Soulstice is the closest thing we will ever get to a Claymore video game

Soulstice is the Claymore game experience we fans have always been craving, and it’s out now!

As a diehard fan of Claymore, Soulstice has soothed my aching soul for all things Claymore-related in these troubled days. It’s been so many years now since that wonderful work’s conception and eventual wrap-up, but it will never be forgotten — and I’m glad that Soulstice’s developer Reply Game Studios clearly holds the manga and anime in just as much esteem as I do.

Soulstice’s tragic heroes are Briar and Lute, two sisters who have been reborn as Chimera, hybrid warriors who are made by uniting two souls to grant them superhuman strength and mystical abilities. Briar is sent on a mission to reclaim a city in ruins: the once-holy Ilden. It is now overrun by otherworldly monsters known as Wraiths, who take over living creatures and make them their hosts.

Briar and Lute aim for the Tear in the Sky, which is the cause of the ongoing chaos in the land. But since the order who dispatched them are just as mysterious as the threat that the sisters will face, what revelations await them on their gruelling trek ahead?

Just to be clear, I had early access to the game, and in this piece I’ll be making as many parallels as I can to Claymore, since Soulstice has clearly been inspired by it. Following that, the last section will be a mini-review of sorts, explaining why I adore this game despite the numerous and obvious similarities to its “source material”.

Making the many comparisons to both Claymore and Berserk (but mostly Claymore)

Inspirations are plentiful within Soulstice, as mentioned in almost every single interview given by developer Reply Game Studios. The game was initially conceptualised with main characters similar to Berserk’s Guts and Schierke, but this later led to envisioning a pair that more resembled Fullmetal Alchemist’s Edward and Alphonese. But with both main characters being female, the developers ended up creating a meshing of both Claymore and Berserk.

Briar is a stoic and quiet protagonist, echoing Guts’ temperament to a tee, while her sister and companion Lute reminded me more of Puck. The parallels in their personalities are a bit less obvious than in Berserk, however, and the comparisons between both do not stop there!

Here’s what I’ve noticed after clearing the game just once. These are spoiler-free comments:

• Soulstice’s Briar and Lute are overseen and employed by a secretive organisation called The Order, while Claymore’s Clare is overseen and employed by a secretive organisation called The Organisation.
• In Soulstice, there is a suggested ranking system within The Order with the Chimeras being sent off on missions suited to their skill level. This is also true in Claymore, with the characters being numbered to represent their standing in power against the other Claymores.
• Soulstice’s major villains, the Hulking Monstrosity and Winged Monstrosity, give off massive Riful and Dauf from Claymore energy for their dialogue together.
• Soulstice’s Sir Donovan is a mentor type to Briar who is a veteran Chimera known as Shadeless. He has a rough and quiet demeanour similar to that of Guts, and utilises sheer power and raw strength when wielding his sword, which is far larger than his body. The audacity of naming him Donovan, however, is a metaphorical slap to Guts’ face that I will never get over.
• In Soulstice, an Overseer is attached to each Chimera during their missions to watch over them, and Layton is Briar’s personal one. He functions and behaves like Rubel, the Organisation member in charge of instructing and overseeing Clare in Claymore.
• Soulstice’s Chimeras are able to Transcend, where they lose their humanity and turn into Monsters. That’s another way of describing an Awakened Being from Claymore.
• Soulstice’s Berserker mode is more parallel to Berserk due to Claymore than obvious reasons. Briar loses all control when going full Rapture when her health is low, and she can perish if players do not support her during her rampage. The mode does more damage than good, much like the drawbacks of Guts’ Berserker Armor — and it also has Awakening vibes from Claymore.
• Soulstice’s Chimeras have demonic energy (called Corrupted) coursing through their veins that makes them susceptible to becoming Monsters, much like Claymore’s Yomi aura.
• The prevailing importance of Briar and Lute’s bond as sisters in Soulstice parallels important relationship dynamics between numerous Claymore characters within the manga – see Rafaela and Luciela as the most obvious example.

When the inspirations are so obvious — and maybe even a bit more “taken” and “borrowed” than merely influenced — it begs the question: how can I still love it so much?

Why I love it – if it wasn’t obvious enough already

My only major criticism of Soulstice is quite how predictable its story is, precisely because it borrows so much from a source of inspiration I have loved for well over a decade. If you’re already familiar with the plot points of Claymore, you’ll know exactly where Soulstice is going sooner rather than later. But that’s just its story and plot progression — and to be honest, I found the familiarity quite comforting to see in a newer and more modern product. And we haven’t even touched on the gameplay yet.

Soulstice is an extremely satisfying hack and slash, action-adventure game with an aesthetic I adore. Gothic, medieval and fantasy vibes all mix together with a prevailing sense of dread around each and every corner — but with a twist, due to unfolding from the point of view of heroes with unwavering resilience. No matter the tragedy, horrors and despair they have experienced or are in the process of experiencing, they will still march onwards to their goals. It sums up the sort of heroes that these characters really are.

There’s a slow burn to it all as we see Briar and Lute in their reborn states as Chimera. They learn to understand their potential and grow into the greatest warriors that they can be, and we’re with them every step of the way.

The gameplay mechanics will keep you engaged alongside the narrative. Unlocking all six weapons will keep you excited to see what else is added to Briar’s arsenal, and the way in which you can influence both characters through subtle button inputs for the two sisters makes for a combat system that feels like it is constantly evolving. More abilities are regularly unlocked through their skill trees, which means you’ll be constantly seeing new chains and combos when you level up. Seeing how the gameplay evolves over time is one of the great joys of Soulstice.

The gameplay takes a fair amount of inspiration from other classics of the genre, such as Devil May Cry and Bayonetta. For example, battle results track how quickly you complete each chapter, how much damage you dealt and how much damage you sustained. The scoring system also encourages you to be creative in how you tackle the fights, with greater rewards on offer for varying up your moves and switching weapons on the fly.

The Devil May Cry similarities are particularly apparent with the layout and structure of the story progression, since it’s all based on heading towards a singular goal: the Tear. This is especially similar to the very linear Devil May Cry 5, and at times it feels like Soulstice fails to do much with its own level design. Many areas are extremely similar to others and can feel more like backtracking. At other times, the fixed camera angles can make environments a little difficult to traverse.

For me, all that was a minor complaint, though, since not only was the gameplay solid, there was also an excellent musical accompaniment. The game could have easily gone for an orchestral OST for the most part, but instead it subverts expectations with lots of fun, unexpected electronic tunes, particularly in boss fights.

I have really enjoyed Soulstice, and anyone else who appreciates its obvious inspirations should pick it up sooner rather than later. It’s one of my favourite games of 2022 so far despite its flaws — but hey, nothing is perfect, and a few rough edges just makes things more endearing and authentic. (That’s what I’ve been telling the ladies my whole life – Ed.)

Soulstice celebrates the great things about its biggest inspirations while being memorable in its own right. The presence of Sir Donovan as a capable male Chimera fills a void from Claymore, and how the game explores and shows memories reminiscent of the Vestige fragments in Code Vein makes for a nice interlude after countless battle segments and heavy plot reveals.

I’ll leave it there for now since I want Soulstice to stand on its own legs. To form your own opinion of it, please do support the game and its developer on Steam, PlayStation 5 or Xbox!

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