I must admit, it’s a little surprising that nobody of note has mixed together the party-based system of Final Fantasy with the min-maxing capabilities of Dark Souls, but Trialforge Studio now very much have. Enter Deathbound, a unique soulslike that uses a four-hero party system to always keep you on your toes.
Fiesta or Foe?
Now available on Xbox, PlayStation and PC, Deathbound’s world is certainly inspired by that of FromSoftware’s creations, but with a bit of Brazilian flair thrown in. Trialforge are from that neck of the woods, and have used their hometown to inspire elements of their newest title.
The world of Ziêminal is highly unique, but of course home to a great many monsters that are all out for blood.
As for the core gameplay, as you explore Deathbound, you will pick up skills, identities and memories of those that came before your hero, in order to switch between different combat styles on the fly. You’ll be able to combine the different combat effects of multiple fighting styles, to produce devastatingly useful combat buffs – and trust us, you’ll need them!
Key Features
- The Essence – Gain the skills, memories and identities of fallen warriors throughout the world. Combine their unique personalities and combat styles and switch between them seamlessly.
- Binding System – The essences you absorb from your party. Deathbound features a robust party system that allows players to craft a playstyle through talent trees. Switch between fallen warriors to harness their skills and abilities. Each party member’s affiliation in life will affect their synergy in death.
- Dynamic Morphing – Unleash the combined powers of fallen warriors with devastating Morphstrikes. Utilize different attack styles to pull off powerful combinations and finishing blows to defeat all who oppose you.
- Brutal World – Ziêminal is a world that mixes a technological past and a medieval present; home to diverse cultures. The city of Akratya is rich in lore and dangers. Explore a city falling into ruin under the shadow of a grand crusade. From the body-filled streets to arenas and places of worship. With its imposing brutalist architecture and melding of technology, it’s a city bound for oblivion.
- Unforgiving Monsters – 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 dares face them.
Play Today!
Deathbound is available on Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PC – this one isn’t for those on Xbox One or PS4, unfortunately!
You can pick up a copy of the game today via the Xbox Store, and make sure to check out our full review of Deathbound on Xbox, coming soon!
Deathbound Description
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 characters seamlessly in mid-combat with the unique 4-hero party system.
The fallen are individual characters with their own unique skill sets, combat styles, and rich history. By absorbing their essence, you inherit the fiber of their very being. Conflicts and synergies between characters greatly impact gameplay, so relationships must be balanced. Strong synergies may offer combat buffs that can spell disaster for the ruthless boss awaiting your steel and magic.
Throughout combat, you will charge a sync meter shared across all characters. During an opportune moment, dispel your sync meter and unleash a devastating Morphstrike using the combined power of the bound fallen warriors. When faced with a formidable abomination, a precisely executed Morphstrike can be the deciding factor between life and death.
