If you love retro-inspired side-scrollers that actually push your skills to the limit, you need to check out Souldiers. This gorgeous 2D action-adventure title blends classic Metroidvania exploration with intense, unforgiving Soulslike combat that feels right at home among the best PC games on Steam. Developed by Retro Forge, it is a masterclass in modern pixel art that will instantly hook any fan of the challenging side-scroller genre.
Storyline
The setup is pretty wild: your character is a regular warrior fighting for the kingdom of Zarga when a sudden earthquake traps your entire army underground. Just when things look completely hopeless, a mysterious Valkyrie appears and whisks you all away to Terragaya, a mystical realm sitting right on the edge of the afterlife. The crazy twist? You and your fellow troops didn't actually die. To figure out what is really going on and find a way back to your homeworld, you have to hunt down a powerful entity known as the Guardian while dealing with a nasty parasitic threat that is trying to tear Terragaya apart.
Gaming experience.
When it comes to the actual gameplay, this game does not pull any punches. Right from the start, you get to choose between three completely unique classes—the Scout, the Archer, or the Caster—each completely altering how you approach combat. The world map is massive and filled with intricate, maze-like dungeons that require smart platforming, environmental puzzle-solving, and a lot of backtracking once you unlock elemental power-ups. It is definitely a tough-as-nails marathon where mastering your parries, managing your stamina, and exploiting elemental enemy weaknesses are the only ways to survive the brutal boss fights.
