When I saw the trailer for Eldest Souls, I was awestruck. It looked dark, hard, and fun, and I thought it would be a good challenge to tackle. You see, as I get older I have less time to play and I don’t want a game that feels like a walk in the park. I want something to challenge my skills and I won’t feel satisfied until I surpass that challenge. And yes, while I know that Dark Souls is a thing, if I can be honest, I only have about an hour of experience with the series way back on the Xbox 360. I am aware that the series is difficult, but those who are passionate about Souls games thrive on them and while Eldest Souls is definitely Souls-like, I have limited experience to draw on in comparison. Anyway, back to Eldest Souls. Boy was I wrong in my expectations! Literally never in my life have I felt the emotions that Eldest Souls has made me feel it! It definitely was an experience!
Eldest Souls is a boss rush game with no small enemies to battle, no levelling up, and no items or armor to give you a fighting chance. The only things you have at your disposal are your massive weapon and the ability to dodge attacks. However, Eldest Souls also has a deep reserve of charm and a story that is told in such a way that it compels you to continue playing to further the experience even though it’s primarily a boss rush game. Now as you might have guessed, the developers of Eldest Souls, Fallen Flag Studios, are huge fans of Souls games. You can absolutely see the passion they put into the game from the unknown warrior you control to the locations on The Citadel and even to the NPC characters you encounter. The bosses you fight are where Eldest Souls really all comes together though. After the game’s opening sequence, I was wary since the atmosphere instills a sense of dread. Pushing forward to a segment of the game where some logs fall and you have to dodge…I died. It was the first of many MANY deaths and immediately I knew I was in for a different experience.
Then I encountered the first boss and my journey began…or that is what I would’ve said if I was victorious fighting him, but I absolutely wasn’t. The first boss is as basic as it can get but even so, it wiped the floor with me and after the 10th death I started to get angry; not because of the difficulty but because of my inability to understand the mechanics. This is a game in which you cannot take the approach that you would take in a hack and slash. Instead you need to observe the opponent, finding openings in its pattern and getting a few hits in, evading big attacks, and little by little finding success by increments. Even with practice, I was defeated as I also needed to understand the battle system more thoroughly, as well as its staple mechanic, The Bloodrage.
Simply put it, the Blood Rage is a state that you trigger by holding down the attack button and releasing it when the blood rage gauge below your health gauge is full. This results in a dash attack that offers 3 benefits: Faster attack speed, increased attack damage, and access to a special attack: The Bloodburst. The Bloodburst will be your best friend in Eldest Scrolls and is the only way to deal massive damage to the Old Gods. As an added benefit, it recovers some of your health each time you hit them with it. The game explains this but it’s really only the tip of the iceberg in this complex battle system. You also can choose 1 of 3 different fighting styles which are swappable outside of combat. You could theoretically change styles on the fly, but if you pause during a boss fight you will be decimated as the battles happen in realtime – no time stop while in the pause menu! I won’t get into the specifics of each fighting style since the game gives you detailed info about all three, but if you want to “cheese” your way I recommend the berserker style with a focus on fury shards and blood bursts. Basically, after doing a blood burst a small fury shard appears on the field. Grab it and you can do another blood burst, then simply rinse and repeat. I also like how the battle system is quite flexible, giving a completely different experience depending on which style you choose and the shards you infuse. This makes the possibilities endless so try and find something that suits you.
I don’t have enough words to praise how great the pixel art is and the actual in-game screen captures in this review really do not do the game justice! If Fallen Flag Studio continues with this amazing style, I foresee great success in the future for them. The soundtrack receives high marks from me as well, and using headphones really maximizes the experience! Each of the different areas you explore in The Citadel while defeating the bosses is full of details that give a rich experience. From the frozen village to the corrupted forest, everything shows the devastation caused by the calamity unleashed by the Old Gods and I am glad I had the opportunity to experience it. I do warn you, reader, if you are someone that is easily frustrated, this game is not for you! I am generally a calm person and it’s hard for me to lose my cool but there were times in which I became so upset while playing (I was getting utterly destroyed) that I had to stop playing and take deep breaths, entering a zen-like state to continue playing. I didn’t want to stop because even if the game was unfair at times, I was hooked and the sense of accomplishment after finally defeating a boss that had repeatedly slaughtered me so many times was priceless.
Once I got the hang of it and started fighting in a more calculated manner, I was able to finally beat the game. My death count was a whopping 350 deaths! Even so, I was proud I had completed the game but immediately wanted to play the new game plus option! When I got to the first boss with all my previous upgrades and my established fighting style, with a smug smile I said “I know all of your tricks so they won’t work!” Then, in a Fist of the North Star fashion the boss came at me as if saying “Omae wa mou shindeiru!” You’d have heard a meek “Nani?!”… and I was the guy saying “Nani!” I got absolutely obliterated, because the bosses in new game plus use new attack patterns and powerful area effect attacks! I was flabbergasted.
Bottom Line: Eldest Souls is an experience like no other. The game captures the essence of Souls-style games offering ruthless battles that feel heart pumping and nerve-wracking but bring a sense of accomplishment after winning that is hard to describe. I cannot recommend it enough, and if you are brave enough The Citadel is waiting for you to uncover its secrets!
Disclaimer: A Review code was provided.