Will you be bound to this soulslike?
Deathbound is a one-of-a-kind party-based soulslike set in a callous world where Faith and Science clash. The forbidden city of Akratya is an unforgiving land that cannot be conquered alone. Bind with fallen warriors found throughout your crusade and dynamically transform between the characters seamlessly mid-combat with the unique 4-hero party system. Face challenging enemies crafted to push you to your limits. Their very nature is based on the five stages of grief, with each new encounter commanding the attention of any soul who dare face them.
I’ve had my share of soulslike games lately from the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring and Bleak Faith: Forsaken, so I must admit I was feeling a bit of soulslike fatigue when I got around to playing Deathbound. It would take something unique to impress, but it also needs it so it doesn’t become just another soulslike.
The good news is that Deathbound does do something quite different. It allows you to switch between 4 different characters in the middle of battle, allowing for a mix up of different combat styles and loadouts. The setting itself is pretty good too, plus it has more of a narrative than most soulslikes with more direct storytelling than most.
Combat itself is rewarding and typical of the genre, though the party system does mix things up nicely. The gameplay can feel a bit janky at times as you would come to expect, but it does have a few technical issues that currently hold it back from its full potential. I was impressed overall, even though it will undoubtedly live in the shadow of FromSoftware’s games.
The visuals are decent, character models are nicely detailed and the framerate seems to be consistent, though can drop here and there. Voice-acting is good, while the soundtrack is also impressive.
The Verdict
Despite being janky in places and having a few technical issues, Deathbound does an admirable job as a soulslike. It tries to do something different and while it isn’t quite enough to give FromSoftware anything to worry about, it’s still worth a look if you can overlook its flaws.