Death Howl provides healing to one of life’s most challenging experiences: the death of a close loved one. As Ro physically fights through this world, defeating monsters to save her son, many of her most important battles are emotional, as she wrestles with grief. While Death Howl leans heavily into its Soulslike difficulty, its chess-like tactics allow for countless possibilities. I logged about 56 hours completing quests and exploring the world, and I’m just short of that platinum trophy. You better believe I’ll be back to finish it and revel in the spirited strangeness of another world.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a must-play for fans of fast combat. The controls are smooth, the game doesn’t overstay its welcome (my playtime clocked in at about 45 hours), and the boss fights are well-designed but punishing in the way you’d expect from a Souls-like. Missing an attack can be the difference between death and a staggering combo, but this applies to both you and your enemies. The story may initially appear on the lighter side, but there’s subtle foreshadowing of something darker throughout, plus a great twist of an ending that really turns the narrative on its head. Couple this with the strong lore and interesting characters, and you have a formula ensuring you’ll want to see your adventure through.
In some ways, I feel like Rebirth of Souls was packaged neatly but ultimately rushed. The online PvP mode is cool, and it's fun to see how characters stack up against each other, but many people will clamor for a ranking mode, as all that’s here currently is casual play. I do find myself enjoying this fighting experience despite knowing it can evolve to higher combat heights. The cast is incredible for a first outing, and if Bandai Namco does greenlight a sequel, these characters will be more finely tuned and hopefully can duke it out in stage-destroying experiences. If you love Bleach, you’ll definitely find the right character for your enjoyment, and that is more reason to play it.
The team at Yellow Brick covered a lot of ground in this first game, both in scope and physically in game with the number of areas available to explore. They did a lot of good things within their budget but I would love for them to scale back, hone the rougher edges, and focus on making them great. If you’re a fan of experimenting in combat with a charming cast, I recommend Eternal Strands for you. The story won’t move you, and the combat, while at times challenging, isn’t anything new. But if you’re curious, you’ll find the magic that keeps you coming back.