Any of my fellow masochists out there will be more than aware of what a Bullet Hell is. If you’re not aware of this term then you might be far too innocent for the game I’m about to introduce you to. If you want to join the rest of our souls in perpetual torment keep going and play to your heart’s content, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. This is one of the most brutally difficult genres out there. It goes hand-in-hand with the rogue-lite genre and when Souls fans think there’s something psychologically wrong with you, you know you’re in pretty hostile territory. Fortunately, Soulknight Survivor isn’t a Bullet Hell; it’s a Bullet Heaven. So we’re all good, right? I believe we need to define heaven before we start making assumptions.
Soulknight Survivor is coming from a hugely talented soul called Stefan Elser. You’ll probably become more acquainted with him as SE Publishing, though. Due for release on Steam on December 1st, Soulknight Survivor is Stefan’s most ambitious project yet and should be a very interesting proposition for those of us who love to have far too much happening all at once.
Soulknight Survivor invites players to face off against hordes of enemies in a hostile top-down environment. Defeating your foes will allow you to steal their souls and use them to power lethal Soulpower attacks. These souls aren’t just throw-away items to be used in the heat of the action either. You can use them to level your hero by increasing their strength, stamina, health, and stamina regeneration; making them a truly core part of the experience.
Aside from the all-important soul-play that I’ve just mentioned there’s a fair bit to do in Soulknight Survivor. First off, you’ll have five maps to master, each one requiring around 30 minutes of gameplay to complete, should you be able to last that long. Outside the heat of battle, you’ll be able to craft powerful new equipment to help you along your way. Enemies will drop random loot chests when you kill them. These contain the resources you’ll need to build new, lethal, weapons and become a master blacksmith. Staying on a crafting note, you’ll also be able to upgrade the buildings in your hometown, allowing for a more than welcome bit of variety.
If you think five levels isn’t enough for a real challenge, (you’ll probably be wrong knowing what these games are like,) and you’re looking for true pain; Soulknight Survivor has four difficulty levels that you can throw yourself at. That should be plenty for anyone. There is also a boatload of achievements to unlock, and we know how much we all love those!
So if you’re looking for a completely new, action-packed experience, Soulknight Survivor sounds like a really interesting way to go. Rogue-lite and Bullet Hell fans are, no doubt, going to be the first to jump into the mix but I think there should be a lot to love for arcade and action fans here generally. I feel that Bullet Heaven, as much as I like the phrase, is going to be just as infernal as any Bullet Hell out there so don’t be fooled. This is going to be a ride.
