Soulbound: Online — a new "pixel" MMORPG

On July 21, the multiplayer game Soulbound: Online from independent developer SpiderWare enters Steam Early Access. It stands out for its visual style, combining 2D graphics, like in old console adventures such as The Legend of Zelda, and vibrant 3D effects. Additionally, this MMO features roguelite genre elements with group battles in dungeons and combat skill combinations. Let's tell you what else makes this unusual new release interesting.

The game is created at the intersection of several genres and settings: it has room for traditional fantasy, science fiction, and cyberpunk with characteristic neon lights on the streets of settlements. The action takes place in a large open world, where there are both peaceful locations for heroes to socialize and receive quests, and dangerous territories populated by monsters. And the biggest loot awaits users in dungeons, which are best entered with a full party. Dungeons are procedurally generated, so you can't say in advance what exactly awaits you there. For successful completion, everyone in the group must have unique skills that work towards achieving a common goal. The developers promise over a hundred combinations of skills and relics — this way you can create unique role-playing builds.

But skills alone won't get you what you want. To change a character's class, it's enough to change their equipment: just now you had an archer or mage — and a minute later you get a melee warrior with high defense. In between fights, nothing stops you from fishing, growing crops in a garden, or mining ore — an automatic ore processing station, by the way, can also be built. As for virtual housing, it can be decorated however you like — arrange furniture, hang paintings, or trophies obtained on missions.