Deathbound Review: An Ambitious Soulslike Reaches for New Heights

Set in the decaying ruins of a once-great civilization, Deathbound casts players as fighters who can morph between different warrior souls. Developed by Trialforge Studio for PC, this indie Soulslike promises a deeply engaging world and tactical combat centered around its novel morphing mechanic.

You take control of four souls dwelling within a singular body. Each soul brings a distinct fighting style and personality to the party. By morphing fluidly between souls in combat, you can string together mighty combinations and capitalize on each soul’s unique strengths. Perhaps a stealthy assassin will backstab a foe from the shadows, only to morph mid-attack into a hulking berserker who batters the enemy into submission. With careful coordination of abilities and stats, victory is within reach.

Mastering Deathbound’s morphing adds exciting strategy to the familiar, fast-paced Soulslike fray. However, some rough technical edges and an at-times confusing setting hold the game back from greatness. But fans of challenging action-RPGs may find Deathbound’s fresh take on soul-swapping combat rewarding enough to look past its flaws. For those seeking new life breathed into a beloved genre, Deathbound’s journey of combating through different souls could be well worth embarking on.

Zeiminal’s Desolate Sands and Essences’ Tragic Pasts

The vast, desolate world of Zeiminal serves as the stage for Deathbound’s grim tale. Long ago, a powerful civilization known as the First Men thrived with mysterious technologies, achieving near immortality and prosperity. However, shadows began to creep in as factions split over what role science and faith should play.

Eventually, war erupted between the zealous Church of Death and the scientifically-driven Cult of Life. Their vicious conflict tore Zeiminal asunder, reducing its once proud cities to ruins amid drifting sands. Now, only remnants survive of what came before—crumbling skyscrapers and ruins housing strange remnants of the past.

It is within this desolate setting that players undertake a journey of discovery as a mysterious vessel housing various essences. These essences hold the souls of notable figures who lived during that tragic war, their personalities and abilities shaped by painful histories.

Therone follows the demanding Code of Death as a Paladin, content to fall in battle so long as his goddess triumphs. Meanwhile, Anna inhabits the vessel as a thief whose agility serves as a reminder of those forced into crime to survive the wars. Magnus brings arcane prowess from his lineage of alchemists who struggled to maintain neutrality between factions.

Even the berserker Bjorneth carries buried trauma from watching his homeland fall to flame and sword. Each Essence offers myriad skills to survive Zeiminal’s perils, but also troubled pasts that influence how they react to the cults, maintaining an uneasy truce. By experiencing their tales, players begin to understand what led to Zeiminal’s downfall—and how its new inhabitants still grapple with the scars of the past.

Weaving Between Warriors

In Deathbound, you’ll do more than just control a single character—you’ll command a party within one vessel. At the heart of its gameplay lies the Morph mechanic, letting you fluidly shift between four Essences mid-battle. Each Essence feels like their own hero, with unique skills and fighting styles. Maybe you favor Therone’s hearty defenses in a pinch or Anna’s speedy strikes to overwhelm foes. Perfect the art of Morphing at just the right moments to unleash devastating combo attacks.

Mastering each essence also means understanding their intricate skills. Therone bulks up surrounded by allies, while Anna empowers stealth kills. Experimenting with different party comps and focus builds offers plenty of replay value. Leveling each Essence on the shared skill tree bolsters your entire squad, though special traits grant individual perks too. Finding lost memories further enhances abilities with impactful effects.

Where Deathbound ups the challenge is how your health and stamina sync as one. Take hits, and your stamina for dodging and parrying dwindles too. Fights demand pinpoint precision and strategy-switching essences to leverage their strengths. Healing one also recovers others to prevent death, yet risky maneuvers could ruin your whole party. Although some may find the difficulty steep, overcoming formidable foes through deft Morphing provides a real feeling of accomplishment.

While Deathbound presents complex systems, adopting different strategies for varied situations feels natural. Weaving nimbly between party members amid tense battles proves thrilling and becomes key to toppling even the toughest of bosses. Its emphasis on utilizing disparate warriors in balanced harmony makes for memorable combat unlike typical Soulslikes.

Weaving Art and Atmosphere

From the desperate souls you encounter to grim settings that seep into your bones, Deathbound pulls you deep into its world through presentation. Character designs truly captivate, bursting with personality from the fanatical crusader Therone to the mysterious essence you control. Despite its indie roots, art direction excels with atmospheric environments like Essence Labs, where every grimy detail drags you in.

While visuals vary, high points stun. Futuristic ruins flourish with thick vegetation and crumbling structures, right until meeting ramshackle settlements. Monsters terrify too, from twisted aborted science experiments to nightmarish conglomerations. It’s a shame all areas don’t grip as tightly, but imagination fills gaps.

