It is without a doubt with the continued success of FromSoft and their genre-defining action-RPG series that we have seen a new genre born. With many indie developers coming out with their own unique spin on the genre, The team from Trialforge steps up to the plate. Their entry takes that even further, and here we talk about it with my Deathbound review.
The team took a lot of unique approaches and risks with this new entry in the growing soulslike genre. So does Deathbound do enough to stand out? Well, read on to find out in my Deathbound review if it is a solid entry or just wasteful essence.
SPOILER WARNING: Note there will be major topics on some story bits as well as character backgrounds. Read at your own risk.
Story:
The story of Deathbound sets itself in a very unique locale and setting. The game starts following an assault on Akratya, the Forbidden City. The Church of Death leads an army of their followers to take down a group known as the Essencemancers. A group that worships the Mother and the Cult of Life. Theron, a trusted Devotee of the Church leads one of the attacks on the futuristic city.
During this assault, he fought against a monstrosity and fell attempting to kill it. However, he was denied his death. Now unable to die no matter what, he tried his hardest to fight through the sewers to find answers. On his way, he stumbles upon a fallen warrior and finds himself being called by some force. Upon embracing this force, he happens upon the memories and brings to life the fallen warrior known as Anna. Anna was an assassin and free spirit in service to the Cult of Life.
Who’s In Your Head?
After her reawakening, they argue due to their polarizing views, and also to the fact they can now hear someone in their head. However the most disturbing is the fact they can swap their bodies in a shared place. Disoriented they both agree to find the Essencemancers and get to the bottom of their situation.
This aspect of introducing so many distinct characters with unique perspectives and distinct lifestyles allows for a genuinely different story to be told. Not from the perspective of one, but seven total members. With some characters such as Iulia and Theron both being practitioners of the Church of Death. However, Iulia believes in Lady Death as an inevitability and the end of a good life. Whereas Theron follows the fanatical teachings and views all who worship Mother Life as infidels.
These unique beliefs and differences allow for such a unique take on the traditional party, while also having them follow their own beliefs and cultural traditions. Not even including members like Haodai, who is a member of the Cult of Life and Essencemancer who was working towards immortality. These vastly different characters allow for a unique story from a shared, yet diverse, perspective.
Visuals:
The visuals of Deathbound are a beautiful mix of fantasy and sci-fi, Modern age, and indigenous inspiration. The sheer beauty of it is astonishing and it all starts in the Forbidden City, Akratya. The city is the focal point of the story so it feels like a character in itself. From the slums and sewers to the lower city slums, each area felt distinct and different. Each part of this futuristic city just oozes science fiction appeal. This all contrasts with the style and look of each character.
Theron, the first of the Bound souls, a Fanatic of the Church dressed in a traditional Crusader and inquisitor style look from the Crusades. This differs from the roguish and stealthy almost Robin Hood look of Anna, an assassin from the Cult of Life.
Then you have Haodai, a young Essencemancer, who had the look of a traditional monk. His monastic attire pulls from influences of Shaolin and Taoist backgrounds. Then you have Iulia, a believer in Lady Death, whose attire is that of an African spear woman. A true tribeswoman and warrior, she has a certain fierceness and embraces that culture.
This also includes the most promoted character since the game’s announcement, Mamdile, an Afro-Brazilian Capoeira fighter. Each character’s design stays authentic to the characters’ roots and the culture they embrace and show.
That’s not including the look of every enemy you come across. Each monster created is intimidating, such as the Impending Truth. Each design is breathtaking and it is a truly great standout.
Audio:
The audio design of Deathbound is probably where the game shines at certain points and falters at others. The conversation and dialogue in the game is phenomenal. From the internal monologues when you obtain a new essence, to the conversations after some fights or after a certain amount of progress. The whole team will constantly chat and share their thoughts, frustrations, and opposing ideologies. You feel the emotion from them.
Now while this is a major plus, I feel the audio was lacking at certain points in combat and from the enemies. There seemed to be the occasional audio lag or sometimes, the sound came out muffled. It didn’t always seem to have an impact whether it was from combat or audio cues for some combat.
Gameplay:
Now like I say gameplay is king and this is really where Deathbound does its thing. It stands out with its biggest draw being its party-based combat. You have 4 different characters you can switch between. With their stamina and health being tied together it pushes them to focus on utilizing each character separately to take advantage of each one’s strength.
Because when one character dies, that’s it and you respawn. Now there are ways to support this, with lifesteal. Each character when dealing damage to enemies will fill a small percentage of the inactive character’s health. Allowing you to switch to other characters to attack and continue healing to stay in the fight, managing you can avoid your enemies.
Mighty Morphin Essence Rangers
This also mixes in with one of the core mechanics, which is morphing. This is how you switch between characters and can use it to dodge as well as to aggressively attack an enemy and push to stun them. This adds a very intense depth of comboing as it ties into the Sync meter. Which is how you are able to do these morph strikes, and morph dodges.
That’s on top of the fact that each character had a distinct style of play. No one felt the same, each had a unique individual identity. Theron is your sword and shield crusader, and Anna is a nimble fast assassin. Her crossbow for range, mixed with her ability to backstab enemies. Haodai as an Essencemancer can control and create pools of poison and shoot toxic bullets. While Iulia as a spearwoman has range and can create sweeping movements to take on many enemies at once.
Each character feels like they fill a unique role and all adds to the cohesion of how you build. Now while you can do moves like the strike or dodge to morph quicker, it is also a stat that can be improved through leveling up, and equipment you find. This is both nice and annoying as early on the morph without striking or dodging is extremely slow, which can leave you in a dangerous position.
These all tie in together and create a solid cohesive style of gameplay that unique to this genre and plays very well to its advantages. Now that’s not to say that it is perfect by any means and can sometimes be frustrating. Especially when you’re trying to morph to avoid dying and the game is slow to respond or you die mid-morph. However, once you can overcome this sometimes annoying part, you can dominate most fights.
Closing Thoughts:
Overall my time with my Deathbound review was an amazing one. The accuracy of the culture and history of each character, mixed with the unique party system makes this stand out among its contemporaries. With the genre continuously growing, it is nice to see different takes on the genre.
Not only that but with the performances done by the characters, this war-torn world really comes to life. Honestly making it a must-play for any Souls fan.
I want to thank the team at Trialforge and Tate Media for providing the key for the game and allowing me to provide my DeathBound review. The game is available on August 8th on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC on Steam.
-Jess (Bloodieknux)
Hey everyone hope you enjoyed my thoughts and breakdowns in the article above. You can keep up with my thoughts & shenanigans by following me on all my social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, & YouTube.
DeathBound
