The team behind Deathbound is painfully aware of the stigma against Soulslikes but is confident that their take on the genre will offer something different. This is primarily in reference to the party system in Deathbound, which I got to go hands-on with at PAX East 2024.

In true Soulslike fashion, Deathbound is packed with parry and dodge-based combat, safety zones, and unforgiving bosses. However, instead of controlling one character, you control four. Each character has their own class and respective abilities, and swapping between them is as easy as pressing a direction on the D-pad. One character was a mage, who utilized fire and electric spells. Another was an assassin who wielded twin daggers and a crossbow. One of my favorites was the warrior who swung a heavy hammer. I also completed a quest that unlocked a traditional soldier who used a sword and shield.

Each member of your party has their own health, so I frequently swapped between them depending on the circumstance of every encounter. However, if a single character is killed, the whole party is wiped out. It creates an interesting risk/reward situation where you have to quickly determine if it’s better to swap characters — enduring a 2-second transformation animation — or keep fighting while you’re one hit away from death.

As a newcomer to the Soulslike genre, I saw the appeal in Deathbound. Its blend of different play styles and ease of change between them will undoubtedly make for some memorable fights and photo finishes. Deathbound is set to arrive later this year, but a demo is live now on Steam.