Soul Survivors | Steam Deck Review

Vampire Survivors was arguably the surprise hit of 2022. Not only was it my personal favorite of the year, it was our collective favorite game of the cast. Since its release, there have been countless copycats developed trying to capitalize on the popularity of the formula. Soul Survivors from developer Stingbot Games is one of the latest entries in this new “genre”. While it scratches some of the same itches of the game upon which it iterates, it misses some key components that sparked my interest in the genre initially. I still think its well worth a look, however, as it adds some touches that make it stand out on its own.

The Horde Returns

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. You start Soul Survivors as a lone warrior with a very simple weapon. Enemies approach you from all directions in standard twin-stick shooter fashion. Your only control is with the left stick as you avoid enemies and take them out with your automatically-attacking weapon. Defeated baddies leave behind “souls” that act as experience points. Collect enough souls, and you’re granted the choice of a random upgrade. As time passes, the number and intensity of monsters increases. Your goal is to last as long as possible before becoming overwhelmed, and thus begins your next run with some permanent upgrades.

If it sounds familiar, that’s because its apparent that this game wouldn’t exist without Vampire Survivors. There are plenty of differences, however. The most prevalent is that there are zero weapon evolutions. You won’t unlock any mind-blowing abilities by acquiring secret combinations of weapons. Instead, you’re limited to new abilities, stronger versions of those abilities, and defensive buffs. You’ll learn that some upgrades work well together, but it’s simply not as exciting as evolutions. Most will just offer higher damage on your already-acquired skills. This is a bit disappointing, as I never quite reached that god-like state I’m used to experiencing.

Additional Tweaks

Soul Survivors does have a few things that set it apart from similar games. First off, boss encounters are a much bigger deal here. Each stage has a couple of tough sub-bosses and an even tougher final boss. Encountering the mini bosses on early runs spells certain defeat, but get much easier with permanent upgrades. The final bosses, however, are incredibly difficult, even with every permanent upgrade maxed out. If there’s a magic formula of upgrades to make these encounters easier, I’ve yet to find them. What makes them the most challenging is the lack of regular enemies in the mix. Since they are few and far between, it makes collecting souls a moot point. There simply aren’t enough to upgrade any further, which means once you start a boss fight, you’d better be prepared. These enemies have incredibly massive health bars that take far too long to diminish.

One aspect I appreciated a great deal is just how differently the characters play from one another. The first character is pretty standard with a weapon that resembles the whip from Vampire Survivors. He has his own unique set of upgrades specific to that character. The second plays completely differently, with a ball-and-chain weapon that can be swung around in circles. Since you’re still not using the right stick, however, you control it by spinning your character in circles. On top of that, he has a separate set of skills, making playing with new characters totally fresh experiences. This is a breath of fresh air compared to other games that simply give individual characters a different starting weapon.

Finally, Soul Survivors also threw in random characters in runs that appear to be either a friend or a foe, depending on when they spawn. At first, I though my game was being invaded, much like what I remember from Bloodborne. After playing multiple runs, however, it became apparent that these were AI-generated characters. Still, the illusion of having extra help or fighting a live enemy was pretty cool.

Soul Survivors Final Verdict

Yes, I was naturally drawn to Soul Survivors because of my adoration for an earlier title. While it might not seem fair to compare it to another game, that seems virtually impossible here. The similarities are just too obvious. This is a decent clone that sucked me in for many more hours than I intended it to. Although I never quite got the same level of satisfaction, the formula still works. It just comes across like the first iteration that was perfected elsewhere instead of the other way around. On the bright side, the financial commitment to give it a shot is so low, I’d still recommend it if you need a change from Vampire Survivors. On the other hand, it’s tough to recommend this as a starter when it’s technically slightly more expensive than the superior product.

To hear me talk more about Soul Survivors, be sure to check out our May 10th, 2023 Episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast. You can hear that review begin around the 51:49 time stamp.

This review is based on an early access Steam copy of Soul Survivors provided by Sandbox Strategies for coverage purposes. As of the time of this writing, it is exclusive to this platform.

Soul Survivors

$3.99

6

The Final Verdict

6.0/10

Pros

• Familiar, Addicting Formula
• Fresh Gameplay Options with New Characters

Cons

• Lacks the "Godlike" Feeling
• Bosses Are Frustratingly Difficult
• Better/Cheaper Options Available

Buy Soul Survivors on Steam Here