As a seasoned veteran of the Soulsborne franchise, I found myself intrigued by the unique offering that is Deathbound. Having clashed steel with countless phantoms and tangoed with titans, I was eager to see how this indie gem would measure up against the giants of the genre.
New Souls-like games are constantly being released, and it’s easy to understand why. The genre’s pioneer, Elden Ring, recently introduced the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Lies of P was launched last year, and Black Myth: Wukong is imminent. These releases keep rekindling interest in the Souls-like genre every few months. Although Deathbound may not have the same magnitude of impact, it certainly won’t disappear into the sea of indie Souls-likes. Despite its formulaic nature, Deathbound wraps its standard Souls core with enough innovative elements to captivate fans of the genre.
In the ranking, the distinctive, hodgepodge atmosphere of “Deathbound” stands out. Although combining fantasy and sci-fi elements in Soulslikes isn’t a novel concept, “Deathbound” merges them uniquely to create an ambiance that can sometimes appear indecisive. The game is set in the post-apocalyptic world of Ziêminal, where the dilapidated city of Akratya serves as the battleground for medieval crusaders and tech-savvy wizards. Akratya showcases a variety of environments, ranging from makeshift camps, areas reminiscent of contemporary Earth, to mysterious zones with futuristic elements. The integration of the stern-but-potentially-wise Church of Death and the welcoming-yet-morally-ambiguous Cult of Life within this setting adds credibility to its appeal for both casual exploration and deeper investigation.
Party Combat Is Where Deathbound Shines
In Deathbound, a unique aspect that sets it apart from the Souls series lies in summoning fallen comrades to utilize their skills collectively. This is represented as a group of four Essences, which players can change at will, with new allies joining the ranks during the early stages. The integration of these diverse abilities brings additional depth to Deathbound, as anticipated. However, it’s the act of switching between them that stands out. Morph Attacks and Morph Dodges can be executed whenever a player has sufficient Sync gauge, serving as unpredictable offensive and defensive maneuvers, somewhat similar to tag-team fighting game mechanics. Properly timing these moves, or saving up for an Ultimate Morph Strike, can determine whether the victory is swift or if it results in a devastating defeat.
In the game Deathbound, hasty decisions could lead to losing strategic advantages before any character meets their end. Since every character shares the same health and stamina, it becomes challenging to fight effectively without overusing Morphing as characters get hurt. Mastering strategies like draining life from injured backup fighters using the main Essence’s attacks, while conserving the Estus Flask-like item to restore the leader’s health, is crucial for gameplay. It can be frustrating that a team with low health can’t run for extended periods, but when one fallen Essence means defeat, it’s a minor inconvenience to maintain the high tension in Deathbound.
In the game mechanics of Common Souls, elements such as backstabs and parries are assigned to different Essences, yet features like multiplayer interaction and fast travel are not included.
Deathbound Is A Mixed Bag, But Knows Its Strengths
Regrettably, there’s more than just the monetary cost in this game. The characters’ health, endurance, and heat levels are represented by diamonds at the bottom-left corner of the screen, which can be hard to decipher at times. The fighting can sometimes feel sluggish or delayed, and even quick attacks may not always seem smooth. While a certain level of awkwardness is characteristic of Soulslike games, this one seems to exceed what was found in Demon’s Souls. Enemies, on the other hand, suffer more, although their AI quirks can sometimes aid the player. However, they do have swift and sometimes unpredictable attacks with animations that might be hard to react to. These problems highlight some of Deathbound’s polish imperfections, but for those persisting, there’s a rewarding core to discover.
In extended battles filled with dynamic shifts and transformations, the game Deathbound truly shines. It’s incredibly rewarding when everything aligns perfectly. The variety of actions available to a complete team compensates for each character’s limited, static abilities, although this might become repetitive for players whose characters solidify quickly. However, the diversity among characters ensures everyone finds something appealing. The thrill of executing a lengthy combo on a boss by coordinating Morph Strikes with staggers, while simultaneously maintaining Sync-positivity through Perfect Dodges, distinguishes Deathbound from other Soulslikes.
Breaking Down Deathbound’s Minutiae
The menus in Deathbound can be quite cluttered, yet the detailed expositions of unique stats such as movement speed and poise are valued. Each Essence unlocks a segment of the common skill tree employed for character advancement, along with distinct traits that progressively boost their preferred combat style. Rewards like buffs and debuffs are bestowed based on each character’s interaction, which can occasionally be manipulated humorously, such as the devout Death crusader Therone receiving a trait that strengthens him in hostile groups. However, advancement doesn’t bring significant gameplay alterations, and relying on a skill tree instead of conventional stat leveling might exacerbate choice overload.
Prolonged battles filled with dynamic shifts and transformations truly showcase Deathbound‘s potential, and it’s incredibly satisfying when everything falls into place.
Compared to the latest accessible action-RPGs like “Rise of the Ronin” and “Another Crab’s Treasure”, the accessibility features in “Deathbound” are relatively light. However, it offers a good range of options, and its performance on Steam is smooth even at 120 frames per second. Some minor glitches were experienced, but the game’s autosave function was generous enough to recover from crashes. Unfortunately, only keyboard button remapping is available, but this becomes clear when comparing the Type A and B controller layouts. These layouts swap where Essence changing and item usage occur (between D-Pad and face buttons), but there are always other mechanics displaced as well. While Type A feels manageable with this change, “Deathbound”‘s gameplay will continue to be optimized for one more button regardless.
Deathbound Takes Two Steps Forward, And One Step Back
As a gamer, I’ve got to say that Deathbound may not be as visually stunning as a big-budget Soulslike game like Elden Ring, but it certainly holds its own. The character models and environmental details are impressively realized, with every aspect clearly visible at a glance. The area art is no joke either, although the Essence Labs tutorial area in Deathbound might just take the cake. Each region has a distinct color scheme and a decent amount of additional details, though there are times when repetitive architecture can make navigation a bit tricky.
In these scenes, the audio really stands out in Deathbound. The immersive dialogue makes it distinct from many other indie Soulslikes, though it doesn’t quite reach the level of FromSoftware’s exceptional voiceovers. Interactive frozen moments provide insights into each Essence’s background, personality, and play style, allowing players to catch up on details later if they prefer to move quickly during gameplay. Compared to most Soulslikes, Deathbound features more traditional cutscenes, party chatter, and occasional NPC dialogue, which benefits the voice cast significantly.
Deathbound
’s first playthrough should last between 15 and 25 hours, depending on the player.
Despite not being the next big Soulslike sensation, Deathbound manages to stand out in a crowd thanks to its courage and unique approach. With an engaging narrative and formidable enemies to battle, this game’s motley crew of characters can hold their own against even the most challenging opponents. However, it’s clear that the game’s unrealized potential is mounting. Its demo and affordable price make it an accessible choice for prospective players, and promised post-launch DLC could entice those who stick with it. All in all, Deathbound offers a satisfying experience for Souls enthusiasts during lulls between major releases, and its focus on blending different play styles promises an unforgettable journey – one that may be hard to forget due to its flaws.
On August 8, 2024, the game titled “Deathbound” will become available to play on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. For the purpose of this review, Game Rant received a PC code.
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2024-08-07 16:04