We play a lot of hack-and-slash indie games and we genuinely enjoy most of them, especially when they’re Steam Deck Verified. But while a small fraction of them just talk a big game, SoulQuest actually walks the walk. The weirdly written lines didn’t impress us much, but the combat and setting kept us coming back for more.
Gravity is a Suggestion
SoulQuest is a 2D hack-and-slash in the style of Devil May Cry, where you try your best to stay off the ground. It’s all about air juggling. You knock enemies up, jump after them, slash them, swap magic powers, and slam them down. It looks as cool as it sounds, and even though most enemies are quite spongy, the fluidity of the “dance” is so well executed that you almost don’t want them to die before you finish your combo.
The game grades your fighting style right away, and chasing that top rank is super addictive. Every fight feels like a puzzle as you try to keep your rank at the top tier. But it isn’t perfect. Some levels are mostly just locked fighting rooms, so exploring takes a back seat to punching. Also, cheap traps can steal your hard-earned experience points. If you aren’t big on exploring and just want as much fighting as possible, you’ll be a happy camper. It’s a game that rewards you for finding a rhythm instead of just button-mashing.
The only thing we didn’t like was the dialogue. It just feels unnatural and unbelievable, despite the actors doing their best to bring the characters to life. It feels like the lines were written by a non-native speaker but acted out by native speakers. It’s a weird feeling that really bothered us, and it felt like a waste of potential considering how talented the voice actors are.
The Blood Price
If you can look past the awkward dialogue and focus purely on the action, SoulQuest offers a surprisingly deep and satisfying combat experience. It was an absolute blast to play, especially when you finally nail that perfect airborne combo.
Score: 8/10
ID Card
- Developer: SoulBlade Studio LLC (Tomas J. Pereyra)
- Publisher: indie.io
- Engine: GameMaker
- Platforms: PC (Nintendo Switch physical release planned)
- Release Date: May 1, 2026
- Genre: 2D Character Action Game / Hack-and-Slash
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