Titan Souls trailer showcases terrifying bosses, lovely scenery
A minimalist Shadow of the Colossus meets Dark Souls.
Pretty much every game these days not aimed at children wants to compare itself to Dark Souls, because, well, Dark Souls is awesome. But few manage to actually capture the sense of palm-sweating dread and majestic wonder that catapulted From Software's experimental action-RPG series into an industry mainstay. Titan Souls may do just that, if this early trailer is any indication.
Developed by Chroma designer Mark Foster and his two cohorts at Acid Nerve, Titan Souls has one of those concepts that's so bloody simple it's a wonder no one has thought of it before. It essentially takes the premise of Shadow of the Colossus - wherein you must track down and slay several gigantic creatures in an otherwise uninhabited world - only the combat system is quicker, more reflex-driven, and much, much less forgiving.
Like Shadow of the Colossus' obvious inspiration, Punch-Out!!, Titan Souls' combat is extraordinarily simple to grasp, but difficult to master. You're only granted one hit point and one arrow as you embark on your foolhardy quest. Thankfully, it's a magic arrow and you can hold a button down to have it magically return to you. The downside is you can't move when you're summoning it, so you need to be very, very careful with your timing and positioning.
Titan Souls is due early next year on PS4, Vita and PC. For more on it, check out Martin Robinson's Titan Souls preview from June.