Soulslinger: Envoy of Death
- December 14, 2023
- Elder Games
An Early Access roguelike arena shooter with great promise and a solid foundation, Soulslinger is already a great time even with only a third (at present) of its intended content.
Get on Steam"Soulslinger: Envoy of Death" is a single-player Fantasy Shooter game set in the rogue-lite FPS world of Haven. As an Envoy of Death, players can upgrade abilities and weapons to become the ultimate Soulslinger in a war against the afterlife's criminal cartel. Experience a captivating western-fantasy tale of grief, loss, and one man's obsession with cheating death.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a promising dark western theme with engaging gameplay and solid graphics.
- Voice acting and cutscenes are well done, adding depth to the story and characters.
- The developers are actively working on improvements and updates, showing dedication to enhancing the game experience.
- The game suffers from balance issues, with enemies being overly aggressive and difficult to manage, leading to frustrating gameplay.
- There are numerous bugs and performance issues, including crashes and problems with enemy pathing, which detract from the overall experience.
- The game currently lacks content and variety, making it feel repetitive and limiting the replay value.
- gameplay31 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally described as fun and engaging, with a solid loop and rewarding mechanics, though it suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of depth, leading to a feeling of monotony after a short playtime. While the controls are tight and the graphics are praised, technical instability and balance issues, particularly with core mechanics like dodging, detract from the overall experience. Players appreciate the developers' commitment to updates and improvements, but many feel the game still needs significant enhancements to fully realize its potential.
“I love the gameplay just for itself and they have a built-in upgrade system to make subsequent runs easier.”
“The moment-to-moment gameplay is engaging and the devs have been hard at work improving the game and slowly but steadily adding content.”
“Gameplay is solid, the story is intriguing, controls are tight, and the random abilities make each run enjoyable.”
“There is no satisfaction in anything you do; the stages are small and boring, and if you move at a decent pace, after 20 minutes of gameplay you have seen everything the game has to offer gameplay-wise.”
“The gameplay is the weakness of this project.”
“I'm all in favor of having a difficult game, but it feels like the enemies and behavior directly conflict with what the gameplay wants the player to do and leads to a frustrating experience.”
- story16 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, with many praising its intriguing narrative, strong character development, and high-quality voice acting. While it may not be groundbreaking, it effectively engages players with its hooks and motivations, complemented by impressive visuals and animations. Overall, the storytelling is considered a highlight, enhancing the gameplay experience.
“Storytelling in the game is well done, as are the animations of everything.”
“Top-notch presentation, visuals & audio well above the indie level, has a well-written story, some of the best NPC characters I've encountered lately.”
“The storyline, the characters, and the voice acting are all absolutely amazing.”
“However, as the story goes, it isn't the actual boss.”
“I'm always waiting for another cut scene to learn more about the story and characters.”
“The set-up, story, and structure is basically a twin stick shooter in a 3D FPS roguelike; in gorgeous and evocative battle arenas.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their high quality and polished presentation, with many reviewers noting that they are on par with contemporary standards. However, some players have experienced technical issues, such as instability and error messages related to video memory, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these concerns, the visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing positively to the game's appeal.
“The game's graphics themselves are top notch; certainly keeping up with the times.”
“The graphics are polished and the game runs smoothly.”
“Top-notch presentation, visuals & audio well above the indie level, has a well-written story, some of the best NPC characters I've encountered lately.”
“I know this is in early access, but I've had multiple problems booting the game up. It initially tells me that my graphics drivers are not up to date when they are, and then I get an error message stating that I am out of video memory when I'm using an RTX 4090, which should be more than enough for this game.”
“Some graphic animations (explosive gun rounds, for example) seem lacking.”
“For how good this aspect is, I feel it strongly foils other areas of the game that left me wanting—glaringly so, the visuals.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 42 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing performance issues such as lag, frame drops, and stuttering, particularly in busy scenarios or specific areas. While some users report smooth performance and polished graphics, others highlight significant problems, including poor gamepad controls and character glitches. Despite these issues, players express a desire for improved optimization to enhance their gaming experience.
