Pressing the left or right trigger causes Lute to create an aura of blue or red energy around the sisters. If you want to unleash Briar’s most powerful attacks, including the visually-impressive Rapture attack, you’ll need to build Synergy between the protagonists by timing Lute’s parries and avoiding damage. Enemies pile on from all angles, and the only indication of an incoming attack is a white icon that easily blends into all the other effects. Unless you have lightning reflexes combat is, bluntly, a bit of a mess.

You’re often outnumbered eight to one (or one and a half) and without Lute you’ll be pancaked in no time. In combat, Lute is used to parry attacks and disrupt, slow, or confuse the enemy. Briar’s shade is her sister, Lute, whose death was the catalyst for Briar’s standoffish way of life. Ashen Knights are a special breed of warrior known as Chimeras, bound to a ghostly shade who enhances their power and provides field support. You play the role of Briar, a rookie Ashen Knight who seeks the approval of her order. Soulstice‘s straightforward hack and slash action certainly has a measure of appeal, but I occasionally struggled to remain invested through its cavalcade of dusty rooms, grimy sewers and what I could swear was the same stretch of burning bridge over and over again.

It’s something altogether rarer than that: a linear, chapter-by-chapter adventure game the likes of which you just don’t often see anymore.īefore we roll out the trumpeters it’s worth remembering that games moved on from that particular genre for a lot of reasons. Contrary to what first appearances or even its own title might suggest, Soulstice from Reply Game Studios is not a Soulslike.

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