Deathbound to Release in August

Featured in this year’s Faux-E3 Latin American Games Showcase, Trialforge Studio’s “one-of-a-kind party-based Souls-like set in a callous world where Faith and Science clash” has some interesting ideas. Well, the studio announced yesterday morning that Deathbound will be hitting that Q3 2024 release this August, August 8th specifically.

“[T]he dynamic single-player party-based Souls-like, will launch for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on August 8th. Form alliances with fallen warriors using the innovative 4-hero party system and band together to defeat appalling creatures and enemies,” the press release notes.

The press release goes on to state: “Deathbound is a party-based soulslike set in a harsh world where Faith clashes with Science. You cannot survive alone; instead, you must refuse Death and embrace Ziêminal by bonding with fallen warriors encountered on your journey. Using a dynamic 4-hero party system, seamlessly transform between characters mid-combat to ensure survival. Success hinges on working together with your comrades, each possessing their own skills, combat techniques, and backstory.

The dynamics between these characters significantly impact gameplay, leading to different outcomes and status effects depending on your actions. For instance, aligning characters from the Church of Death and Cult of Life – two opposing factions within the vessel – will cause conflict and result in consequential combat effects. Alternatively, pairing fallen warriors with similar beliefs can lead to powerful combat buffs, perfect for taking down relentless foes along the way.

Despite their differences, the fallen must unite in combat. By charging a shared sync meter during battles, you can unleash a devastating Morphstrike combining the party’s strength, crucial for overcoming deadly adversaries.”

Going into further detail on the key features, the press release notes the following:

“The Essence – Gain the skills, memories[,] and identities of fallen warriors throughout the world. Combine their unique personalities and combat styles and switch between them seamlessly.
Party System – The essences you absorb form your party. Deathbound features a robust party system that allows you to craft a playstyle through talent trees. Switch between fallen warriors to harness their skills and abilities. Each party member’s affiliation in life will affect their synergy in death.

Dynamic Morphing – Unleash the combined powers of fallen warriors with devastating Morphstrikes. Utilize different attack styles to pull off powerful combinations and finishing blows to defeat all who oppose you.
Brutal World – Ziêminal is a world that mixes a technological past and a medieval present, home to diverse cultures. The city of Akratya is rich in lore and dangers. Explore a city falling into ruin under the shadow of a grand crusade. With its imposing brutalist architecture and melding of technology, it’s a city bound for oblivion.

Unforgiving Monsters and Bosses – Face challenging enemies crafted to push you to your limits. Their very nature is based on the five stages of grief, with each new encounter commanding the attention of any soul who dares face them.”

I think it is fair to say some of us are burnt out on the whole Souls-like genre, as there seems to be one dropping every week. Similar to Rogue-likes/lites 8 years ago. I’m interested to see how the 20-person team at the Brazillian-based studio has reshaped the gameplay and molded the genre to better fit its vision. As noted, Deathbound is set to release August 8th for PC via Steam, Epic, and GOG, as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with an MSRP of $29.99 (€29.99/ presumably about £26 – GBP isn’t noted).