on April 29, 2021.
HyperParasite is a roguelike shooter video game developed and published by Troglobytes Games. Early prototypes of the game were distributed through Steam's early access program in 2019. The game was released on 3 April 2020 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, which was followed by a physical release for the Switch on 19 February 2021. The game received generally positive reviews, earning praise for its uniqueness and design and criticism for its difficulty.
Demon Turf is a 3D platformer action-adventure game developed by Fabraz and published by Playtonic Friends. The game was released November 4, 2021 on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a 2021 action role-playing platform game developed by Adglobe and Live Wire and published by Binary Haze Interactive, featuring a dark fantasy fairy tale.
F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch is a 2021 metroidvania video game developed by TiGames and published by Bilibili. It was released on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on September 7, 2021, followed by a Windows port on October 3, 2021. The game launched on the Nintendo Switch in July 2022. It also released for Xbox Series X/S in June 2023. The game follows Rayton, an anthropomorphic rabbit and former ace pilot who, using a giant mechanical fist, rises up against the robotic Legion that has invaded Torch City in an effort to liberate it from its oppressors. The game received positive reviews from critics, citing its graphics, world and gameplay.
One Step From Eden is a roguelike action video game created by American independent developer Thomas Moon Kang, and published by Humble Bundle. Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, it was released for Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch in March 2020, and later ported to PlayStation 4 in June 2020, and Xbox One in November 2021.
Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a 2021 video game by LABS Works, published by Japanese publisher Dangen Entertainment. The game's plot revolves around a fighter named Arias, an archer named Kyuli, and a wizard named Algus. The three are on a quest to save their home village from despair as most of the land has turned to desert from the atrocities of an ancient war.
Unsighted is a 2021 indie video game developed by Studio Pixel Punk and published by Humble Games for the Nintendo Switch, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PS4. The game is a Metroidvania adventure game in which the player and all non-player characters exist within a time limit, with the player required to find and allocate 'meteor dust' to characters to maintain their survival. The game was designed by Brazilian developers Fernanda Dias and Tiani Pixel, who cited the Metroid and Legend of Zelda series as influential to the design of the game. Upon release, Unsighted received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising the innovation of the game's use of time as a narrative and gameplay mechanic, its visual presentation, and combat.
Infernax is a Metroidvania video game developed by Berzerk Studio and published by The Arcade Crew. It was released on February 14, 2022, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The game follows the young Duke Alcedor, who finds his village overrun by monsters upon returning from the Crusades. Infernax received generally favorable reviews. An update to the game, Deux or Die, was released on April 5, 2023, in which another player can join in as Cervul the Squire.
Moonscars is a 2022 platform game developed by Black Mermaid and published by Humble Games. The game was released on September 27, 2022 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. In the game, players control a warrior named Grey Irma, who searches for her maker, the Sculptor. The game received generally positive reviews on release.
Lost Ruins is a 2021 action survival metroidvania video game developed by Altari Games and published by DANGEN Entertainment.
Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread is a Metroidvania video game developed by Allods Team Arcade and published by My.Games.