‘Soul Walker’ Has the Heart of ‘Dead by Daylight’ Mixed With the Intense Solitude of ‘Alien: Isolation’ (Hands-On Impressions)

I cowered in the corner of the room. I had to hold my breath to avoid detection. A creature, hunting only by sound, is stalking me through the rooms of this abandoned house. There are objects everywhere. But, only a few are useful to me. I try to escape when a speaker’s buzz gives away my location. I feel my time is up — I need to make a move if I want to escape the Soul Walker. Seconds tick away, and somehow, by the skin of my teeth, I live to see another day.

So, What Exactly Is ‘Soul Walker’?

Soul Walker is the brainchild of Epoch Media’s Jeffery Thompson Jr, who functions as Creative Director/Creator on this project. Originally penned as a film script, the concept of Soul Walker made the transition into the video game medium. Accepted as an ID@Xbox project, this Early Access title will find its home on the platform, alongside Steam. The team behind Soul Walker consists of Jeffery Thompson Jr, with development on the game headed by Lincoln Margison and Jonathan Reynolds.

I received the privilege of a behind-the-scenes look at the initial short script. I can proudly confirm I’m excited to see how this evolves. Soul Walker has the potential to break off into several different types of media. I’m on board for every one of them. A game like this would be killer in VR, for what it’s worth.

It’s not like I’m the only one who sees the merit in what’s on offer here, as well. Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer of the original Gears of War trilogy, is serving as an advisor on Soul Walker. Speaking about the project, Bleszinski had this to say:

“Soul Walker is a promising supernatural game of cat and mouse. Sometimes less is more, and the initial focus on 1v1 helps the tension immensely.”

Want to see what else Soul Walker has to offer? Be sure to check out their site to keep up on development updates and to see what else is happening behind the scenes. Happy haunting to anyone ready to partake in this terrifying, yet exciting addition to the multiplayer games sphere.

I Have No Eyes and I Must Stalk in ‘Soul Walker’

I was recently invited to go hands-on with an upcoming PVP horror title, Soul Walker. Taking inspiration from the asymmetrical multiplayer horror genre, the playtest for Soul Walker put me in the non-existent shoes of the titular creature, alongside the lone survivor. That’s right; rather than having other players to depend on to survive, it’s a dance with death against a singular entity.

As I joined the lobby, I was given a fair amount of time to get accustomed to the controls for the Soul Walker itself. The creature has only a few powers that are easy to learn, but difficult to fully master. Reliant on sound rather than sight, I can only see my victims if I am within a few feet of their vicinity. I needed to depend on the environment and my senses rather than just the quick view of the victim darting out of sight.

Environmental clues could help point me in the general direction of the victim I was hunting. A buzzing speaker hums as they run past. Flickering static when they pass near a television set. The thrill of the hunt is at an all-time high as I glide through the air in pursuit of the other player. With only one minute and thirty seconds to obtain victory, I needed to move quickly and strategically. One mistake could cost me a point.

Entering the Void to gain speed, using a Disruptor to drain the stamina of my victim. It all felt great. But my ultimate weapon was the Sonar; working like echolocation, I could get a rough idea of my victim’s location. I close in and bring their life to an end in brutal satisfaction.

Playing as a Survivor Is Genuinely Terrifying

After each round came to a close, either by time running out or a victim being found, it was time to switch perspectives. In the shoes of the Survivor, things are all the more horrifying. Unlike the superpowered entity I was accustomed to, I was mostly defenseless. That is until I was informed that I could fight back.

See, another thing that makes Soul Walker unique is the ability to fight back as the normally defenseless survivor. In games like Dead by Daylight, you’ll need to loop around objects if you’re hoping to avoid the Killer and their powers. Here? You can grab one of the five crystals scattered around the stage and toss it at the Soul Walker to gain a moment of respite.

It’s not like these crystals were an overpowered object either, which was great for balancing purposes. If I tossed one of these crystals or held onto it for too long, they would explode and cause a blackout on that portion of the map. Draining the Stamina of the Soul Walker and giving the Survivor more Stamina is a great way to plot an escape and plan your next few moments of survival.

The Soul Walker isn’t affected by the change in lighting. So, it’s a last-ditch effort to try and survive. Sure, I could escape its clutches for a little while longer, but at the cost of that part of the map being pitch dark. And when you’re running for your life, you don’t always have time to plot where you’re going next.

Even This Early in Development, the Balance Feels Very Good

As we’ve seen from many games, balance can make or break an experience. So far, even as early in development as Soul Walker is, it doesn’t feel like it’s Killer-sided or Victim-sided. Each character has its pros and cons. As the development team expands on the vision of Soul Walker? I’m eager to see what they add next.

The bones and structure of what’s on display are solid. The concept is sound and executed well. While I would like to see alternate game modes that add more player support, this could be well in development already. Soul Walker has the potential to be quite an impressive project. Especially if this early hands-on test speaks toward the quality of the final product.

With additional fine-tuning expected before launch, Soul Walker could be a legitimate rival to its bigger asymmetrical brothers. I already know it could be huge in the streaming community. The more intimate nature of these 1-on-1 encounters makes every death more terrifying. And every victory is more satisfying than ever.