Summary
Plenty of Soulslike fans still hold out hope that developer FromSoftware will one day either remasterBloodbornefor PC and modern consoles or provide players with a genuine sequel. Meanwhile, other studios have decided to boldly step in and deliver their own takes on a spiritual successor or follow-up. This year alone has already seen the release of two games with more than their fair share of obviousBloodborneinspiration, and both titles happen to bring FromSoftware’s PS4-exclusive to mind in different ways.Lies of Pmay have players covered as far as a 3DBloodborne-like, but it’s Kumi Souls’The Last Faiththat does an impressive job of imaginingBloodborneas a 2D Soulsvania.
After a successful Kickstarter and several years spent in development,The Last Faithfinally launcheda closed beta period earlier this summer and then quickly followed it up with a more polished open demo on Steam. The game finally saw its launch on November 15 following a last minute period of addressing player feedback before the 1.0 release, leading to a final product that does itsBloodborneandCastlevaniainspirations justice.The Last Faithis most definitely a Metroidvania, but itsBloodborneDNA shines through in nearly every aspect of its gameplay and atmosphere.
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Bloodborne’s Shadow Looms Large Over The Last Faith
Before even getting into the similarities between the narratives and gameplay shared across both titles,The Last Faith’s visuals are immediately recognizable as takinginfluence fromBloodbornethanks to extensive use of shadow, muted color palette, and a Gothic horror atmosphere. Environmental design is one area in whichThe Last Faithshines; protagonist Eryk will initially find himself traipsing through ruined Victorian cities before eventually descending into the dilapidated ruins lying beneath that house unforeseen horrors.The Last Faithshowcases a peculiar beauty in darkness and decay, and its visual stylings err much more on the side of homage than imitation.
In terms of gameplay, althoughThe Last Faithis a Metroidvania, it is decidedly one of a new subgenre of titles deserving ofthe Soulsvania moniker. Much likeBloodborne, players are incentivized to push forward and approach encounters aggressively, and a generous parry window (combined with the ability to restore some lost health on a successful parry) rewards the player for not tiptoeing around enemies. Despite the value of a well-timed parry, dodge-rolling is still a player’s best means of quickly escaping danger, and failing to observe enemies and memorize their attack patterns quickly leads to death.
With a setting that so readily calls to mind the dour and deserted locales ofBloodborne, it makes sense thatThe Last Faithwould also feature a central narrative that is reminiscent of itsFromSoftware inspirations. Eryk is seeking answers regarding a mysterious affliction that both he and most of the world’s populace seem to suffer from. The origins of this plague are unknown and only spoken of in whispers, and engaging in conversations with NPCs scattered throughout the world will reveal threads that players can chase and eventually unravel throughout the course of their adventure.
In addition to its veryobviousBloodborneinspiration,The Last Faithalso features a throughline to another excellent Soulsvania:Blasphemous.BothBlasphemousand its sequel are unique and captivating Metroidvanias that owe quite a bit to FromSoftware’s Soulsborne formula, yet both games manage to stand on their own right by having a visual identity and flow of gameplay that make them some of the best 2D games in the Soulslike genre. Similarly,The Last Faithis practically tantamount to having a 2DBloodborne, but its tasteful implementation of some of that game’s most definitive elements makes it feel like a worthwhile entry to the genre rather than just an imitation.
The Last Faith
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The wicked and the blessed will be judged the same - let nothing stand in your way.Often brutal, always empowering, The Last Faith is an unholy alliance of metroidvania and soulslike.The Last Faith thrives on merciless and precise combat, with a huge range of custom executions to perform.Discover a formidable arsenal of melee weapons, arcane spells, and long-range firearms, allowing you to carve a path your own way.Nonlinear exploration is at the core of The Last Faith. Gorgeous pixel art depicts an imposing gothic landscape. Journey along snow-dusted mountains and castles bathed in moonlight. Discover and upgrade a formidable range of tools for destruction.Step into The Last Faith’s ravaged world as Eryk, who awakens with no recollection of his immediate past. Soon he will discover he is in a race against time as his mind and conscience begins to deteriorate. His desire for salvation from this affliction sets him on a cursed mission that crosses paths with ancient religions and divinities.
