While the game features 20+ bosses, several of the late-game baddies appear to be reskinned versions of previous enemies using the same attack formations. In general, there isn't much diversity to the surroundings you'll encounter a lot of hallways with spinning blades and a lot of arenas filled with spawning goblins. Many sections feel the same, even if they have different trappings, e.g., snow, lava, etc. These are all bespoke areas technically, but at times they give off a randomly-generated rogue-like vibe. Jenn and Tristan leap into each goblin domain through the "Moon Gate" - Stargate style - and then progress through a series of hallways and rooms represented by nodes on a network map. While the combat and looting loop is gratifying, the structure of the campaign is less impressive. Combine two pieces of the same set and you'll earn a boost to defense. Some armor pieces protect against the cold or the heat, while others will slowly heal the wearer. A few swords come with faster mana regen, while a couple of axes allow their owners to summon loyal minions in battle. Depending on which weapons and gear you equip, you'll experience a wide range of buffs and debuffs. You can buy many items in the gobbon marketplace - "goblin street", as Tristan calls it - but it's far more rewarding to find rare items out in the wild or upon defeating a particularly powerful boss. It shines even brighter thanks to an enticing assortment of loot, in the form of weapons, shields, armor, helmets, and accessories. Judged only against its moment-to-moment side-scrolling beat-em-up mechanics, Young Souls almost always hits the mark, delivering crunchy, forceful fighting hard-hitting enemies and a thoughtful mix of melee strikes, dodges, parries, dashes, and special attacks. It really is remarkable.Įqually remarkable is the game's high-stakes combat. Overall, there's incredible nuance to the game. Toward the end of the game, Jenn says to her brother, "I didn't expect a little thing like traveling in dungeons and getting treasure to get so. 1P2P takes the time to humanize both its heroes and villains, and to provide explanations for the genocidal tendencies on both human and gobbon sides. There's a palpable sense of moral uncertainty throughout the game from that point. After defeating a particular boss, the teens are met with an overpowering wave of remorse. There are still story beats and cut-scene interludes - mostly following boss battles - but nothing at all intrusive. Fait and Martin take a more hands-off approach and let the gameplay loop speak for itself. It doesn't help that the angsty protagonists aren't the most lovable kids in the world.Īfter the first hour or so, things get better. You might find yourself wanting to jump into combat - the title's best feature - but forced to scroll through lots of text first. To quote Morty of Rick and Morty, "we should start our stories where they begin, not start them where they get interesting." Once the game truly begins, it unfortunately bogs down in dialogue, exposition, and a couple of fetch quests. Young Souls leans on the flashback method of storytelling, starting at the climax and then flashing backward to the very beginning. The biggest problem relates to pacing, and arrives in the game's first hour. The plot itself is fine, even if it appears to borrow a bit too generously from Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia. Soon, the kids find themselves in the middle of an ongoing war between humanity and gobbon-kind. Eventually, they discover an elevator that descends to a subterranean chamber with a mystical gate that connects the human world with the goblin, or gobbon, realm. Upon their return, they find the house ransacked and their adopted father missing. One day they drive into town on an errand from the professor. The twins struggle to call the professor "dad", struggle to contain their teenage angst, and struggle in general to look outside of their own selfish needs. We meet twins Jenn and Tristan, two edgy teens recently adopted by a professor in a mansion at the edge of town. The game begins in modern times, in a sleepy town with a secret. So, did this developer duo's 12 years of experience in the video game industry translate into an action-RPG worth playing? Fait and Martin's very first project as independent developers. Just as Young Souls spins the story of Jenn and Tristan's first adventure, it also tells the tale of Messrs. The game represents the freshman effort of studio 1P2P, founded in 2017 by Jérôme Fait and Baptiste Martin, formerly of Ankama. Young Souls is about two misfit twins, Jenn and Tristan, who fight underground against goblins in an attempt to save their surrogate father, but it also feels like it could be a metaphor for its creators. By Evan Norris, posted on 13 March 2022 / 1,696 Views
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