Deathbound

There's something deeply unsettling about Deathbound's world of Ziêminal, where brutalist architecture looms over streets littered with corpses, and medieval warriors clash amid the ruins of a technological civilization. And no, it's not just the unholy amount of time I spent getting gud at this game.

This grimdark action RPG might seem like just another Soulslike at first glance, but its unique identity-stealing mechanics and party system set it apart from the overcrowded crowd. At a time when every indie game is trying to be a Soulslike in some capacity, it takes some serious creativity to stand out – and Deathbound achieves precisely that.

After spending countless hours dying (and stealing identities) in Akratya's unforgiving streets, I can confidently say that Deathbound brings something fresh to the Soulslike formula. The game takes the aggressive combat philosophy of Bloodborne and combines it with Sifu's fluid martial arts, wrapping it all in a unique system where every death potentially adds to your arsenal.

Death is Never the End

The soul-collecting mechanic isn't just a clever narrative device – it's a full-blown party system that adds layers of strategy to every encounter. While Bloodborne had you switching between trick weapons, Deathbound has you swapping entire combat identities mid-fight. The only time I've seen something similar is in Mortal Shell, but it's certainly more refined here.

Each fallen warrior comes with their own talent tree and combat style, and figuring out how to combine these different souls into effective combinations feels like solving a particularly violent puzzle. And for someone who loved Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, I knew I just had to collect every soul in this game.

The "synergy in death" system is particularly inspired. Warriors who were allies in life work better together in death, while enemies might resist cooperation, leading to some interesting trade-offs when building your soul collection.

Commanding Respect

The Morphstrike system takes what could have been a simple combat system and turns it into something special. Much like Sifu's age mechanic, every death matters here, but instead of getting older, you're getting more... crowded. Kind of like in Indivisible, but good.

Each encounter feels like a deadly dance, where mastering the timing of character switches is just as important as knowing when to dodge or parry. The enemies, themed around the five stages of grief, aren't just tough – they're psychological warfare in motion. Still, incredibly fun, especially for Dark Souls or Elden Ring veterans.

A World of Death

Akratya is what you'd get if you threw Bloodborne's Yharnam into a blender with cyberpunk architecture and medieval weaponry. The world-building here is top-notch, with every crumbling street and imposing cathedral telling a story without using any words.

The environmental storytelling is particularly strong, with the brutalist architecture looming over you like silent judges. While some areas can feel a bit too similar in their grimness, the attention to detail in each location makes exploration rewarding, even when you're dying for the hundredth time.

Pros

• Unique soul-collecting mechanic
• Deep combat system
• Impressive world-building and environmental storytelling

Cons

• The plot feels a bit flimsy at times
• Some characters are undeniably broken
• Environment design could have used a bit more variety