Souldiers

About

"Souldiers" is a single-player fantasy platformer game with an intriguing story, set in a beautifully designed 16-bit world. Engage in gripping melee combat, upgrading your skills and equipment as you battle through an interconnected world filled with treasures, tough enemies, and secret pathways. Despite some bugs and grinding, Souldiers offers a handcrafted retro epic with spectacular music and detailed pixel art.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+13

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,350 reviews

gameplay172 positive mentions

grinding93 negative mentions

Gorgeous pixel art and animations that evoke nostalgia.
Engaging combat system that requires learning enemy patterns and utilizing elemental weaknesses.
Large, sprawling dungeons filled with secrets and collectibles, providing a rewarding exploration experience.

Frustrating platforming mechanics, including inconsistent wall jumping and ledge grabbing that can lead to cheap deaths.
Unforgiving save and checkpoint system that can result in significant loss of progress upon death.
Some classes, particularly the Archer and Mage, feel underpowered and less enjoyable to play compared to the Scout.

gameplay
473 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
53%
11%
The gameplay of this metroidvania title is a mixed bag, with many players praising its engaging combat mechanics and beautiful pixel art, while others criticize its clunky platforming and inconsistent mechanics, particularly with wall jumping and elemental interactions. The game offers a challenging experience that can feel frustrating due to its difficulty spikes and lack of polish, but it also rewards persistence with a rich world and varied gameplay elements. Overall, while some find the gameplay enjoyable and rewarding, others feel it suffers from design flaws that detract from the overall experience.
- “Very well designed, beautiful pixel art, great gameplay ... totally recommended for those who have persistence and patience.”
- “The gameplay is very good, I love how the elements interact with the environment and also the late-game spells.”
- “Amazing art and tight skill-intensive gameplay!”
- “The gameplay loop is a real chore.”
- “I really wanted to like this game, however after a few hours of gameplay on master mode, I'm feeling this game is too rough around the edges and lacks the polish and care that could have potentially made this a stellar classic.”
- “A lot of the puzzles rely on wall jumping, which is possibly one of the worst coded mechanics in this game, just failing to register that you are in fact attached to the wall you are jumping from in 1 in 6 attempts.”
story
342 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
59%
5%
The story in the game is generally perceived as simple and somewhat lacking depth, with many players expressing a desire for more narrative content and cohesion. While it incorporates elements of Norse mythology and features engaging characters, the plot often feels disjointed and fails to deliver a satisfying conclusion, leaving several plot points unresolved. Overall, the game is appreciated for its gameplay and aesthetics, but the story is often considered secondary or underwhelming.
- “If you're looking for a very immersive and engaging game with a compelling story, I'd definitely recommend this game.”
- “The story is wonderful with tons of cool characters, and the gameplay is so engaging.”
- “This is a great metroidvania with beautiful art design, amazing gameplay, great soundtrack, and an awesome story to tell.”
- “The story is simple but you kinda stop caring after your 2nd run.”
- “The story line is borderline bad.”
- “The story is lacking but I don't expect a ton from the story.”
graphics
285 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
33%
1%
The game's graphics have received widespread acclaim for their stunning pixel art and vibrant environments, with many reviewers highlighting the meticulous attention to detail and the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles. However, some players noted that while the visuals are impressive, they can sometimes overwhelm the gameplay experience, and there are occasional graphical glitches. Overall, the art style is considered a major strength of the game, contributing significantly to its appeal despite criticisms regarding gameplay polish.
- “The visuals are excellent, filled with little touches that really make the environments stand out.”
- “Beautiful art and graphics, smooth animation.”
- “Gorgeous and colorful graphics with great personality.”
- “But as we all know, graphics and art style cannot carry a game to success, and there just feels like a severe lack of polish around the gameplay, which is just sad at the end of the day.”
- “A lot of people have said great ideas and art style but poor execution, and I can only agree.”
- “Even after the patch, there are still some weird performance issues, such as occasional stutters out of nowhere, minor graphical glitches, and even the dreaded ending black screen.”
music
279 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
32%
4%
The music in "Souldiers" has received widespread acclaim for its quality and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic SNES titles. While the soundtrack is praised for being catchy and well-composed, some players found it repetitive over long play sessions, suggesting that the limited variety could become tiresome. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's charm and immersive experience.
- “The music is well done, capturing every stage's environment.”
- “The worlds are beautiful and are heavily complemented by the soundtrack.”
- “The music is compelling and enchanting and the gameplay is fun and challenging!”
- “This one is a mixed bag for me; I do not really like old repetitive OSTs, so most of the music did not really do anything for me.”
- “The music is very repetitive, but fortunately you can turn it off or set it very low.”
- “Since you spend at least 10 hours in one zone, the music will drive you mad, since it's very short and repetitive.”
grinding
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and time-consuming, with many players finding the exploration and combat repetitive and lacking in excitement. While the game features beautiful art and enjoyable combat mechanics, the lengthy dungeons and convoluted level designs contribute to a frustrating experience that often feels like a chore rather than an engaging challenge. Overall, players express that the grinding detracts significantly from the enjoyment, making it hard to recommend without reservations.
- “Gorgeous art, but quickly becomes tedious and boring.”
- “Fun combat, beautiful art direction, alright progression with fun power-ups, the biggest problem is the length; way too long for a metroidvania. The dungeons take hours to finish, making the pace slow and tedious.”
- “Excellent art and music but a ridiculously tedious game to play.”