Sound truly seals the deal. Each weapon crackles and clashes with a unique weight. But ambient noises like howling winds or distant screams establish an unshakeable dread. Voice acting draws you close to essences despite flaws, with Therone’s passionate pleas especially haunting. Music adequately shifts between exploration’s somber tones and battle’s building intensity.

Though visuals show room for growth, Deathbound still weaves breathtaking art and perfectly unnerving atmospheres. Its worlds stimulate your mind’s eye to keep horror in view long after playing.

Environmental Storytelling

Deathbound prides itself on immersive exploration, yet its linearity can feel restrictive at times. Levels guide you down set paths towards the next objective without many chances to stray. While this streamlines the experience, it lacks the unknown, which fans of discovery cherish.

Checkpoint placement makes every journey intense. Dying returns you to distant bonfires, so caution must rule each step. A single misstep in a trap-filled corridor or during a harrowing ambush can trigger a lengthy trek. Reaching the next beacon of respite brings immense relief.

Despite linearity, environments themselves tell rich stories. Ruined cityscapes blend technology with nature in haunting ways. Former skyscrapers rise from tangled forests and lakes filling subway tunnels. Within these settings spawn countless dangers.

Enemies swarm with inventiveness. Mutated monstrosities lurch from dark corners, while mechanical terrors patrol decaying infrastructure. Each threatens in unique ways, from projectiles to claw swipes. Combined with devious trap schematics, vigilance stays crucial. Flaming dart launchers or collapsing walkways force careful routes.

Some level design feels same-y, lacking the mystery of interconnecting paths. Yet locales consistently astonish, whether underground fungal blooms or rooftop gardens reclaimed by wilderness. Each new area stimulates the imagination, keeping exploration compelling despite linearity. Deathbound may lack loose sandbox freedom, but environmental storytelling fills worlds with life, lending adventures an enduring atmosphere.

Blending Formulas with Flair and Flaws

Deathbound takes bold steps to evolve the Soulslike formula. Ideas like morphing classes within one vessel inject novel strategic layers, keeping combat engaging as situations shift. Yet Polish issues plague parts of this innovation.

Tightly coupling health and stamina raises tension as fatigue trails injury into battle. But morphing’s safety net and some slow enemy patterns loosen difficulty. Mechanics challenges in theory, yet feels less testing in practice at times.

Substantial content comes from evaluating builds across essences. Their diverse skills lend strategies for any playstyle. But some may solve issues too simply. And aside from relationship perks, progression offers small variety beyond numbers.

Skill matters less when outmaneuvering slow foes feels trivial. Moments demand dance-like finesse, yet others rely more on patience than polished precision. Frustrations mount similarly from bugs or unfair placements.

Hearteningly, passion for ambitious storytelling shines through. Vivid locales stimulate imagination between narrative vignettes. And imagination fuels the potential in future refinements to balance innovation and cohesion.

Small flaws accumulate, yet foundations feel solid for growth. With polish, Deathbound’s fusion of mechanics and moods could thrill players anew in subsequent adventures. Its vision merits praise for venturing beyond familiar shores into uncharted creative waters.

Deathbound’s Uneven Soul Offers Glimpses of Greatness

Deathbound takes bold steps that expand the Soulslike genre. Its Morphing system brings fresh complexity, with Essences offering varied combat options. Meanwhile, the plot weaves an imaginative world through its characters.

However, weaknesses remain. Combat lacks responsiveness at times, and difficulty borders on unfair. Exploration feels restrictive in its linearity as well.

Yet strengths outweigh flaws for dedicated fans. Morphing transitions provide exciting counterplay. And uncovering each Essence’s perspective enhances appreciation for Deathbound’s grim setting.

Areas for future polish seem clear. Tighter responsiveness would balance challenges. While optional zones could delight those longing to get lost in another world.

Overall, Deathbound displays a studio passionate about ambitious storytelling. Its innovations set a foundation for refining gameplay and world design further.

For those seeking new Soulslike experiences, Deathbound offers a glimpse of what refinement could yield. And its courage in branching beyond formulas deserves recognition. While not for all, it may prove a unique journey for some.

With dedication to learning from critique, Deathbound’s scope to evolve remains promising. Its works already show greatness, leaving hope that later titles may fully realize its daring vision. For now, appreciation seems due to the steps taken, however uneven, toward forging new paths.

Also Read:

Deathbound Emerges as a Soulslike Contender for Your PC Collection Lords of the Fallen Review: A Soulslike Struggling with Its Own Identity Valentine’s Day Brings a Soulslike Crossover to Lies of P ‘Enotria: The Last Song’ Blends Italian Folklore and Soulslike Combat