Soul Saga
- February 28, 2020
- Disastercake
Get on Steam"Soul Saga" is a Kickstarter-funded JRPG that pays homage to classic games in the genre. The player controls a young airship pilot, Mithos, who sets out to save his world from a mysterious evil. The game features turn-based combat, character customization, and a vibrant world to explore. However, it has been criticized for its unfinished state and numerous bugs.
Mac OS
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Linux
PlayStation
Playstation Vita
Wii
Wii U
Reviews
- The character designs and art style are well done, with some characters being particularly adorable.
- The combat system introduces a unique strategic element with the ATB mechanics and the Wheel of Murai, requiring players to think critically about their moves.
- The game has potential for improvement, with the developer actively seeking feedback and planning to add more story and character development in future updates.
- The game lacks meaningful exploration, with repetitive fetch quests and a lifeless world that feels empty and unengaging.
- Airship controls are clunky and difficult to master, leading to frustration during navigation and exploration.
- The story and dialogue are underdeveloped, making it hard for players to connect with the characters or feel invested in the narrative.
- story41 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as minimal and lacking depth, with players noting that it primarily consists of basic quest outlines and limited character development. While there are some narrative elements, such as a narrator providing background, many reviewers feel that the storytelling is insufficient to engage players, often reducing the experience to task management rather than immersive role-playing. Overall, the consensus is that the game needs significant improvements in its narrative structure to enhance player attachment and interest.
“I like how the narrator explains the story behind the world.”
“The original promise and prototype was a classic JRPG with charming art and a simple but enjoyable enough story.”
“Given, again, this is early access... odds are more story-rich content and character development will be added as time goes by.”
“Unfortunately, Soul Saga doesn't really seem to have that much in regards to storytelling.”
“The game has no story; you finish a map, go to the senate, get your cash, then on to the next with the same thing and same dialogue.”
“The depth of the quests (from what I have seen) has very little story and feels like task management more than role playing.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its lack of clarity and tutorial support, leading to a clunky experience that can be frustrating for players. Many reviewers noted the absence of exploration and variety, with a repetitive gameplay loop and poorly explained mechanics, particularly regarding airship controls and combat. While some found the ATB mechanics engaging, the overall execution has been described as divisive and lacking in depth, making it difficult for players to fully enjoy the experience.
“You are somewhat restricted to flying along from isle to isle as the game has a 'cloudking' mechanic that causes the airship to be assaulted when it ventures too far from land, but you are given options that allow you to equip your airship with parts that make it easier to dodge and avoid these creatures to some extent.”
“Fun and interesting ATB mechanics that require you to think out when you will attack.”
“This creates a gameplay experience unlike anything I have played before.”
“Final Fantasy XIII was the most divisive Final Fantasy because of its lack of towns and gameplay variety.”
“The gameplay is incredibly clunky, and I can’t even begin to start on the dialog.”
“The game doesn't explain these mechanics to you, so you either have to figure them out through trial and error, or you need to find help online from other people.”
- music13 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as good, catchy, and enhancing the overall experience, though some players find it not particularly memorable. Many appreciate the nostalgic yet unique quality of the tracks, which feature a consistent core theme, while others note the absence of character voices. Overall, the music complements the game's beautiful art style effectively.
“The music has a core theme you'll notice between the battle themes and a couple others.”
“Enjoyable graphics and music that feel a little nostalgic but unique.”
“The game is only enhanced by the beautiful art style, and the top-notch music.”
“The music is not very memorable and there are no character voices.”
“This song and dance continued even from Steam comments pointing to Patreon.”
“I didn't get to hear the full range of music in the game, but it gets the job done.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally described as clean and enjoyable, with a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the PS2 era. While the 3D graphics are considered basic, the quality of the 2D artwork and cut-scenes is praised, contributing to the game's charm. Overall, the art style and music enhance the visual experience, making it appealing to fans of the genre.
“Enjoyable graphics and music that feel a little nostalgic but unique.”
“The game is only enhanced by the beautiful art style, and the top-notch music.”
“The art style is fantastic.”
“If you like PS2 era graphics, you'll like this.”
“3D graphics are pretty barebones.”
“It won't be hyper-intense graphics as I can run it smoothly (I have a GTX 620... so yeah, it's potato friendly-ish).”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while Mithos's character design is charming, the game currently lacks depth in character development, which is seen as a significant shortcoming given the potential of its diverse cast. Players hope that future updates will enhance the story and character arcs.
“Mithos's character design in battle and on the map is adorable; it always has been in every design.”
“Given that this is early access, there are likely to be more story-rich elements and character development added as time goes by.”
“What the game lacks the most is character development, as I believe that the vast number of characters is this game's main asset.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the story.”
“There is little to no backstory provided for most characters, making it hard to connect with them.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn criticism, with users expressing concerns that it feels exploitative, particularly due to early access and aggressive Patreon advertising aimed at generating additional revenue. Overall, this has contributed to a negative perception of the game's value and quality.
“I really don’t want to assume this was a cash grab by putting it in early access, but the game is just utterly terrible.”
“But it wasn’t just that; Patreon advertising started to come in to get more money and patrons to get updates.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly on level 30+ maps where large distances must be traversed without save points. Fetch quests require back-and-forth travel across expansive areas, leading to frustration when miscalculations or unexpected challenges arise, often resulting in players having to restart the map.
“On level 30+ maps, the maps are huge and there's no save points. You go fetch a quest item from the eastmost part of the map, then fetch another from the westmost, and then return the fetched items to the eastmost again. While on your way back, you miscalculate or become annoyed by the tediousness and just want to get the map done quickly, but you get screwed by the cloud king. Yup, alt+F4 and redo the map again.”
“The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive. It often feels like I'm just going through the motions without any real sense of progress or achievement.”
“I find the grinding to be incredibly tedious. The same tasks over and over again with little variation make it hard to stay engaged.”
