Italian-based developer Jyamma Games is bursting onto the Soulslike scene with an ambitious release filled to the brim with weapons, enemies, bosses, quests, and more.Enotria: The Last Songis an Italian Folklore-inspired epic that will appeal to both history buffs and Soulslike fans thanks to its imaginative world and colorful characters. A stark contrast to typical Soulslike releases,Enotria: The Last Songis a bright and vibrant world teeming with life, where golden fields and beautiful Tuscan architecture gleam beneath a golden sun. But among the cheery atmosphere lies something sinister, a growing Stagnation that has thrown the world into a perpetual state of monotony, in which all the world’s inhabitants are stuck in an uncontrollable cycle of repetition.
At first glance,Enotriadoes enough from a visual perspective to help separate it from the rest of the Soulslike titles available on the market. But developer Jyamma Games was determined to show players just how special their game is compared to the rest of the genre by releasing an incredibly robust 8-hour-long Demo showcasing the upcoming game’s mechanics. The end result is a free-to-play micro-adventure that lets players experience a small portion of the proposed adventure, giving them access to over 22 weapons spread across 3 weapon types, 18 Lines (which act as Spells), 7 Aspects, 6 Masks, and 3 Gaunlet Gems. With 27 different enemy types to slay, 2 Minibosses to defeat, and one Main Boss to conquer, there is a lot to see and do in this expansive demo.
After spending as much time with the Demo as possible, here’s what players can expect to see when hopping into the world ofEnotria: The Last Song.
Combat That’s Both Fun And Customizable
Although the developers forEnotria: The Last Songhave put a lot of labor and love into crafting the title’s world and characters, they made sure to make a point that combat would be the main focus of the adventure. No matter how great a game looks and feels in terms of immersion, it should always be “fun” above all else. Developers took this concept and ran with it when creatingEnotria’s punishing yet rewarding combat system. Akin to most other releases in the Soulslike genre, players will find themselves contending with an array of enemies and bosses that are capable of decimating them with a few well-placed attacks. Players will need to learn how to dance around and parry these enemies if they want to succeed in their role as the Maskless One.
The Combat inEnotria: The Last Songfeels both smooth and exhilarating. It’s responsive and doesn’t feel as “stiff” as other games in the Soulslike genre. Dodging feels fluid, allowing players to dance circles around foes, even when wielding heavy weapons. The difference between certain weapon styles lies in the wind-up and combo capabilities when attacking. Long swords and thinner blades have a faster swing time, dealing less damage in favor of a flurry of blows. Heavier-handed weapons and maces have slightly slower swing speeds but are capable of dishing out decent damage, while greatswords have incredibly long wind-up times but deliver truly punishing blows. Players are free to choose the weapons that feel best to their playstyle in the demo.
This “customizable” combat is expanded further through the use of Lines, which act much likes Spells or Skills from other releases. Pair this with Masks (that have the capability of increasing the damage done by certain weapons and Lines) as well as Aspects (which can increase certain stats), and it’s easy to see whyEnotria: The Last Songis a truly flexible combat experience that allows players to play and experience the game however they’d like. Those who wish to play slow and steady can do so with a combination of well-timed parries and massive greatswords, while players who prefer to dodge can dance around their foes with a flurry of fast attacks using lighter weapons. It’s easy to find a balance that will appeal to all playstyles, thanks to the combat mechanics in place.
A Truly Powerful Parry System
Of all the mechanics inEnotria: The Last Song, the Parry system is definitely the most important. Players are free to handle enemies and bosses as they see fit, but the Parry system will help them topple their foes much easier than many of the other methods available. This is because landing a “perfect Parry” against an attack will cause the enemy to build a larger chunk of their Unravel Meter (which acts as a stagger meter of sorts, allowing players to deal serious damage to the enemy). The Parries inEnotria: The Last Songare supremely satisfying, and players will want to grow accustomed to them as soon as possible as they will help them take down some of the tougher enemies sprinkled throughout the demo.
