Young Souls is a mash-up of “Metroid-vania” and side-scroll beat-’em ups with RPG elements. Mixing all these elements together could be messy, but somehow, Young Souls pulls it off in the best way!
Players play as Jenn and Tristan, twins who were taken in by a mysterious scientist. When their caretaker is kidnapped and taken to another dimension, it’s up to the twins to fight through the hordes and bosses to solve the mystery and save their father figure!
Kicking Butt and Taking Names!
First, let’s talk about the main draw here: combat! Young Souls uses a tried and true combat style in the tradition of side-scrolling fighter games like Streets of Rage, Double Dragon, Golden Axe, etc.
One would think that the art style (which we’ll talk about in a bit) would make tracking the depth a bit difficult. I’m glad to say that the clever use of shadows and other subtle context clues means you don’t really have an issue keeping an eye on the action. It did take a little bit to get used to, but I’d say that was more because I haven’t played a side scroll game like this in a while.
Adding to the action are boss fights, which can be really fun. Like any good RPG/Metroidvania, the boss fights require great reflexes. Paying attention and learning the patterns of the bosses will help also.
The combination of the art style and the quick movements make fighting the hordes of enemies very satisfying.
Clothes Don’t Make The Man…Unless They Do?
In Young Souls, players switch between casual clothes and armor depending on whether they’re in the dungeon or in town. You can buy clothes at the shop in town and changed in the bedroom. After gaining enough XP in the dungeon and leveling up, you can sleep to apply skill points then change clothes. These clothes, however, are purely cosmetic, with one exception: shoes!
Heading to Solid Sneakers in town, you can buy some sweet kicks with decent perks to your fighting ability, increased health, and more.
While in town, you can also hit the gym when you get special tickets and play a short minigame to increase strength, damage, or health. As the game progresses, these perks will be essential along with changing your armor and weapons as you go.
Beautiful Art, Beautiful Combat
Young Souls is a fun, fast-paced dungeon brawler with funny dialogue ( though there is strong language, so it may not be for small children), an interesting story, and great pacing. The art style is incredibly well done, and the character design is great! If you’re a fan of games like Streets of Rage or Double Dragon, do yourself a favor and check out Young Souls!
ViBE
