Video Games of the 2020s, Part 2 Codexery

Soulstice

Two sisters, one body, in a fast-paced hack and slash.

Soulstice is a fast-paced action-adventure hack and slash game from the Italian developer Forge Reply. It launched in 2022 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows, with a PlayStation 4 version following in 2023. The core gameplay revolves around controlling two sisters, Briar and Lute, who exist as a single Chimera warrior. Players must manage both characters simultaneously: Briar delivers melee attacks and combos, while Lute uses mystical abilities to support combat and alter the battlefield. Weapons and abilities can be unlocked and upgraded, and players can switch between weapons mid-fight to create varied combo chains. The game also includes puzzles, exploration of ruined environments, and a range of enemy types that demand strategic use of both sisters’ skills. Boss fights and enemy groups are designed to be challenging, encouraging mastery of the synergy between Briar and Lute. On Metacritic, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions scored 72 out of 100, while the Windows version received 68 out of 100. A common criticism was the inability to move the camera.

Quick Facts

Developer
Forge Reply
Publisher
Modus Games
Engine
Unreal Engine 4
Genre
Action-adventure, hack and slash
Modes
Single-player
Platforms
PlayStation 5 / Xbox Series X/S / Microsoft Windows / PlayStation 4
Released
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, WindowsWW · 20 September 2022PlayStation 4WW · 20 June 2023
Director
Fabio Pagetti
Producer
Fabio Pagetti / Samuele Perseo / Marco Mortillaro / Christian Ronchi / Mattia Frigerio
Writer
Samuele Perseo / Fabio Pagetti
Designer
Marco Mortillaro
Programmer
Mattia Frigerio

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

Soulstice is a fast‑paced action hack and slash game in which players control two sisters, Briar and Lute, who share a single body as a Chimera warrior. The gameplay revolves around managing both characters simultaneously: Briar performs melee attacks and combos against enemies, while Lute uses her mystical abilities to support combat and manipulate the battlefield. Weapons and abilities can be unlocked and upgraded throughout the game, and players can switch between different weapons on the fly to perform varied and stylish combo chains. The game also features puzzles, exploration of ruined environments, and a mix of enemy types that require strategic use of both characters’ skills to overcome. Combat encounters are designed to be challenging and diverse, with boss fights and enemy groups that encourage players to master the synergy between Briar and Lute.

Reader's Guide

Soulstice occupies a niche in the 2020s action-adventure landscape as a dual-character hack and slash title developed by Italian studio Forge Reply. Its core innovation is the simultaneous control of two sisters sharing one body, requiring players to coordinate melee attacks and mystical support abilities in real time. The game's reception was mixed, with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions scoring 72 out of 100 on Metacritic and the Windows version scoring 68 out of 100. One of the most raised issues was the impossibility to move the camera. Despite this criticism, the game's emphasis on weapon switching, upgradeable abilities, and strategic enemy encounters contributed to its identity as a challenging, synergy-driven combat experience. Its legacy lies in its attempt to blend character-driven storytelling with a demanding combat system that rewards mastery of both sisters' roles.

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