Soul Chained

played solo, but was still chained to a ball. tough battles, jank, and memorable bosses. massive landscapes, a joy to explore. it's time to ascend now.

Soul Chained takes the familiar foundations of a dark fantasy action RPG and builds its personality around one wonderfully troublesome mechanic: the player is literally chained to another character. Developed and published by Kyroware Games, the adventure takes place in Purgatory, where fallen warlords must climb a dangerous tower while confronting hostile creatures, environmental hazards, and powerful bosses. The premise may sound grim, but the game refuses to remain completely serious. Physics-based accidents, awkward teamwork, and deliberately exaggerated situations regularly transform a tense encounter into something unexpectedly funny. The Soul Chain is far more than a cosmetic connection between characters. It influences movement, positioning, combat, and cooperation throughout the adventure. Players can manipulate the chain to interfere with enemies, trip opponents, wrap it around targets, and use momentum to create unconventional attacks. Objects can also become part of the physics-driven mayhem. Once players understand how the chain reacts, what initially feels like a restriction gradually becomes a surprisingly flexible weapon. The challenge comes from controlling it while simultaneously dealing with enemies that are perfectly capable of punishing careless movement. Combat incorporates recognizable Souls-like principles without simply copying them. Stamina management encourages players to think before attacking, while weapons, statistics, Chain Magic, and character progression provide additional ways to strengthen a build. Dodging and positioning remain important, but being connected to another character radically changes how those familiar actions work. A partner moving in the wrong direction can disrupt an otherwise sensible plan, while coordinated movement can create opportunities that would be impossible in a conventional action RPG. This creates a satisfying balance between deliberate combat and unpredictable physical comedy. Cooperative play is where the concept reaches its full potential. Two players attempting to climb the Tower of Purgatory must communicate because neither participant operates completely independently. One person's mistake can quickly become everyone's problem, especially around cliffs, traps, or dangerous groups of enemies. Conversely, good coordination allows the chain to function as a shared weapon rather than an inconvenience. Online Havoc Mode increases the chaos by supporting larger groups of up to four players, turning encounters into complicated arrangements of chains, characters, enemies, and environmental objects. It can become messy, but that mess is also a major source of the game's entertainment. Solo players are not forgotten. Instead of attaching the character to an AI-controlled companion, the single-player experience gives the protagonist a large glowing ball and chain. It can be dragged, swung, and incorporated into encounters, preserving the central physics mechanic without attempting to simulate the unpredictable behavior of a human partner. Solo play consequently feels more controlled and methodical, although it inevitably lacks some of the spontaneous comedy that emerges when another player accidentally pulls the entire team into trouble. Progression through Purgatory is structured around climbing a tower divided into chapters, with major boss encounters serving as important tests along the way. Themes involving sin, regret, and trauma give the setting a darker underlying identity, while the game's humor prevents the atmosphere from becoming oppressively bleak. Boss battles can become particularly entertaining because powerful attacks and environmental hazards interact with the chain system. Surviving is not merely about memorizing attack patterns; players also have to remain conscious of their partner, their surroundings, and the physical consequences of being connected. Visually, Soul Chained embraces an intentionally rough and exaggerated indie style. Character movement and physics can produce strange poses, awkward collisions, and ridiculous situations, and the presentation frequently treats these moments as part of the joke. Players who demand extremely polished animation or perfectly predictable physics may find the roughness distracting. Those willing to accept some jank, however, may discover that these imperfections complement the game's chaotic personality. The contrast between an ominous purgatorial setting and absurd physical interactions gives it considerably more character than its technical presentation initially suggests. The package also includes achievements, cloud functionality, Remote Play Together, local cooperative support, and online multiplayer features. Local co-op requires appropriate controller support, so players planning a couch session should prepare their setup accordingly. Multiplayer quality can naturally depend on connection stability, particularly because accurate synchronization is important when physics and interconnected player movement are central to the gameplay. Steam Deck compatibility should be approached cautiously. Soul Chained does not currently have a confirmed Steam Deck Verified or Playable rating, so its compatibility is best considered Unknown or Unverified rather than officially supported. The Windows-focused requirements and multiplayer-oriented design also mean Deck owners should not assume flawless operation, controller behavior, performance, or online functionality until an official compatibility assessment becomes available. Soul Chained ultimately works because it commits fully to its central gimmick instead of treating the chain as a novelty. It affects exploration, combat, teamwork, environmental interaction, and even the way players fail. The result is an action RPG that can be challenging one minute and hilariously disastrous the next. Its rough edges and physics-heavy unpredictability will make it more appealing to players who enjoy experimentation and cooperative chaos than those searching for a tightly polished traditional Souls-like. Played with the right group, its failures can be almost as memorable as its victories, while solo mode provides a worthwhile alternative for anyone interested primarily in mastering the unusual chain mechanics. Rating: 7/10

Great game! It's really rough and janky but a lot of fun, and plenty of content for only a MEASLY $5. Me and my girl had a BLAST. There's also a fun flying glitch that lets you skip a lot of the walking parts if you spam jump on certain specific rocks

日本語を選択しプレイモード画面に行くとフリーズしますが、英語版だと普通にぷれいすることができました！

Good game, terrible friends. Add a c*ck filter.

game was def vibe coded. maybe that's an insult to ai honestly, cuz ts is hot ass and buggy asf

probably one of the worst pieces of ♥♥♥♥ i've ever played

a naked man ran towards me.