“The graphics are polished and the game runs smoothly.”
“I didn't notice any performance issues, maybe a hitch or two.”
“Very fun so far, just think it needs better optimization.”
“The biggest issues are the lack of content and the optimization, along with some minor problems like jank when it comes to ads, rough animations, and minor bugs.”
“The game has grown a lot since release with new features, new weapons, new enemies, etc. However, it isn't as optimized as it could be, and you can encounter some lag here and there, especially when there's a lot happening on screen.”
“I have a 5800X and 6900XT, and the game had horrendous frame drops and performance issues.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
Overall, the music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the atmospheric quality and find it enhances the gameplay experience, others criticize the lack of variety and contextual appropriateness, suggesting that it could benefit from a heavier, more dynamic soundtrack to match the intensity of in-game events.
“Animations, world building, music, combat, enemies, bosses, and progression are all really well done.”
“The soundtrack is nice.”
“Music is amazing and adds a ton to the overall atmosphere of the game.”
“The issue for me is the lack of music - you have the same music in a shop and in a fight that doesn't seem right.”
“The music could be heavier, more metal, and more contextually appropriate based on what's happening on screen to create a sense of urgency or tension for the player.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its impressive cinematics and immersive western setting, complemented by an outstanding musical score that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the depth of the world and characters, particularly noting the intriguing portrayal of death, which adds to the game's captivating ambiance.
“The cinematics are very nice, and the western atmosphere is just great.”
“Music is amazing and adds a ton to the overall atmosphere of the game.”
“The world, atmosphere, and characters, especially death, are really well done; I definitely would like to know more about them!”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while animations and cutscenes are praised, players report significant bugs that can lead to crashes and gameplay loops, necessitating patches for a smoother experience.
“Deadly buggy, don't buy.”
“In its current state, it's quite a bit of fun, but it's also quite buggy.”
“I'll have to wait for a patch/update to play again, as now I'm in a loop bug situation where I can't go back to the hub, and if I continue and go through a portal, the game freezes and crashes.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect is criticized for its intrusive ads that disrupt gameplay, compounded by a lack of content and optimization issues. Players also report frustrating mechanics, such as ineffective aiming and rough animations, which detract from the overall experience.
“The biggest issues are the lack of content and optimization, along with some minor problems like janky ads, rough animations, and minor bugs.”
“You'll be frantically dodging a swarm of small ads while facing six or more bullet sponge 'ogres' that can launch huge area-of-effect attacks anywhere in the arena.”
“Firstly, aiming down sights seems almost useless, or in some cases an outright hindrance, as the shotgun doesn't have a sight at all and removes your crosshair when you aim down sights.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and suggest that it requires better balance to enhance the overall experience.
“I think they need to balance a whole lot of aspects of this game to make it less tedious.”
“The grinding feels endless and really takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
“It's frustrating how much time you have to spend grinding just to progress.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features poignant moments that resonate emotionally, particularly as the protagonist confronts themes of mortality.
“The game features some heartfelt moments as the protagonist grapples with the concept of death.”
“I was deeply moved by the emotional depth of the characters and their struggles.”
“The story beautifully captures the complexities of love and loss, leaving a lasting impact.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users indicate that the game's replayability is extremely low, with some stating it currently stands at zero.
“At the moment, the replay value is zero.”
“There is little to no incentive to play the game again after completing it.”
“Once you've finished the game, there's nothing that makes you want to return.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development is highlighted positively, particularly in the design and introduction of key characters like Death and Lady Valerie; however, there are some aspects that users feel could be improved or further explored.
“The character development in this game is truly impressive, especially the depth of Death and Lady Valerie's backstories.”
“I appreciate how the game allows characters to evolve through their experiences, making their journeys feel authentic and relatable.”
“The interactions between characters are well-written, adding layers to their personalities and making their growth throughout the game feel meaningful.”
