Soulstice

Full of style and substance, Soulstice is a joy to play, with tight, fast-paced combat and slick controls that make this an easy recommendation to anyone interested in a new hack and slash title.

71%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

optimization, grinding

73% User Score Based on 1,098 reviews

Critic Score 68%Based on 36 reviews

Platforms

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About

Soulstice is a single player hack and slash game with horror and fantasy themes. It was developed by Reply Game Studios and was released on September 19, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Soulstice" is a single-player Horror Hack and Slash game with phenomenal mechanics, graphics, and soundtrack. Uncover an intriguing story as you battle feral Wraiths invading the Holy Kingdom of Keidas, using unique skills and items from the Ashen Blade Item Pack. The Soulstice Artbook and Original Soundtrack further enhance this atmospheric, grueling experience with lots of grinding.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+10

Skip User Reviews

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,098 reviews

story253 positive mentions

optimization29 negative mentions

Engaging story with strong character development, particularly the bond between the two sisters.
Visually stunning with a dark fantasy aesthetic that draws inspiration from works like Claymore and Berserk.
Fun and fluid combat system that rewards players for mastering combos and utilizing different weapons.

Camera angles are often frustrating, making navigation and combat difficult, especially in tight spaces.
Repetitive level design with a lack of environmental variety, leading to a monotonous experience.
Color-coded enemy mechanics can be tedious, requiring players to constantly switch between fields to deal damage.

