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Young Souls

Young Souls is a fun side-scrolling hack-and-slash, offering deep RPG elements, great writing, and characters you'll care about.
Young Souls Game Cover
83%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, grinding
84% User Score Based on 226 reviews
Critic Score 87%Based on 23 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchPlaystation 5Playstation 4Xbox Cloud GamingXboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStationXbox Series X|SPCXbox Game PassCloudXbox One
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Young Souls Game Cover

About

Young Souls is a single player and multiplayer hack and slash game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by 1P2P and was released on March 10, 2022. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

Young Souls combines the beat'em up and RPG genres in a world created with stunning art direction. Explore the world of humans and that of the goblins, both teeming with enemies but also full of unexpected and friendly encounters waiting to be discovered.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Young Souls screenshot
Young Souls screenshot
Young Souls screenshot
Young Souls screenshot
Young Souls screenshot
Young Souls screenshot
Young Souls screenshot
Young Souls screenshot
Young Souls screenshot
Young Souls screenshot
Young Souls screenshot
+8
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84%
Audience ScoreBased on 226 reviews
story41 positive mentions
stability11 negative mentions
  • Beautifully animated with a unique art style that enhances the overall experience.
  • Engaging combat system that rewards skillful play, including a satisfying roll/parry mechanic.
  • Well-written story with interesting characters that keeps players invested throughout the game.
  • Occasional bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with item pickups and loading screens.
  • Camera issues in co-op mode can lead to frustrating experiences for the second player.
  • Some players may find the game too short, with a lack of endgame content or replayability.
  • story
    118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its charm and character development, particularly the relationship between the twin protagonists and their quest to save their father from goblins. However, some reviewers found the narrative predictable and lacking depth, with pacing issues and a tendency for the plot to feel rushed or underdeveloped in later stages. Overall, while the story serves as a decent backdrop for the gameplay, it often takes a backseat to the action, leading to a varied reception among players.

    • “It's beautifully animated, has a really good story with tons of interesting characters, doesn't overstay its welcome (less than 20 hours), and has a fantastic roll/parry combat system that has gotten my much less gaming inclined girlfriend into combat-focused games.”
    • “The story may not be that original, but the dialogues are full of charm, and really sell our teenager heroes as good-for-nothing punks who just happened to become heroes.”
    • “Young Souls delivers an amazing experience and a fun beat 'em up with charming visuals, a good story with fun quirky characters, and is great to play with a friend!”
    • “The story feels like a lot of events are just mashed together at a quick pace, losing impact.”
    • “The story is very generic and boring, to say the least.”
    • “The big problem is just that the story isn't well written.”
  • gameplay
    92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is a mix of solid mechanics and engaging combat, featuring a tag-team system that allows players to switch between characters for strategic advantages. While the combat is generally fun and fluid, some players noted issues with balance, hit detection, and a lack of depth in certain mechanics, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite its shortcomings, the game offers a charming art style and a variety of customization options, making it enjoyable, especially in co-op mode.

    • “The combat is fluid, fast, and skill-based: they nailed the concept of an arcade beat 'em up mixed with a sort of 'Dark Souls' style where parry and dodge play a crucial role if you want to stay alive... it's challenging without being frustrating, I'm really loving the gameplay.”
    • “The fighting mechanics are very solid and make even a beat-em-up novice like me feel awesome.”
    • “The gameplay revolves around delving into short little dungeons filled with a multitude of monsters.”
    • “The dialogue is terrible, the fighting mechanics felt like Castle Crashers, but a lot worse.”
    • “Controls are kinda unresponsive, the hitboxes are really bad, gameplay is inconsistent, no online co-op, 90% of the equipment are useless, magic system is underwhelming, story is boring, backtracking done wrong, level-up system is nothing but annoying, no consistent combos for each weapon type, hit lag too heavy, equip menu is messy, no replayability, small variety of enemies, not much content overall.”
    • “The combat, especially the parry mechanic, left a lot to be desired on a very personal level.”
  • graphics
    63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning art style, which is often described as charming, cartoonish, and visually engaging. Players appreciate the fluid animations and the seamless integration of 2D and 3D techniques, contributing to an overall delightful aesthetic experience. While some critiques mention superficiality in level design, the vibrant visuals and unique artistic choices consistently enhance the gameplay and storytelling.

