Souldiers

Souldiers is one of those games that's disappointing simply because a small number of critical issues hold it back from the greatness it comes so close to achieving. A large world to explore, tough combat system, and an outstanding art style are weighed down by ridiculous load times and poor difficulty balancing. It's a real testament to the game's strengths that we'd still give it a recommendation, though perhaps with the caveat that you may want to try it on another platform than Switch, if possible - we really hope that further patches can iron out the issues. At any rate, we'd say Souldiers is certainly worth your time, but maybe this isn't one to rush out and buy right away.

Souldiers is a classic from modern times, which respectfully takes care of its game design components without revolutionizing anything, but making it unmissable if you consider yourself a Metroidvania fan.

Souldiers is a standard Metroidvania that follows different soldiers on their quest through the afterlife. I platformed different locales, solved simple puzzles, and defeated ferocious enemies. Does this classic formula still hold up today? Find out in this Rapid Review.

A Lot of Dungeon for Your Dollar

A wonderful blend of top tier pixel art, retro-inspired music and seriously gritty combat makes Souldiers an enjoyable, though sometimes prickly, experience. It’s a title that boasts some engaging (if not lengthy) levels that are underpinned by some inspired metroidvania mechanics and filled with a myriad of well designed enemies. While perhaps overfilled with unnecessary items and burdened by a few mechanics that can’t help getting in their own way, Souldiers offers a fantastic challenge throughout, and the vibrant world of Terragaya is an absolute joy to discover.

Where you fall on Souldiers probably depends on whether you were an early adopter. [...] However, with great challenge comes great satisfaction, and the journey along the way is just so memorable; there were times I could literally not put the controller down, even after hours of playing.

Souldiers certainly won't be to everyone's taste, due to its lackluster plot and technical hiccups, but it's definitely one to check out if you are into Metroidvania or Souls-like games.

Souldiers manages to marry the chibi aesthetic with challenging gameplay and an interesting combat system. Some minor mishaps in handling and pacing detract from the overall experience, but it's still a solid game.

Unfortunately, due to overlong dungeons, difficulty spikes, and long loading times, the overall experience doesn't quite live up to the game's production values. That said, developer Retro Forge has turned in an expansive action-RPG with an interesting premise, engaging combat, and a huge, diverse world waiting to be explored.

Souldiers is a must-play title for anyone who loves Metroidvania-style games with RPG and platforming elements thrown in. Despite a few hiccups at launch, v1.1.1 addresses all the issues, making this gorgeous-looking and -sounding game one you shouldn't miss!