While fans Dark souls preparing for the release of the fruits of joint labor Hidetaki Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin (waited so many years Elden ring – will wait a few more months), the indie team decided to fill the void in their hearts Fallen Flag Studio and her debut project Eldest Souls…
The developers from the UK do not even hide their sources of inspiration – these are the works of the studio From Software… But they still chose a slightly different approach.
The game begins with the main character arriving on a mysterious island. He needs to get to the citadel, studying the environment and engaging in battles with dangerous opponents, among whom are the fallen Gods.
But structurally Eldest Souls is a boss rush, there are no secondary enemies at all. Also at the locations you can meet a couple of in-game characters who can award additional bonuses or share information.
The developers relied on pixel art, focusing on small details. Therefore, the locations look very nice. While exploring the island, you can find items and notes that contain pieces of lore or are needed to complete missions.
The protagonist of Eldest Souls is impersonal – he has a pink oval instead of a face. But the character is not devoid of individuality – he drags a bloody giant sword (Guts approves), the cloak flutters in the wind, and a gray forelock sticks out from under the hood.
Exploration phase makes you remember Hyper light drifter and similar games. Eldest Souls also uses an isometric perspective and has the ability to dash. Later, he will receive a semblance of a kosha hook, which will allow him to overcome the abyss.
However, the main entertainment in the game is 10 bosses, which must be defeated. For the sake of this, the developers decided to get rid of unnecessary tinsel. There are no minor enemies, there is no resource grind and equipment management, and pumping is simplified as much as possible. There are analogs of bonfires, but they are control points for saving and fast movement. And in case of death, the character is immediately revived in the room with the boss.
The leaders are the main decoration of Eldest Souls. These are huge, detailed sprites that the player must focus all their attention on. The rest should not interest him.
Fallen Flag Studio didn’t bother too much with the design, so the sources of inspiration are easy to guess. So, the second boss named Guardian is literally modified Knight of the Tower of Demon’s Souls… Even some of the attacks coincide.
Each of the leaders has his own set of movements, and the battles are divided into the classic two phases. The player is required to show maximum concentration and perseverance, because Eldest Souls may not suit everyone.
As the developers themselves said, they added the above Guardian as a barrier on the way, which may be too tough for green beginners. The giant knight throws spears, creates AoE rings on the ground, dashes and suddenly swings his sword. In the second stage, he begins to move even faster, carry out long bundles of attacks, shoot with tentacles and pinch in the corner due to burning rings.
Therefore, it is imperative to move quickly and avoid attacks. The hero has a bar of stamina of three bars, which are reset to zero when dashing. They can be replenished if at the right moment you jump to the enemy’s blow. And this must be learned, otherwise the player will get stuck on the third boss, which shoots lasers.
The combat system in the game is simple, but it is complicated by the nuances. Let’s say a basic attack deals little damage. But if you hold down the button, the character will dash towards the enemy for a powerful attack that will fill the adrenaline bar.
After that, the hero will go into a special mode when the adrenaline starts to decrease. At this point, the hits restore some health. However, at the press of another button, the adrenaline scale can be emptied immediately by performing a particularly powerful technique.
The core of the gameplay will remain unchanged until the very end, so the developers dilute it with nuances. For killing bosses, points are awarded, which can be spent on purchasing skills, divided into three styles. The first will allow you to launch attacks from afar, the second will give you a berserk mode, and the third will open a counterattack. This will affect the fighting style. You can also strengthen the hero’s attacks with special Shards (for example, heal several times during the battle with the help of a dash).
For special perverts, the “Arena“. In it, you can immediately access the bosses without running around the island. After the victory, it is allowed to repeat the battle, but the difficulty will increase. Interestingly, the very first boss on the list (Guard dog) absent. Apparently, the British team does not take a dummy for training seriously.
The main problem of Eldest Souls is management. Before the launch of the preview version, representatives of the studio asked to play with a gamepad. The reason is simple – the stick is more comfortable to control the character than the WASD combination. The paradox is that using the mouse to strike is much more convenient.
Eldest Souls is not suitable for all players. Our author is not a leading editorial expert on creativity Hidetaki Miyazakiso he suffered on the second boss. However, fans of the Souls-like genre should pay attention to the game.
The release of Eldest Souls will take place on July 29 on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, PS4, PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
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