    • “The art style is gorgeous, combat is fun and engaging.”
    • “Absolutely love the art style and the characters.”
    • “The animation and graphics are just amazing.”
    • “I don't know what takes it so long to load anything since the game isn't that new and the graphics don't look that complex to warrant the waits.”
    • “I believe from rewatching footage that it comes out in 14-15 frames, and 15 (in a 60 fps game) is the bare minimum for a completely prepared person, with nothing else they're thinking about, reacting from visuals alone.”
    • “The story might not be anything too special, and maybe the tone of the character’s dialogue might turn some off, but you’ll be engrossed by the entire charm of the game’s visuals; there’s quite a lot of depth here for different play styles whether you play solo or multiplayer.”
  • music
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it underwhelming and repetitive, while others appreciate its fitting nature and overall quality. While a few users describe the soundtrack as generic or forgettable, others enjoy it enough to seek out the composer and add the OST to their collection. Overall, the music is seen as decent but not particularly memorable or impactful.

    • “Pretty good story, amazing art, good challenging combat, superb music and sound design.”
    • “The soundtrack is awesome too, although (in my opinion) it gets too silent sometimes.”
    • “I don't recall any music specifically, but that's generally for me a good thing, as it means it fits in well and feels natural without distracting from the gameplay.”
    • “Some ambient music is there, but it gets repetitive fast and you just want to get things done to get out of the map.”
    • “The music is a bit underwhelming, though.”
    • “What little music there is is completely forgettable, unfortunately.”
  • stability
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is generally acceptable, with most players reporting it as "mostly bug-free," though some minor bugs and glitches persist, particularly in the pause menu and inventory. While issues like falling through the world and UI elements getting stuck can be annoying, they are typically not game-breaking and can often be resolved with simple fixes. Overall, players find the game enjoyable despite its unfinished and somewhat buggy state.

    • “The game is mostly bug-free, providing a smooth experience.”
    • “I appreciate how stable the game runs without major issues.”
    • “The stability of the game enhances my overall enjoyment.”
    • “Unfinished, buggy, amateur trash.”
    • “As well the game has its slew of assorted bugs and glitches, such as falling through the world or getting stuck in objects/terrain when using the teleporter, UI elements getting stuck on-screen, items becoming unable to be picked up, etc. Most are easily remedied by either fast-traveling, loading into a new stage, or other simple fixes, so nothing really game-breaking.”
    • “There are definitely glitches, but since it's only been out for 5 days, I would hope that they are working on them, although none of the glitches that I've encountered are game-breaking; only once did I need to restart the game in order to fix a glitch.”
  • grinding
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unbalanced, often requiring excessive effort for minimal rewards, such as needing to return to specific areas to upgrade gear or level up. While some appreciate the game's unique blend of genres, others feel that the grinding detracts from the overall experience, especially with limited options for upgrading and a lack of engaging farming mechanics. Overall, the grind can feel cumbersome, particularly for those seeking a more streamlined gameplay experience.

    • “It's so tedious to do for such a simple action.”
    • “The game does not feel well balanced at their default settings as you start off grinding a lot before you get the skill level drip you would expect.”
    • “And I kinda feel like it's a really tedious process to have to go home to level up, then go to the gym to upgrade stats.”
  • humor
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its fun and lighthearted moments, particularly through the amusing character designs and witty writing. While some critiques mention a decline in the quality of the writing as the game progresses, the protagonists' comedic interactions and character development remain highlights. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with engaging gameplay, creating a memorable experience.

