I averaged around 15 deaths per Titan, but that information does no justice to what I’ve actually experienced. Battles have ranged from fevered scuffles, abruptly ending in victory, to outright war, charging the same opponent for 20 minutes, wondering if I’d have more fun pounding my head against the wall. I’ve been squashed, electrocuted, poisoned, shot, and burned alive. I invented new swear words. I also beat a boss in less than 5 seconds and shot a Yeti smack dab in the middle of his majestic rump. The quivering arrow lodged between those proud, rosy cheeks is an image that’s going to stay with me for some time.
The only reprieve comes upon your lovingly-animated and almost inevitable death. You’ll reawaken at the nearest checkpoint, which in most cases is a short walk away from the two to three bosses residing in the area. While you may wish for the option to materialise outside of the Titan’s lair and immediately dive back into the fray, the stroll back is a much needed breather that’ll let you get your head back in the game. Spawning at the checkpoint also gives you the chance to take a break from a boss you’re struggling with and head off in another direction to tackle a fresh one, even if that can be a bit like stubbing your toe and distracting yourself from the pain by stepping on a drawing pin with your eyeball.
But somewhere along the way, at a point I can’t recall, things changed. The barren, uninviting landscape shifted into a sprawling, thought-provoking wilderness resonating with deep rooted sadness and ambient history. Those pesky bosses with their over-powered attacks morphed into solemn behemoths, their true names and nature obscured by my ignorance of their language and their world. Confrontations went from being noisy, messy affairs, streaking the air blue, to determined silent duels, fueled by strategy and stoicism. Every aspect of the game that had turned me off when I first started playing began to draw me in, softly and insidiously, so that I hardly noticed it happening. It’s a minimalist game with a singular focus, but boy, does it use that focus to create a compelling world and experience. David Fenn’s masterful composition on the soundtrack certainly contributes towards that.
It’s fair to say that your playtime is going to be massively dependant on your levels of skill and patience. If games like this are your bread, butter and tangy brown spread, you’ll burn through in no time, unlocking new game settings that cater to your taste for puristic masochism, like Iron Mode that makes you start the entire game over if you die. For everyone else, a single playthrough will likely be more than adequate.
At first glance, Titan Souls may seem repetitive or uninspired, catering to a niche audience thriving purely on challenging gameplay. But like those slumbering giants, there’s much more to be discovered, and you may well be surprised at how resoundingly it will beat the doubt out of you, like a stone fist about to grind your bones into the ground for the seventh time in a row. I still hate Marmite.
This game was reviewed on PS4.
Supply Gamesradar
Titan Souls review - App Review 4u
Post a Comment