Enotria’s Approach to Builds Might Set a New Bar for Soulslike Games

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Enotria's Approach to Builds Might Set a New Bar for Soulslike Games

Key Takeaways

  • Enotria: The Last Song offers unique character build mechanics to stand out in the crowded Soulslike genre.
  • Players can switch between three customizable builds instantly, drawing attention from genre fans.
  • Enotria’s approach to builds merges Soulslike and Metroidvania elements, setting a new standard.

As a seasoned gamer with a penchant for Soulslikes and a soft spot for games that push boundaries, I can confidently say that Enotria: The Last Song has caught my attention like no other this year. With its unique approach to character builds, Jyamma Games has managed to create something truly special in the crowded Soulslike genre.

2021 sees a torrent of Soulslike and Soulslike-inspired games, one of which is Enotria: The Last Song, slated for release in September. Reminiscent of Game Science’s Black Myth Wukong, Enotria is the first AAA title from Italian studio Jyamma Games. To give Enotria: The Last Song a unique feel, the developers have used their home country as a backdrop, drawing upon their culture to create an atmosphere that sets it apart.

One key aspect that sets Enotria apart within the Soulslike genre is its unique feature allowing players to swiftly switch between three tailored character builds, without the need for respecification. The protagonist’s distinctive masks can be customized and swapped instantly in battle, providing immediate access to various loadouts suitable for combating mobs, ranged foes, or bosses. This versatile system encourages players to explore different equipment combinations to discover what best fits their preferred playstyle. Additionally, it mirrors the exploratory nature of Metroidvania games by offering a design strategy that other titles could emulate effectively.

Enotria’s Approach to Builds is an Evolution of Both Soulslike and Metroidvania Elements

The inner circle of the Venn diagram containing Metroidvanias and Soulslikes continues to get bigger by the day, which makes sense given how well both genre’s mechanics complement each other. While it’s nowhere near the same level of “Soulsvanias” like Death’s Gambit or Salt and Sanctuary in terms of its build crafting, the recently released Frontier Hunter: Erza’s Wheel of Fortune implements the ability to swap between three different characters, each with their own loadout. Erza already bears a striking resemblance to the well-received Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, but its implementation of an oft-requested feature that still has yet to find its way into Bloodstained (loadout-swapping) immediately sets it apart from its inspiration.

The ability to hot-swap between builds in Enotria thanks to the masks that the player can equip is also somewhat similar to another unconventional Soulslike, Mortal Shell. Rather than restrict players to one specific build, Mortal Shell allows players to switch between equippable “Shells,” though this freedom comes at the cost of customization and specific gear optimization. Comparatively, Enotria seems to find a comfortable middle ground between the two, offering players the opportunity to customize the loadouts attached to each mask while also preventing them from needing to stick to one specific build short of a total respec.

How Future FromSoftware Games Could Follow Enotria’s Lead

FromSoftware consistently leads the way in game design and craftsmanship within the “Souls” genre, given that their own creation, Dark Souls, coined the term for this subset of challenging, action-focused RPGs. However, the studio is not limited to just refining its own ideas, as it can also learn from other talented developers pushing the boundaries of the Soulslike genre. This is where Enotria’s multi-build system comes into play. FromSoftware has already streamlined character build customization in Elden Ring with an abundance of Larval Tears, and future projects could potentially take this even further.

A potential sequel or new game from FromSoftware with the mechanics similar to Elden Ring or the Soulsborne series, but offering various character builds within a single gameplay session, could be a fantastic step towards making their games more accessible. To maintain balance in the game, it might be better not to include respec options when multiple builds are available. In such a scenario, being able to switch between different builds on the fly according to game situations would be an ideal experience for fans of Soulslike games. The fact that Enotria seems to be realizing this dream makes it a game worth paying attention to by enthusiasts of the genre.

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2024-08-30 15:04