Soul Stalker

About

Soul Stalker is a single player and multiplayer hack and slash game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Radhood and was released on August 4, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

"Soul Stalker" is a survivor roguelike game with Slay the Spire-like map and build systems, where you banish ghosts haunting town residents. Forge your own path, synergize weapons and trinkets, and unlock new items through a progression system. The game features automated attacks, Paper Mario-inspired graphics, and a soundtrack by composer Tomoki Miyoshi.

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80%

Audience ScoreBased on 76 reviews

graphics15 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Soul Stalker features charming visuals and a cute art style that enhances the overall experience.
The game offers a variety of weapons, characters, and trinkets, allowing for creative build experimentation and enjoyable gameplay.
Short run times and a straightforward gameplay loop make it accessible and perfect for casual play sessions.

The game lacks depth and variety in enemy types and mechanics, leading to repetitive gameplay after a few runs.
Many players find the game too easy, with predictable difficulty progression and minimal challenge.
There are several bugs and design issues, such as unclear UI elements and limited meta-progression, which detract from the overall experience.

graphics
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
42%
10%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming, paper-like art style that blends whimsical and spooky elements, reminiscent of the Paper Mario series. Players appreciate the crisp character designs, vibrant colors, and smooth performance, with many noting that the visuals enhance the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Overall, the graphics are described as cute, engaging, and well-executed, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The art style blends paper-like character designs, muted tones, and ghostly glows to create an atmosphere that sits between spooky and playful.”
- “The graphics are very cute and the overall presentation is easy on the eyes.”
- “The characters and enemies have a nice paper cutout aesthetic, with sharp lines and nice colors.”
- “Strange castles and cemeteries, completely devoid of the paper aesthetic.”
- “I don't have any kind of attachment to them and the paper art style might be messing with my idea of the hitboxes.”
- “If all these problems are fixed in the release, I would definitely buy the game though as it has a lot of charms by the visuals.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
64%
11%
The gameplay is characterized by a straightforward and accessible design, featuring a variety of characters, weapons, and progression systems that unlock through runs. However, many players find the mechanics repetitive and lacking in depth, with limited enemy variety and environmental hazards that fail to keep the experience fresh. While the game offers enjoyable moments and a solid foundation, it struggles with balance and complexity, leaving some players wanting more engaging and unique gameplay elements.
- “The mechanical depth comes from the wide array of characters, weapons, and trinkets that unlock as you complete more runs.”
- “Easy to play game with straightforward mechanics that make it accessible from the start.”
- “The gameplay loop is simple: clear a 50-second stage and visit a shop to buy power-ups and more weapons.”
- “Many foes share similar attack patterns or movement behaviors, and the environments—while atmospheric—do not always introduce new hazards or mechanics to keep later runs feeling fresh.”
- “The art is great, but it's very boring mechanically.”
- “Overall my only issue is the gameplay could be more intuitive here when it comes to upgrading your build for every run; it's just gotten stale for me.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
37%
19%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its pleasant and catchy nature, enhancing the overall experience. However, some critics find the soundtrack to be mismatched with the game's atmosphere, describing it as stock-like or annoying. Overall, while the music is generally seen as a positive aspect, opinions vary significantly on its suitability and quality.
- “Great game, stick with it, some pleasant music too.”
- “Soundtrack is dynamic and catchy, and a whole lot of characters and open world content are hidden away to unlock.”
- “Everything is super polished and I loved the music!”
- “The problem is this, the music in this game does not match any of the scenery at all.”
- “The music sounds very very annoying with a happy-like monotone soundtrack that was pulled out of a Dragon Quest game or something.”
- “I give it an absolutely 10/10 for visuals, 0/10 for sounds and music, and 5/10 for enemy artificial intelligence.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while the ascension system and endless modes provide opportunities for varied gameplay and character exploration, the limited enemy variety detracts from the overall experience. Players appreciate the ability to strategize and craft builds, but many feel that additional content would enhance replay value.
- “I myself am a big fan of endless modes, and being able to see all my options for upgrades in the menu prior to playing (like a guidebook informatively) allows time to craft builds or concepts that make the game more replayable.”
- “Not a big issue, but it adds replay value, and more would be great.”
- “But, the enemies have a very limited variety and not much replayability; still a 7/10 game.”
- “The game has an ascension system like 'Slay the Spire' that adds replayability after you've unlocked all the different characters.”
- “I myself am a big fan of endless modes, and being able to see all my options for upgrades in the menu prior to playing (like a guidebook) allows time to craft builds or concepts that make the game more replayable.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a unique blend of paper-like character designs, muted tones, and ghostly glows, striking a balance between spooky and playful. While the environments are atmospheric, they sometimes lack variety in hazards and mechanics, which can affect the freshness of later runs. Overall, it successfully maintains an engaging atmosphere without overwhelming players with complexity.
- “The art style blends paper-like character designs, muted tones, and ghostly glows to create an atmosphere that sits between spooky and playful.”
- “It finds a comfortable niche between spooky atmosphere and approachable design, offering enough content to stay engaging without overreaching for complexity it cannot support.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development is enhanced by a visually appealing art style that combines paper-like designs with muted tones and ghostly glows, creating a charming atmosphere that balances spooky and playful elements. Reviewers praise the crisp animations and overall character design, highlighting their fun and engaging qualities.
- “The art style blends paper-like character designs, muted tones, and ghostly glows to create an atmosphere that sits between spooky and playful.”
- “Pros - visuals are great, character design, UI, art style, and animation are all crisp and fun.”
- “Not to mention the extremely charming visuals and character design.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Overall, the game's stability is generally good, with only a few minor glitches reported. Users note that it runs smoothly on Steam, indicating that it is a solid work in progress.
- “Runs great on Steam.”
- “The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
- “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
- “There are a few glitches here and there, but it's still a work in progress, so you can't blame them.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I experienced several bugs that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Reviewers express a desire for a more engaging and meaningful story, suggesting the inclusion of text quests with impactful choices and outcomes. However, the overall experience is somewhat marred by a repetitive and distracting soundtrack that detracts from the narrative immersion.
- “More meaningful map choices, such as a text quest with outcomes—both positive and negative—would enhance the story, along with secret weapon drops or passives that can be obtained with high risk on these map choices.”
- “The story lacks depth and fails to engage the player, making it feel like a series of disconnected events rather than a cohesive narrative.”
- “Character development is minimal, leaving players with little emotional investment in their journeys.”
- “The plot twists are predictable and uninspired, resulting in a story that feels stale and unoriginal.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization is criticized for performance issues and awkward design choices, such as a lack of rewards after key milestones and insufficient information on upgrades. While the progression system is straightforward and engaging, the short run lengths hinder meaningful build development, leaving players feeling unsatisfied.
- “The game's progression is straightforward, and the purchase of new trinkets and weapons based on your performance from prior runs is a great way to add progression without introducing meta-progression.”
- “Many issues remain, such as a lack of information regarding certain upgrades, performance issues, and an overall feeling that the game is awkward and rushed. There are many strange design choices, like having no reward after defeating the final boss of the first floor. In general, the runs are too short, not allowing for a real build, and it just goes on and on.”