First-person shooters are games that I never expect, nor desire to surprise me. The excitement and satisfaction are supposed to be intrinsic to the experience from the moment the first bullet hits the enemy. What I want is an identity, tight mechanics, a good feel of pacing and flow, etc. When a game like Soulslinger: Envoy of Death does manage to achieve this at such an early stage, while also throwing some entertaining twists to the formula, I cannot help but be excited.
A lot of work still needs to be done, but while playing I consistently found myself feeling impressed in areas that typically disappoint me in these types of games. None surprised me more than its roguelite elements, which on paper have all the markings of a cliché-ridden experience: status effects, choosing between crafting materials and upgrades that persist for one run, shops, unlockable guns, and permanent upgrades, etc. Here they work, largely due to the very snappy pacing of runs, and the strong identity of each upgrade.
Clearing any of the shooting arenas provides the player with a choice of where to proceed, which can lead to an upgrade of a specific type or crafting materials. A successful run must face two bosses, which are the same on each run, but the possibilities appear to be limitless. Boss portals are never the only ones available, and the runs can seemingly go on forever as long as the player does not choose to enter them. This means that landing on an ideal build should theoretically always be possible with some skill and patience.
There are already some fun combinations popping up between the three available guns, the available upgrades, and the activatable powers of each type. The fully upgraded shotgun, for example, deals 50% more damage to stunned and burned enemies on the second of the two bullets it can hold. This naturally leads the player to prioritize those status effects on their shots, while leaving the other upgrade slots, such as the dash, more malleable towards their preferred playstyle.
The two other guns are revolvers with a much higher bullet count, which fits perfectly into the other two status effects: marked and poisoned. Marked makes enemies take more damage in general, and poison relies on distractions, making it easier to unload for extended periods. The unlockable upgrades add additional challenges that award permanent bonuses during a run, such as damage for not missing and additional healing for not getting hit, so having a few extra moments to aim can make or break an entire run.
With so much working together to create a genuinely exciting system, my issue is the steep difficulty spike, usually around two stages after the first boss. My first run during which I got so far, after what was a genuinely fun encounter with two elemental knights in a tiny space that was not too hard nor too easy (especially trying to do it hitless), I ran into a horde of teleporting enemies and large bullet sponge snipers that would throw huge rocks no matter how far away I was.
This continued in the next several runs and forced me to focus on the permanent upgrades for the next hour. There was always a clear point in a run where things got completely out of hand and became a game of “maybe I can acquire one more blueprint at least.” The reward system provides the player with a choice: crafting ingredients allowing future runs to be easier, or one-run upgrades to make this run easier.
Early on I wanted to focus more on unlocking new guns so I went with the former, making those moments where the game goes overboard just to put you back at the upgrade hub very noticeable and unnecessary. It feels at odds with the pacing, as the final boss available in the current version should shut down attempts that did not prepare for an onslaught of enemies anyway. Soulslinger does not need to delegate this responsibility to an earlier segment.
Perhaps it is worth considering a harder split between material gathering and story progression. Right now trying to commit to both leads to runs that feel like a mindless waste of time, waiting to die in the same spot as always. The variety of builds helps mitigate that for now, but the longer Soulslinger gets, the worse it will likely become, unless some major changes will be implemented in future chapters.
The biggest issue with the gameplay right now, and something that should be an absolute priority in the next big updates, is making enemy animations and movements more readable. Right now they will stand in place doing nothing, get stuck on terrain, run around in place as they spin to follow the player, attack before their teleportation effect ends, and more. It makes things harder to dodge and hit, making readability a major issue. The generous aim assist helps this somewhat, but it should not be a long-term solution.
Enemy teleportation looks and feels off in general. They will turn into a colored puff of smoke that will move to a new destination, usually in an attempt to quickly follow the player, but the model that reappears is usually in a completely different spot. Other times, enemies will appear before said puff dissipates, making it very difficult to see them winding up an attack. When Soulslinger has systems that require perfection from the player, the player will expect the same from the game—it would be nice for it to not mess with them like this at the very least.
This might be a deal-breaker for some. It might have been for me if not for the general charm emanating from Soulslinger. The mixture of knights, cowboys, pirates, ghosts, and skeletons is rather pleasant, and the quality of the graphics in several locations (especially the gorgeous hub set inside a forest) and cutscenes form a strong identity. While I have my issues with enemy animation, the main character adds a bit of flair to every reload and power. The voice acting is generally great too, with the main character being voiced by the veteran D. C. Douglas.
It is sort of noticeable just how much more experienced he is compared to the rest of the cast. The non-human characters can hide this behind the special effects on their voices, and I can appreciate the charm of Death’s cold demeanor, or the wit and accent of a pirate skeleton shopkeeper. The same cannot be said for the only other human character, whose straightforward delivery does not mesh with the main character’s genuine attempts at small talk.
Quick conversations with her at the hub are the only moments where the vibes suffer, as everything else is accentuated by short, charming, and unintrusive quips and a tight soundtrack that gels very well with the action. Even though Soulslinger mixes different aesthetics, right now it is a cowboy-centered experience, and the tunes reflect this. Western-inspired tracks flow in and out of the calm before the storm and the chaos of the late game. There is little story to speak of as of now, so the theming is doing some heavy lifting.
Of course, this being an Early Access title, I also faced several bugs. Soulslinger crashed for me a good few times, enough to be worth mentioning given how much a player can lose if this happens during an especially good performance. The guns would also sometimes have an additional sound effect following the shot, a ding or a clack that would not disappear until I would move to the next area.
Though it has some rough spots, the positive qualities of Soulslinger: Envoy of Death make me feel positive about its future. Should the most glaring issues be ironed out this should be a great 12 to 20 hour experience; right now it is a good five to six hour one. I am itching to jump back in to try the harder difficulties whenever the enemy AI issues get addressed even slightly, which shows just how much it already does right.
Mateusz reviewed Soulslinger: Envoy of Death in Early Access on PC with a review code.
