'Soulbound: Online' Early Access Impressions
Indie developer SpiderWare just launched its debut game, Soulbound: Online, into Early Access on Steam. Don’t be fooled by its retro pixel-art aesthetics as it is not a single-player game but an action roguelite with an MMORPG overworld. Having spent some time with it, I’ll share my impressions in this article.
In Soulbound: Online, you awaken in a digital world rife with opportunities. However, you soon encounter the malevolent forces of The Anima. Overwhelmed by this remarkable force, you and other inhabitants of this new world have to overcome The Anima.
Like many players, I was drawn to Soulbound: Online for its pixel-art-meets-MMORPG in a sci-fi setting premise. It’s an original one that isn’t as popular as it should be. The virtual world is well detailed and the nostalgia-infused animated cutscenes add originality. There are also some interesting character designs such as a fish in a robot suit selling armour. However, I was somewhat let down by the story which isn’t as fleshed out and is also slow to progress.
This likely plays into the gameplay where you have to farm resources, build your base and fight in dungeons. It's a slow grind that isn't uncommon among MMOs. Dungeons play out as roguelite bullet-hell sessions that can be tackled solo or in 3-player co-op. You can adjust the combat settings to auto battle or have full control or in-between. As you clear waves of enemies, you level up and upgrade skills and weapons. The process is somewhat streamlined but you do get the opportunity to manage your equipment and inventory. There’s a decent challenge in combat, especially when having to deal with waves of enemies, although I wasn’t as hooked when taking them on in solo.
As an Early Access title, Soulbound: Online is still finding its footing and it shows. It doesn't do much that other MMOs doesn't do. Its most unique features are the retro-inspired art style and roguelite, bullet-hell combat. These do make the game stand out, but it still feels lacking in places. This is likely the reason for servers to be either low or mildly populated. In some regions, this can lead to difficulties in pairing up for co-op sessions.
There are also other telltale signs of it being in Early Access. Despite it being not graphically demanding, it often suffers from graphical assets that take time to load. While it features some voice acting, not all lines are voice acted.
I was glad to see that the game supports controller input. However, it's not fully optimised for such controls. Instructions are for keyboard input and some actions (such as accessing the pause menu) aren't supported directly from a controller. I also couldn’t take screenshots on Steam via the usual F12 function, hence the lack of screenshots in this article.
I hope these issues get ironed out in upcoming updates. The game looks like a fit for handhelds, and proper controller support would go a long way.
SpiderWare shared its monetisation plans for Soulbound: Online. Instead of a pay-to-win system, the studio will focus on a cosmetic store where players may use a premium currency to purchase unique in-game cosmetics, pets, and furniture. The game is currently priced at $12.74, including a launch discount.
There is another side to the game that might not be very well known but has surfaced online. Apparently, Soulbound: Online is a rebranded crypto/Web3 game. There are also AI asset allegations which the developers haven't addressed.
All things considered, Soulbound: Online offers an interesting premise that still has to realise its potential. With some dubious background and in its Early Access state, it's best to wait until the full release to get into this game.
