- Publisher: Tate Multimedia , Trialforge Studio
- Release Date: Aug 8, 2024
- Also On: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X
- Critic score
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Aug 14, 2024Deathbound manages to bring innovations to a consolidated genre, mixing elements that make it ideal for those who want to venture into a soulslike without going through any hardships.
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Aug 9, 2024Deathbound is a fresh new Souls-styled action RPG with rewarding combat that might have too steep of a learning curve for some players out there.
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Aug 7, 2024Deathbound is a fresh take on the soulslike genre that will keep fans happy despite having a few technical issues that may get in the way of enjoyment.
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Aug 7, 2024With extremely entertaining combat, an innovative party system and an interesting, well-told story, Deathbound shines, but stumbles over technical flaws. The game is exquisite in creating a vast world rich in detail, whether it's the mythology created or the seven protagonists who ooze personality. An excellent way of defining Deathbound is that it's a soulslike game from the early 2010s, which hasn't kept up so well with the improvements that other titles in this category have brought over the years, but may please more purist gamers.
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Aug 7, 2024Deathbound is a unique entry into the Soulslike genre, with a cool, grim setting and unique ideas that set it apart from other titles. Ambitious as it may be, its character writing leaves something to be desired, and aspects of the mechanical design keep Deathbound from its full potential.
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Aug 26, 2024Deathbound's unique gameplay inclusion of controlling multiple characters certainly helps it to stand out in the overcrowded soulslike genre. However, despite the well-thought implementation of this mechanic, the game is held back by baffling gameplay decisions, unremarkable level design and forgetable boss encounters, preventing it from rising above mediocrity.
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Aug 12, 2024Some of the difficulty is good, and some of it is bad. If you’re into games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring, you will probably have a good time with this. But if you’re new to the “Soulslike” genre and looking for a challenge, you might want to start with one of those games first, lest you be frustrated too easily by the unfortunately fairly numerous stumbles Deathbound takes. It leans more good than bad, with a creative party system and mostly satisfying combat, but ultimately, I think only existing fans of the genre are going to last long enough to complete it.
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Aug 9, 2024Releasing an appropriate amount of time after Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC was the right move, as Deathbound can't really go toe-to-toe with the greats. Still, anyone with a tolerance for jank and an interest in the game’s new ideas should come away satisfied, even while recognizing that this pluckiness only takes it so far. Deathbound is an indie soulslike through and through, a scrappy moonshot with some interesting tweaks on the genre, and a satisfying depth of lore to boot. Its flaws hold it back, but that shouldn’t distract from its enjoyable character-switching combat and overall gumption.
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Aug 7, 2024While not bound for the embrace of death owing to its unique party system and visual flair, Deathbound struggles to stave off the reaper’s scythe thanks to technical issues, poorly told stories and unbalanced though otherwise competent gameplay. It may scratch the Soulslike itch for some, but whether you’d reanimate the souls of the damned for a longer crusade, only the Lady of Death knows.
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Aug 7, 2024Deathbound, like many other Soulslike games before it, brings a few neat ideas to the table. While they are certainly nice to sample and play around with, a lot of the surrounding elements are sluggish and bland. It’s still great to see developers have a go at joining the pantheon of games in the genre, but Deathbound didn’t leave me wanting to come back for more.
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Aug 7, 2024Deathbound won’t be the next Soulslike sensation, but at a time when they’re around every corner, its courage helps it stand out. When there's a story to hear and monsters to fight, Deathbound’s rag-tag gang of alter-egos can hold their own, even as unfulfilled potential continues piling up. Its demo and low asking price should help prospective buyers decide if Deathbound is for them, and promised post-launch DLC could reward those who do stick with it. This is a solid title for Souls enthusiasts between major releases, and the emphasis on weaving disparate play styles together will make Deathbound an experience to remember, despite how hard its flaws are to forget.
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Aug 7, 2024Deathbound feels like an early access game at times, with ponderous, imprecise combat and a world that simply struggles to find its way.
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Aug 7, 2024Deathbound is a game that has a lot of great ideas that seem amazing on paper, but few of them actually end up hitting the mark. The clear high points of this game pretty much all relate to the setting, the story, and the characters presented, but even this is marred by the goofy vocal performances and the frequency of the swearing in a bid to seem edgy and cool. But in the end, the game is dragged down by a wonky multi-character combat system, a messy health system, an all-round unresponsiveness, which is a death warrant in a Souls-like such as this, and the fact that the game's performance is enough to make you throw in the towel before you even have a good reason to write the game off. It feels like a game that would have benefited from pivoting to an all-out hack-and-slash format because, despite labeling itself as one, Deathbound simply doesn't have the polish or the attention to detail needed to truly call itself a Souls game.