Young Souls is a gorgeous 2D brawler meets story-rich action RPG. Fight hordes of belligerent goblins, level up with hundreds of weapons and accessories, explore, and journey between worlds, as rebellious twins battle their way to save their foster father.
The game features a fluid and responsive beat-'em-up combat system. Players can perform a variety of attacks, including normal strikes, charged blows, aerial assaults, and special weapon abilities that consume mana. The combat has a strong emphasis on timing and positioning, requiring players to effectively block, parry, and dodge enemy attacks.
One standout feature is the parrying system. Players can time their blocks precisely to parry enemy attacks, leaving them staggered and vulnerable. Reviewers consistently praise the parry mechanic as a key part of the combat, with many boss fights revolving around mastering the ability to parry their attacks. Successful parries elicit an immense sense of satisfaction.
In solo play, players can seamlessly switch between the two playable characters, Jenn and Tristan. This "tag team" mechanic allows players to utilize the strengths of each character and chain together devastating combo attacks. Reviewers highlight this system for adding depth and flexibility to the single-player experience.
As players progress, they can find and equip a wide variety of weapons, armor, and accessories. These gear pieces have different stats and special abilities, enabling players to customize their playstyle and character builds. Reviewers describe the chase for better and more powerful equipment as highly addictive.
While the initial difficulty curve can be steep, especially for newcomers to the beat-'em-up genre, reviewers generally praise the challenge as fair and rewarding. They describe the game as punishing but satisfying, with boss battles that require mastery of the combat mechanics to overcome.
The game features seamless local and online co-op via Steam Remote Play. Reviewers highlight the cooperative gameplay as a highlight, with the ability to revive fallen partners and coordinate attacks adding an extra layer of depth.