    • “The style of it is pretty classy, and the game has its good amount of fun humor.”
    • “The goblin designs are funny and the protagonists are adorable, despite the game's attempts to pass them off as arrogant teenagers.”
    • “The two young jerks that you play as were hilarious and showed amazing character development as the game went on.”
  • replayability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it infinitely replayable due to weapon experimentation, many criticize the lack of a new game plus (NG+) mechanic and limited content, leading to low replay value. Issues such as unresponsive controls, a boring story, and a lack of meaningful variety in gameplay further detract from the experience, although co-op play does enhance replayability for some.

    • “Infinitely replayable.”
    • “Different weapons also allow for experimentation, so there is replay value.”
    • “Co-op adds loads more replay value!”
    • “The lack of a New Game Plus mechanic results in late-game weapons only being usable for a couple of fights, which hurts replay value.”
    • “Controls are kind of unresponsive, the hitboxes are really bad, gameplay is inconsistent, no online co-op, 90% of the equipment is useless, the magic system is underwhelming, the story is boring, backtracking is done wrong, the level-up system is nothing but annoying, no consistent combos for each weapon type, hit lag is too heavy, the equipment menu is messy, no replayability, small variety of enemies, not much content overall (100% in 14 hours), not even procedurally generated infinite dungeons, recommended difficulty is too easy (beat it solo without leveling anything).”
    • “It doesn't have much replayability, though.”
  • character development
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is mixed; while some players appreciated the growth of the two main characters, others felt that overall development was lacking. The distinct character designs and dynamic cinematic elements were praised, but the narrative's straightforwardness left some wanting more depth in character arcs.

    • “The two young jerks that you play as were hilarious and showed amazing character development as the game went on.”
    • “While the explicit style may not appeal to all, the character designs are distinct and varied and the cinematic work is unique, interesting, and dynamic.”
    • “Interesting gameplay, straightforward storyline, some soul-like experiences, and great character design!”
    • “I hoped that there was a bigger character development, but I guess that makes sense for punk teens.”
    • “Additionally, there really isn't any character development, either.”
  • optimization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is mixed; while it performs well on the Steam Deck, players report that it is not well-optimized overall, often requiring high TDP for consistent FPS. Additionally, the presence of bugs can affect performance ratings, leading to variable player experiences.

    • “Mostly good performance on Steam Deck.”
    • “Depending on the player's performance, it is possible to receive one star or even five stars in the activity, which is equivalent to more points.”
    • “Performance is great.”
    • “The game is not optimized very well, so expect to use high TDP to achieve consistent FPS.”
    • “The game is riddled with bugs, severely impacting performance.”
    • “Depending on the player's performance, it is possible to receive one star or even five stars in the activity, which affects the overall points.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of "Young Souls" is highly praised for its engaging storytelling and immersive gameplay, making it a compelling experience for players willing to invest time. Its side-scrolling beat-em-up design strikes a balance between depth and accessibility, enhancing the overall ambiance of the game.

    • “If you're looking for something with great atmosphere, story, and gameplay that assumes you've got a bit of time to settle into a groove with it, I definitely highly recommend Young Souls.”
    • “A side-scrolling beat-em-up with just enough depth and atmosphere to make it both engaging and easy to jump in and out of.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Many users felt a lack of emotional connection with the characters, indicating that the game's narrative or character development may not effectively engage players on an emotional level.

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87%Critics’ scoreBased on 23 critic reviews
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9h Median play time
7h Average play time
4-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Young Souls is a hack and slash game with fantasy theme.

Young Souls is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing Young Souls.

Young Souls was released on March 10, 2022.

Young Souls was developed by 1P2P.

Young Souls has received positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Young Souls is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Alaloth: Champions of The Four Kingdoms, Lost Ruins, Valdis Story: Abyssal City, Archvale, Salt and Sanctuary and others.