stability
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from numerous stability issues, including bizarre bugs, map and sound glitches, and frustrating softlocks that can disrupt gameplay significantly. While some players report minor graphical glitches and occasional performance stutters, many have experienced game-breaking problems that necessitate restarts or reloading saves. Despite patches addressing some issues, the overall consensus indicates that stability remains a major concern for players.
- “The biggest problem with this game is bizarre bugs, map glitches, sound glitches, and on slight occasion an out of nowhere unintuitive obtuse puzzles in the middle of some pretty decent puzzle stuff.”
- “There are way too many bugs and glitches that force you to quit and restart or, in some cases, just softlock you until there's a patch.”
- “The game is also buggy that will get you stuck and you have to replay 30 minutes because the game didn't spawn enemies properly, so you're stuck in the room where you have to kill them all.”
replayability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
61%
11%
The game offers significant replayability due to its three distinct classes, each providing unique playstyles and experiences. Players appreciate the variety of characters and difficulty levels, which enhance replay value, although some feel that improvements in item and skill design could further increase this aspect. Overall, those who enjoy exploring different builds and playthroughs will find ample reasons to return.
- “The art is fantastic, the combat is really tight and interesting, the music is amazing, the 3 classes play entirely differently, thus offering a ton of replayability.”
- “Also, all the RPG elements (equipment, upgrades, level, skill points), alongside the 3 classes, add lots of replay value.”
- “I had a lot of fun playing it, and with all classes being so distinct, the replay value is great.”
- “This is yet a 3rd area that, if really worked on, could give massive replayability to the game by having different builds possible.”
- “Addressing poor item design, poor subweapon design, poor skill tree and skill design, and a meaningless new game+ will give the game massive replayability.”
- “The nice thing about this is that these classes definitely have different playstyles that can add some replayability to the game if you fall in love enough to play multiple times.”
optimization
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
52%
32%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, long load times, and various bugs, even after recent patches. While a few users noted improvements post-update, many still find the game poorly optimized and lacking in quality of life features, leading to a frustrating experience for those seeking smoother gameplay. Overall, it appears that further optimization is needed to enhance performance and polish.
- “At its current patch, I have not encountered a single bug or performance hit in 20 hours of play.”
- “While some issues persist, the game is already much better optimized post patch.”
- “Cool game but it needs more optimization.”
- “It's just too bad it isn't optimized or polished as well as it should be by this point.”
- “Performance is shit and I did find all kinds of bugs (saving, loading, controller mapping, broken UI, broken AI, etc).”
- “Even after the patch, there are still some weird performance issues, such as occasional stutters out of nowhere, minor graphical glitches, and even the dreaded ending black screen.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted through its charming NPCs, like the cute Sirfiel and quirky Euder, which adds a delightful touch to the exploration experience. While some aspects of gameplay may feel tedious and leveling up is deemed pointless, the vibrant art and character design contribute to a generally funny atmosphere that resonates with players. Overall, the humor is a mixed bag, with moments of genuine amusement interspersed with frustrations in combat and mechanics.
- “Someone who may not want to spend dozens of hours perfecting mechanics or enemy patterns but rather just explore the gorgeous world of Terragaya and interact with awesomely designed NPCs like the cute and charming Sirfiel, or the funny and quirky Euder.”
- “To summarize, this is an excellent Metroidvania, high in colors, funny, that will sharpen the skills required for the genre and that will please the explorers.”
- “Which, by the way, made me laugh with the outcome after crashing; priceless.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
31%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised, characterized by a captivating and diversified soundtrack, engaging artwork, and likable characters. Players appreciate the immersive vibe created by the music and environmental details, which enhance the overall experience despite some gameplay flaws. The combination of these elements contributes to a fun and satisfying atmosphere that resonates well with users.
- “The music, the atmosphere, and even the characters are all super likable.”
- “I really love the vibe and the atmosphere in the game.”
- “Seeing a moth swoop down to the light source and attack the player, spiders dashing out of the darkness to check out the light, or the small spiders bursting out of nests and scattering around when stood on, are details that create a brilliant atmosphere.”
character development
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Character development in the game is highlighted as outstanding, with users praising the depth and variety of characters alongside their designs. The overall character design and combat mechanics contribute to a rich gameplay experience, reminiscent of classic arcade games. However, some players express disappointment, suggesting that their high expectations from the demo were not fully met.
- “The character development in particular is outstanding.”
- “It has great combat, enemy variety, character development, and exploration.”
- “Some of the backgrounds are best in class, and the character designs are great as well.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The game offers a complete experience for a one-time purchase of $20, with no microtransactions involved, which is positively received by users.
- “For only $20, you get a complete gaming experience without microtransactions.”
- “The game offers a fair monetization model that respects players' time and investment.”
- “I appreciate that the in-game purchases are purely cosmetic and do not affect gameplay.”
- “The game is riddled with microtransactions that make it feel more like a cash grab than a genuine experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see that progress is locked behind paywalls, forcing players to spend money to enjoy the full game.”
- “The monetization strategy is overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without constantly being prompted to spend more.”