Unsouled | Early Access PC Review
Memories mean everything, even when they aren’t yours. Megusta Game and Neowiz take you on a memorable ride full of lightning fast action and painful reckoning in Unsouled. I have to preface this with a somewhat embarrassing admission that, despite the name, I did not realize that Unsouled is a soulslike game when I asked to look into it. Perhaps I simply jumped at the opportunity to check out another game from Neowiz, since everything I’ve touched of theirs has brought me great times. After roughly half of a minute into playing, when I realized my transgression, a feeling of fear wrapped itself around my entire body. I don’t play soulslike games. They’re hard. They’re frustrating. They’re torture. This moment, however, was dictated by responsibility, and boy, oh boy, am I glad it was.
It is necessary to make note that at the time of this review, Unsouled is in Early Access on Steam. The story (and therefore game) seems to be only half complete. I have completed the game on every difficulty, and it does not progress beyond a certain point, leaving an extreme amount to be told and uncovered. But man, I can not wait for them to finish and unlock the rest.
Remembering Their Past
You play the role of The Fallen Prince, waking in an unfamiliar room, injured, and with no knowledge of how you got there. Very shortly thereafter, you learn you have an ability that you don’t recall having before: the ability to speak with and absorb souls. As you progress, you realize that every soul you absorb has an effect on you in some way. The more powerful the soul, the stronger effect it has. Some act as a simple currency, for ability upgrades and such. Others add a passive ability, while others replenish one of many resources.
The most powerful souls you encounter (boss encounters) will actually gift you the final memories of the person they belonged to. What unfolds as you progress, watching memories of the enemies you defeat along the way, is an absolutely breathtaking, heartbreaking story of who you are, and what has transpired to send you on the journey you are on. I was caught off guard by how much the story grabbed me in Unsouled, and the way they told it played a big role in that.
Slash ‘n Dash
Hunting down your enemies as you learn the very recent history of the land is even more exciting than the story you are told as you go. Using an expertly designed chain system, you flash across the screen in a barrage of sword strikes and slashes. Skills and abilities, which you learn with the help of certain souls you absorb, are added to your arsenal at a pace that keeps you on your toes as you learn to master them. There are numerous resources to keep track of on top of the familiar health and stamina bars. The soul gauge, ghost gauge, ghost orbs, and active soul gauge will all demand your attention if you are to overcome your adversaries. While this seemed a bit much for my brain to handle all at once, within a small bit of time, and with the help of the Tips & Guide (included in the in-game-menu), I was more than comfortable cutting through my foes.
The most impressive feat, however, that Unsouled accomplishes, is the elegant dance that these abilities perform with the different enemy types you will encounter. For example, certain abilities will break blocks that some enemies employ, others will give you brief invulnerability, and more. Abilities are also a key part of the chain system, where they grow more powerful as you progress and strengthen them with absorbed souls. The block and counter system that is found in other soulslike games also influences the abilities you use, and can be assisted with difficulty settings, which I was extremely pleased to discover.
A Yin To The Yang
The worlds you slice through in Unsouled really are quite gorgeous in their retro style aesthetics. It almost deftly calms you before you are ambushed by enemies that were hiding in a field of rice. The music is serene, helping to lull you into a state of heedlessness. The two of these, being the backdrop of such violence and aggression, made for an extremely pleasant experience.
Final Verdict
Unsouled is quite possibly the best mistake I have ever made. While the block and parry system is what I have struggled with in the few other souls like games that I’ve played, the ability to enlarge the timing windows in the difficulty settings was an absolute game changer for me. Furthermore, the degree of which they are affected seems very spot on. Once I had gotten comfortable on easy, I stepped it up to normal, and by the time I was done with my first playthrough (again, of seemingly half of a game), I felt like a soulslike master, wielding my deadly blade on master difficulty. None could stand in my way on my subsequent playthroughs. Coming back down to earth, though, Unsouled is an absolute gem of a game, from the way the story is told, to the fast-paced, brutal action. Never in a million years did I think I would find myself thinking of the great memories I have of this soulslike game. But here we are. And memories mean everything, even when they aren’t yours.
This review is based on an Early Access PC copy of Unsouled provided by NEOWIZ for coverage purposes. As of the time of this writing, it is exclusive to this platform.