story
594 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The story of "Soulstice" has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its emotional depth and character development, particularly the bond between the two sisters, Briar and Lute. While some found the narrative engaging and reminiscent of popular dark fantasy works like "Claymore" and "Berserk," others criticized it for being predictable or overly convoluted, with pacing issues and repetitive elements. Overall, the game is noted for its compelling storytelling and strong voice acting, making it a standout feature despite some gameplay shortcomings.
- “The story is surprisingly deeper than some would expect.”
- “The story ramps up to some intense climax with characters you are really invested in, friend or foe, and you're left wanting for more.”
- “The story, however, I very much enjoyed the whole way through.”
- “I have no idea what's going on with the story nor the world building.”
- “It's Claymore may cry with a couple too many moving parts in the combat, a camera that can be generously described as mediocre, and a plot that barely holds together.”
- “The voice acting was flat, the story felt like a chore to slog through, the characters range from mildly interesting to insufferable.”
gameplay
431 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
66%
9%
The gameplay of "Soulstice" has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its fast-paced hack-and-slash mechanics and dual-character system that encourages strategic combat. However, criticisms often focus on the cumbersome color-coded enemy mechanics, awkward camera angles, and a lack of depth in combat compared to genre benchmarks like "Devil May Cry." While the game offers engaging visuals and a compelling story, some players find the gameplay repetitive and frustrating due to its reliance on specific mechanics that can detract from the overall experience.
- “The gameplay centers around two sisters, Briar and Lute, connected by a supernatural bond that allows them to fight together as a single unit.”
- “The game features a variety of weapons, upgrade paths, and special abilities that add layers of depth to the fighting mechanics, rewarding players who invest time into learning enemy patterns and mastering their own arsenal.”
- “Soulstice gives you the fast-paced double-jumping hack & slash experience that brings you back to the PS2 era of gaming, while incorporating new mechanics to keep it fresh and fun.”
- “The weird game design choice of locking most of the combat mechanics around late mid and end game, but at the same time being required the entire game.”
- “The gameplay loop is basically destroying barrels and wondering why there are no camera controls.”
- “The color switching mechanic became way too tedious for my liking.”
graphics
233 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
40%
3%
The graphics of "Soulstice" have received mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning art style, detailed character models, and atmospheric environments that evoke a gothic aesthetic. However, some players noted issues with camera angles and performance, which detracted from the overall experience. While the visuals are often described as beautiful and engaging, there are concerns about repetitive environments and optimization, particularly on lower-end systems.
- “Graphics and art direction are amazing for a AA game.”
- “Visually, Soulstice is stunning, boasting detailed character models and environments drenched in a somber, gothic aesthetic.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, the combat is exhilarating, and the story suffices.”
- “The graphics hurt the eyes; I had to stop.”
- “Camera is horrible, story is generic, visuals are bland, and combat is not fun.”
- “In terms of visuals, it's a generation (or more) behind the current standard, both in graphics and animation.”
music
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
43%
4%
The music in Soulstice receives mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to enhance the game's dark atmosphere through a blend of orchestral and electronic elements. While some players find the soundtrack engaging and fitting for combat, others criticize it for being repetitive or lacking memorable tracks. Overall, the music is generally regarded as good, contributing positively to the game's immersive experience, though it could benefit from greater variety.
- “Soulstice also shines in its sound design and musical score, which work hand-in-hand to elevate the game’s dark atmosphere.”
- “The soundtrack blends orchestral and industrial elements, underscoring the tension and drama without overpowering the gameplay.”
- “Plus, the music is fantastic – it gets you pumped for battle!”
- “Just jumping around, brandishing a sword and spell attack to a boring soundtrack.”
- “Music is also rather lackluster, having no discernible tracks that stay in your memory...”
- “A hit and miss OST with some bangers but lacks variety.”
optimization
95 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
48%
31%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and camera problems, particularly during crowded battles or on lower-end hardware. While some users report that performance improves with specific tweaks and settings adjustments, others find the game borderline unplayable without significant optimization. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the game has potential, its current state may hinder the experience for many players.
- “Great characters, world, lore, optimization.”
- “Good optimization, little to no bugs, fairly smooth feel.”
- “Visual and game optimization is great, almost always was 60-120+ fps on max setting 2k resolution.”
- “Performance is pretty bad and the visuals are kind of a miss unless you follow that one guide to make the game look and run better.”
- “Overall, the game is done very cleanly and neatly, performance seems fair and I haven't encountered any bugs in my playthrough.”
- “Optimization could have been better; there are some frame dips that you may not notice in action, but they're there and can be significant sometimes.”
atmosphere
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
37%
6%
The atmosphere in *Soulstice* is widely praised for its dark fantasy aesthetic, characterized by haunting visuals, eerie lighting, and a richly textured environment that immerses players in a melancholic world. The sound design and musical score complement the visuals, enhancing the emotional depth and oppressive tone of the game. Overall, the combination of art direction, storytelling, and atmospheric elements creates a captivating experience that resonates with fans of the genre.
- “Soulstice, developed by Reply Game Studios, is an ambitious action hack-and-slash title that strives to meld fast-paced combat with a dark, emotionally charged narrative, set within a hauntingly atmospheric world.”
- “The world is richly textured with a palette dominated by dark hues, punctuated by eerie lighting effects that create an oppressive yet beautiful atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere truly is a dark fantasy, the voice acting is passable, the vistas are massive and beautiful.”