Enotria: The Last Songalso includes items called Gems, which will help alter a player’s Parry, changing how difficult or easy it is to Parry with added benefits that can better adhere to different playstyles. Parrying is definitely one of the most satisfying aspects of this Soulslike and it makes it feel more akin to the system present in Sekiro, which rewards players for learning enemy attack patterns to efficiently block them.
A Journey Through An Inspired World
The demo begins in a small area just outside a sprawling Italian-inspired area known as Quinta, The City of Actors. Players will make their way into the city and contend with an array of enemies and Variants (stronger enemies that have unique movesets and act much like Elite enemies from other Soulslike experiences). As players weave their way through the city they are introduced to the story through conversations with Pulcinella, who shows up at random Untangled Threads (similar to Bonfires from the Souls series). Through these conversations and the immersive world around them, players will begin to unravel the tale behindEnotria: The Last Song. An imposing mini-boss awaits and once conquered, players will then have to make their way through a twisted and overgrown area hidden within the city. It’s here that players will encounter the main boss of the Demo, giving them a taste of what’s to come as they venture deeper into their adventure.
Although the linear routes through each area are punishing (with some side spots to explore), they are equal parts beautiful. Combat is the main focus inEnotria: The Last Songbut there was still quite a bit of love put into the settings and art direction for the release. It’s very easy to appreciate the beautifully designed Italian-inspired architecture, as well as the creative landscapes crawling with a unique virus known as The Stagnation. It all culminates to create an experience that feels like a truly epic Soulslike, from both a combat and adventure standpoint.
Serious Creative Depth Allows Players To Chose Their Own Path
One of the standout elements present inEnotria: The Last Songis the sheer abundance of customization that players are given when it comes to crafting their playstyle. Although the Demo only features a fraction of what will be available in the full release, there is still so much to unlock and play with that it truly feels like there is “something for everyone,” no matter what their playstyle may be. Those who prefer typical “Strength” builds can wield mighty two-handed weapons that deliver crushing blows from well-timed windups. Players who prefer to be speedy and light on their feet can utilize smaller swords and one-handed weapons. There’s even something here for the “magic” users, even ifEnotria: The Last Songhas tossed out a traditional “Magic” system in favor of something that feels more melee-combat focused and fluid with their Lines.
All of these playstyles and every other in-between come loaded with various weapons, Lines, Aspects, Mask Types, and Skills. The Path Of Innovators is particularly impressive, giving players a sprawling web of unlockable Mask Perks that can be equipped as they see fit. These Perks can greatly alter how players proceed with a given build, allowing them to do unique things like build their Line meters faster at the expense of damage, or Unravel enemies just by dodging. There are tons of Mask Perks to choose from, further underlining just how creative the combat is inEnotria: The Last Song.
A Solid Foundation And A Promising Soulslike
After spending time exploring the Demo in and out, it’s clear thatEnotria: The Last Songis an ambitious, well-crafted upcoming release that utilizes some great ideas, especially when it comes to combat and customization. Throughout our journey, we did experience some graphical errors, like random spouts of immense brightness, textures popping slightly, and even a bit of frame-dropping when first making our way through the game. One particular beam-like attack from the main demo Boss was a bit tough to dodge effectively, but it’s possible any animation issues will be resolved in the final game.
The combat feels fluid and rewarding, and the customization is truly impressive, with so much to unlock that it can almost feel overwhelming at times (in a very good way). There were a few glitches here and there that required a quick reload (like one unfortunate error in which we couldn’t see anything we had picked up and were instead forced to go into our Inventory to see if we could figure out what new items had been added) but all of these issues were fixed by simply reloading a save.
Overall, the Demo forEnotria: The Last Songshows a promising Soulslike that is well-thought-out, well-put-together, and most importantly, fun. It does seem to be missing a bit of polish, but it’s important to note that the finished product does not release until September 19th, 2024, so this Demo is not completely indicative of the finished product overall. At the end of the Demo, we found ourselves interested and invested in the world ofEnotria: The Last Songand itching to try out new builds and uncover even more items to help us customize our experience. This is definitely a great Soulslike to keep on the radar for those interested in the genre.
