Unsouled

Unsouled is a top-down action-RPG developed by Megusta Game and published by NEOWIZ, the studio behind some of the more interesting Korean indie releases in recent years. It pitches itself as a character-action game with RPG layering - think fast, skill-expressive combat wrapped around a dark fantasy world where the soul itself is the central resource. You absorb the souls of defeated enemies to grow stronger, which is a mechanic that sounds more revolutionary in the marketing copy than it plays in practice, but it does give the moment-to-moment fighting a satisfying feedback loop when it clicks. The combat is genuinely the game's strongest card. Attacks feel weighted, dodging has commitment, and stringing together soul-absorption windows between enemy hits creates a rhythm that rewards patience over button-mashing. There are multiple weapon types - each with distinct move sets - and the build variety is real enough to justify a second run if the first one hooks you. Boss encounters are the highlight, demanding pattern recognition and punishing greed in the way any decent action game should. If you played early Nier Automata on higher difficulties and liked that precise, unforgiving cadence, Unsouled will feel familiar in the best way. Where it stumbles is the writing and world. For an RPG-tagged release, the narrative is tissue-thin. The soul-absorption lore is intriguing for about two cutscenes and then largely abandoned as texture. Side content feels utilitarian rather than authored - there is no Disco Elysium moment here where a throwaway quest reframes the whole world, and no dialogue worth re-reading. Character arcs are functional at best. If your primary reason for picking up an action-RPG is story payoff, Unsouled will leave you noticeably hungry. The filler is not egregious by genre standards, but the game clearly prioritized feel over fiction. Production scope is visibly limited. The environments get repetitive in the middle stretch, and the 78 percent positive rating on Steam - mixed by Valve's own label - reflects a player base that is split between those who found a tight, satisfying combat gem and those who bounced off the thin content and rough edges. At its core runtime this is fine, but anything past that depends entirely on how much replay value you extract from mastering the combat systems, because the story will not pull you through. Unsouled is worth considering if you want a focused, mechanically solid action game with light RPG trappings and you are not expecting the writing to carry weight. It is a competent first(-ish) effort from a small team with a clear passion for feel-good combat. Just go in knowing it is a combat-first experience wearing RPG clothing, and calibrate your expectations accordingly.

Monika · Scout Team

RPGs

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