The soulslike style has develop into the flavor-of-the-industry lately, because of video games like Elden Ring and the namesake Darkish Souls turning into massively profitable. These days, in an effort to stand out on this extremely aggressive area, a recreation wants some kind of partaking hook to reel gamers away from different titles–be it a gameplay mechanic, overarching story, or distinctive visible type.
Blighted–the newest from Guacamelee developer Drinkbox–is making an attempt to lure soulslike followers into its desolate world with all three of these components, and the result’s shaping as much as be one other hit beneath the Drinkbox banner. Whereas at its core, it feels acquainted to what gamers will count on, Blighted’s distinctive attributes waste no time in shining by means of, and after my time with the sport at Summer time Recreation Fest, I count on soulslike followers can have one other unbelievable expertise to sink their tooth into come 2026.
For individuals who missed the trailer at SGF Reside, Blighted is an isometric action-RPG with fight just like different soulslike games–slashing, dodging, and parrying are key to victory. It’s set in a world befallen by Blight, a plague that alters actuality itself. Earlier than the Blight, the folks of this world would plant a seed within the mind of those that handed away, and when a Reminiscence Tree grew from that seed, the folks would eat the fruit from the tree and acquire the deceased particular person’s recollections.
Nevertheless, a sinister being named Sorcisto discovered that by consuming the mind straight, he would acquire overwhelming energy and information. Sorcisto then consumed the brains of all of the useless he might discover, setting the Blight into the world and turning into the malevolent demon the participant units out to defeat.
Because the participant defeats boss monsters, they too should devour the brains of the conquered, which then threatens to make Sorcisto’s strategies cyclical as an alternative of a one-off aberration. That kind of overarching risk, and the way in which the sport presents the ever-building Blight within the participant character after defeating a boss within the demo, is teasing a narrative that would grow to be top-of-the-line the style has ever seen.
Fight might be probably the most “regular” factor within the Blighted demo in relation to soulslikes, however by creating a well-recognized system for brand new gamers to leap into, Drinkbox merely is not fixing what is not damaged. Battles with enemies are tense affairs, marked by the power to dodge, parry, and discover openings for attacks–all hallmarks of what makes all these video games so beloved.
Preventing, regardless of that familiarity, felt actually good; parrying assaults and turning the parry into a dangerous counterattack was as satisfying right here because it ever is in different video games of the ilk. The boss battle–a struggle towards a large spider-like creature with a horse’s head–drove these factors additional, as watching the spider-horse-thing hit the bottom after a well-timed parry was immensely satisfying.
Higher nonetheless, I did not must play the sport solo, both, because the developer strolling me by means of the sport additionally revealed Blighted’s co-op features–which means those that battle with soulslikes (like me) can convey a buddy to assist proper from the leap. Having the dev with me on the journey allowed me to get my bearings quicker, and in flip, upped my enjoyment of the demo.
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Regardless of the fight being acquainted, Blighted additionally presents a singular mechanic with a ton of promise: The idea of Blight itself. On-screen always is a “Blight meter,” which rises and falls relying in your efficiency within the recreation. The extra Blight I had saved, the more durable the sport grew to become; after I died and needed to restart, I misplaced a few of my Blight meter, which lowered the issue.
By tying the sport’s issue on to the participant’s efficiency, Blighted ingeniously sidesteps one of many soulslike’s style particular debates: How onerous ought to the sport be? Right here, the reply is “as onerous as you make it by your skill to play it,” which locations the onus on the participant; it is a system that, ought to it pan out within the closing launch, could possibly be the following main step within the soulslike style as a complete.
My temporary demo provided solely a snapshot of the Blight system in action–I might see the meter rise and fall with my actions, however I did not discover any tangible change to enemy energy or another issue indicators. That mentioned, the concept nonetheless holds a ton of promise, even when it will take some extra time to really really feel its results.
All of Blighted is ready in a world with a visible type that appears to be at conflict with itself. The vestiges of the fallen civilization–colorful buildings, extravagant murals, and more–are all besieged with darkness and decay because of the Blight, creating an attention-grabbing visible dynamic. Every world I walked into throughout my time within the demo informed its personal story, and all of it led again to Sorcisto, the demon who tried to forsake the tried-and-true traditions of his fellow man–and ruined a complete inhabitants within the course of.
Drinkbox is certainly onto one thing with Blighted; the combination of acquainted soulslike mechanics, distinctive story, and modern strategy to issue has the potential to additional invigorate a style that’s already teeming with new concepts. The Blight idea could possibly be a game-changer if it pans out, and if it does not, there’s nonetheless lots to love in Blighted that Drinkbox appears more likely to have one other success story so as to add to the record with Guacamelee, Severed, and No one Saves The World.
Blighted is ready to launch in 2026 on consoles and PC.