- “The art direction is a standout feature, creating an atmosphere that feels oppressive and tragic, reflecting the sisters’ struggle against overwhelming odds.”
- “It's atmosphere is appropriately lonely and apocalyptic.”
- “The environments are pretty detailed and portray a dark, morbid atmosphere really well.”
character development
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
50%
10%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the depth and originality of the story, which is effectively intertwined with gameplay through cutscenes and dialogue. While many appreciate the character designs and world-building, some feel that the actual character development is lacking, making it difficult to connect with the characters emotionally. Overall, the game excels in visual aesthetics and storytelling, but the depth of character growth leaves room for improvement.
- “The storytelling is intertwined with gameplay, with character development and plot progression revealed through cutscenes, environmental storytelling, and dialogue.”
- “The game places a surprisingly heavy emphasis on its story and character development, aided by some great cinematics, as a pair of warrior sisters uncover a world-ending conspiracy in the sacred city of Ilden across 25 chapters.”
- “Overall, a visually stunning piece of art, and major props to the devs for sticking to their guns and going all in on some of their character designs and moments.”
- “The story is ok; there's not enough character development to really care for the exposition, and it comes across like a TV drama because of it.”
- “There's no real character development despite what's going on around them.”
- “With more character development, the system got pretty ok.”
grinding
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players consistently find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly in the later stages where enemy health is excessively high and combat encounters become repetitive. The reliance on color-coded mechanics and the need for quick reflexes contribute to a frustrating experience, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the story and fluid combat mechanics. While the game starts strong, it ultimately suffers from pacing issues and a lack of engaging variety, leading many to view the grinding as a chore rather than a rewarding challenge.
- “The enemies have a lot of HP endgame: nearing the end of the game, it throws a multitude of battles at you with many high-rank and medium-rank enemies, making an obvious attempt at padding the length of the game. This just makes the experience more tedious, and the pacing and story suffer because of it.”
- “The combat encounters in the last 6 or 7 chapters leaned too much into tedious enemy combinations with overly spongy enemies, so I can't see myself replaying this on harder difficulties.”
- “Things start to get tedious when you have to juggle red aura and blue aura monsters at the same time, plus have red and blue area denial bombs to avoid. The auras felt neat and fresh originally but turn into light switch flicking busy work as the game goes on.”
emotional
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
89%
11%
"Soulstice" effectively weaves an emotionally charged narrative centered on the intense relationship between the two sisters, Briar and Lute, which adds depth to the game's fast-paced combat. While the voice acting is generally strong, some supporting characters lack development, and the overall story has received mixed reviews, with some finding it boring. Nevertheless, the game's atmospheric world and themes of sisterhood and sacrifice resonate well with players, creating a memorable emotional experience.
- “The emotional core of Soulstice lies in the sisters’ relationship—Briar’s fierce protectiveness and Lute’s more fragile, mystical presence create a compelling dynamic that adds weight to the battles and the broader conflict.”
- “In conclusion, Soulstice is a dark, emotionally charged action game that successfully blends intense hack-and-slash gameplay with a compelling story about sisterhood and sacrifice.”
- “All in all, Soulstice is a refreshing take on the action genre, combining fast-paced, combo-driven combat with an emotionally resonant story.”
- “Boring story.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
Overall, "Soulstice" offers a solid level of replayability through its campaign length, side activities, and a scoring system that encourages players to master various mechanics. However, the presence of lengthy cutscenes and dialogue can detract from the experience, while the need for multiple playthroughs to unlock higher difficulties adds both challenge and replay value. Despite some shortcomings in the battle system, players find enjoyment in exploring different strategies and skill combinations.
- “In terms of content, Soulstice offers a solid campaign length with multiple side activities that encourage exploration and replayability.”
- “There’s a scoring system designed for replayability and a ton of mechanics that need to be tried and mastered.”
- “With not one, but two difficulties locked behind completion barriers, there's plenty of replayability and opportunity to push your limits on getting timing and resource management right.”
- “The amount of currency you get for upgrades isn't enough to max everything out, so it feels like they wanted you to start a new game+, but I don't see any potential for replayability.”
- “So even though the game looks nice, the lack of variety hurts replayability heavily.”
- “Each and every level is filled with dialogue and cutscenes, damaging replayability severely.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
The game's stability is mixed, with some users reporting freezes on startup and issues with companion mechanics, while others experience no major glitches and smooth performance on high-end hardware. Although there are occasional frame dips and camera bugs reminiscent of older games, overall, many players find it runs well, particularly on Linux. Optimization could be improved, but significant stability issues are not widespread.
- “Even without optimization, this game runs great on Linux. Think of it as Nier: Automata with a Bloodborne art style.”
- “Runs great on a fancy new AMD 7000X CPU and RTX 3080.”
- “Freezes on startup.”
- “Camera feels off and buggy sometimes.”
- “Optimization could have been better; there are some frame dips that you may not notice in action, but they're there and can be significant at times.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its occasional charm, particularly in character behavior and voice acting, with some characters providing memorable comedic moments. While some players find the humor reminiscent of classic titles like Devil May Cry, others feel it could have been more pronounced, suggesting that the developers may have overthought their approach. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch, enhancing the experience despite mixed opinions on its execution.
- “Recent reviews saying 'poor man's DMC' are hilarious.”
- “Funny thing is, this could have been an 8 to 9 out of 10 game, but I think the devs got too clever for their own good.”
- “They named the most guts-looking character Donovan and I can't stop laughing.”