Deathbound Review: A Frustratingly Held Back, Ambitious Character-Swapping Soulslike

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The indie soulslike is always a risky venture. Often, it's down to budgetary constraints and not a developer's lack of ability, and Trialforge Studio’s debut is an ambitious and artful swing that doesn’t whiff the pitch. Publisher Tate Multimedia has already shipped a few energetically offbeat genre attempts, many of which similarly miss the mark of greatness. In, some clever variations on soulslike themes and a dark narrative are ultimately held back by inelegant mechanical details, but it remains a fun game for those with the patience for its flubs.

One of’s soulslike quirks is an absence of modifiable armor and weaponry, instead offering variety through its avatar “essences,” a set of characters to unlock which players can switch between at will. There’s a standard sword-and-board knight to start with, but there’s also a rogue, a poison wizard, and others to find, then build out into a team of four to contend with each level’s dangers.

The multi-character concept isn’t the game’s only twist, with other unique hooks peppered throughout ’s substantial runtime. Finding them all will be dependent on a player’s patience with its crudest edges, including some occasionally stiff and buggy combat, a weird healing mechanic in lieu of standard estus flasks, and other odds and ends to decipher along the way.

Visually, presents a few bland textures and junk-strewn invisible walls, but its detailed integration of environments unique to soulslikes catches the eye. There’s a modern post-apocalyptic style evident in its dilapidated office structures and city streets, and it’s refreshing to play a game like this outside of dark caverns or massive castles (and additional kudos for avoiding any Blighttown stand-in entirely).

The world of the game is also less connective and interlaced than, giving a flow more consistent with standardized level-to-level styled play. Basic fast travel isn’t unlocked until deep into the game, with its main purpose to search previous areas for