Young Souls

[h1][b]Вступ[/b][/h1] Мультяшний beat’em up, що не боїться гумору та серйозних тем. [h3][b]🎮 Геймплей – 8/10[/b][/h3] Ефектна та яскрава бойовка з RPG-елементами (прокачка, лут, магазини). Є багато приємних деталей – вага зброї/броні впливає на швидкість атак/ходіння, нелінійність, а всі взаємодії – у місті, до якого треба добиратися на прикольному скутері (для зручності можна через меню вмикати та перемотувати кат-сцени). Ідеальна гра для коопу – є механіки для двох, а складність можна зручно налаштувати під будь-кого. [h3][b]📖 Сюжет – 8/10[/b][/h3] Класна історія дорослішання близнюків без батьків. Тексту багато. Він вдало розкриває дві теми – важливість людяності у війні та прийняття дітьми нових реалій через біль. Легка подача не заважає відчувати сумні емоції, хоч гра не про депресію. Головним героям співчуваєш – вони природньо говорять, жартують, матюкаються і розвиваються. [h3][b]🛋️ Атмосфера – 8/10[/b][/h3] Яскрава дуальність (світ людей – затишна «симуляція» життя/світ гоблінів – з нуднішим дизайном, але динамічнішим екшном). Занурює бунтарське життя підлітків – обираєш одяг (капелюх, куртку, штани та кеди), катаєшся мопедом, ходиш в спортзал, продаєш сміття в ломбарді та «не розумієш сенс» постійних смертей. [h3][b]👀 Вигляд – 8/10[/b][/h3] Наче стильний графічний роман: чіткі контури, насичені кольори та лагідною рожевою палітрою. Персонажі трохи карикатурні – емоції зчитуються миттєво. Анімації та ефекти – чудові, особливо кайфові завершення бійок в слоу-мо. Вороги не бояться кльового гігантизму, але їх різноманіття не вистачає. [h3][b]🔊 Звук – 7/10[/b][/h3] 40-хвилинний саундтрек – нормальний. Треки не запам’ятаєте, але музика достатньо доповнить кожну сцену потрібними емоціями [h1][b]Висновок[/b][/h1] Чудовий сучасний 2D beat’em up – яскравий, веселий, зручний, сюжетно цікавий і має епічний та ліричний фінал. Тексту/відволікань може і забагато для динамічного жанру, але кожен удар відчуваєш, а теми війни та дорослішання змушують задуматися. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 (76 / 100) https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3639904666

Young Souls, developed by 1P2P and published by The Arcade Crew, is an inventive and stylish hybrid that successfully merges the classic beat ’em up formula with the structure and depth of an action RPG. At its heart lies the story of two rebellious teenage twins, Jenn and Tristan, who live with their adoptive father, a kindly scientist known simply as “the Professor.” When he suddenly disappears, the twins discover a hidden portal to an underground realm inhabited by goblins and monsters. What begins as a rescue mission quickly turns into a sprawling adventure that bridges two distinct worlds: the quiet streets of their small town and the dangerous labyrinth beneath it. The game’s premise is simple but effective, providing just enough narrative grounding to support its fast-paced, richly animated combat and RPG-style progression. The core of Young Souls lies in its combat system, which feels both familiar and refreshing. It draws inspiration from arcade-era brawlers while integrating systems usually reserved for modern role-playing games. Players can switch freely between Jenn and Tristan, each equipped with customizable weapons, armor, and accessories that significantly alter their combat style. Attacks are weighty and satisfying, with a strong emphasis on timing—blocking, rolling, and parrying play as much a role as button-mashing aggression. The ability to parry and counter adds tactical nuance, rewarding precision and rhythm over reckless offense. As the twins battle through waves of enemies, they earn experience, loot, and materials that can be used to upgrade their gear, craft new equipment, and refine their stats. This steady sense of progression gives the game a rewarding loop, encouraging experimentation with loadouts and fighting styles that keep the action from growing repetitive. One of the most striking aspects of Young Souls is its visual presentation. The game’s art direction is unmistakably bold, employing clean, hand-drawn animation and dynamic color palettes that bring both its modern urban setting and fantasy underground world to life. The twin protagonists exude personality in every frame—Jenn’s fiery confidence contrasts with Tristan’s quieter determination, and their designs reflect their attitudes as much as their dialogue. The environments, from the neon-lit streets of their hometown to the shadowy, torch-lit goblin tunnels, are rendered with attention to atmosphere and visual rhythm. Every attack, dodge, and explosion feels fluid thanks to the excellent animation work, while the cinematic camera angles during key moments give the game a strong sense of motion and energy. The soundtrack complements this style perfectly: upbeat, electronic tracks accompany the action above ground, while darker, more percussive themes add tension to the subterranean battles. The story of Young Souls manages to balance humor and sincerity in equal measure. The twins’ banter is often sharp, rebellious, and filled with youthful sarcasm, but their loyalty to each other and love for their adoptive father bring an emotional core that grounds the narrative. The game explores themes of family, belonging, and identity without becoming overly sentimental, using its colorful world to reinforce its messages. The supporting cast of townspeople and goblin allies adds texture to the story, with each encounter expanding the sense of connection between the two worlds. While the overarching plot is straightforward—a rescue mission that unfolds into a war between realms—the storytelling succeeds through its character-driven focus. The dialogue, peppered with modern slang and playful humor, captures a natural rhythm that gives the protagonists an authentic, contemporary voice, making their journey feel both relatable and endearing. Beyond its narrative and visual strengths, Young Souls impresses with how it structures its gameplay progression. Between dungeon runs, players can return to town to rest, train, and visit various shops that serve as upgrade stations for equipment and abilities. The twins can hit the gym to boost stats like strength or stamina, visit stores to buy better gear, or take on side missions to earn resources. This daily routine system adds a layer of rhythm and personality to the gameplay loop, mimicking the cadence of daily life interrupted by bursts of adventure. It’s an effective blend that keeps the pace fresh while giving players the freedom to plan their next moves. Cooperative play further enhances the experience, allowing a second player to join and control one of the twins, bringing back the camaraderie of classic couch co-op while benefiting from modern design sensibilities. However, the game does show a few rough edges. The difficulty curve can feel uneven, with certain bosses presenting abrupt spikes that may frustrate players expecting a smoother ramp-up. Some encounters rely heavily on precise parry timing or environmental awareness, which can feel punishing when the camera struggles to capture every detail of crowded fights. While the RPG elements add welcome depth, the menus and progression systems occasionally feel less intuitive than they could be, especially when managing equipment or comparing stats. There’s also a sense that the story’s second half doesn’t fully capitalize on the emotional setup of its opening chapters, settling into predictable patterns instead of expanding its world or character arcs in more surprising ways. Yet, these issues are minor compared to the overall sense of craft and polish the game exudes. Young Souls ultimately succeeds because it understands how to merge style, personality, and satisfying gameplay into a cohesive whole. It captures the nostalgic energy of the side-scrolling beat ’em up genre while infusing it with modern RPG mechanics that give players agency and investment. Its bold art direction, expressive characters, and heartfelt storytelling make it stand out in a crowded field of indie action games. While its pacing and difficulty may not be flawless, its creativity and attention to detail ensure that every hour spent with Jenn and Tristan feels engaging and rewarding. For players who grew up on classic brawlers but now crave more depth, or for anyone looking for a stylish adventure built on both heart and skill, Young Souls is an easy recommendation—a modern love letter to the genre with a soul all its own. Rating: 8/10

The game's got an identity crisis. The look and premise is like a Cartoon Network show but it keeps trying to be edgy. The protagonists are a couple of potty mouthed brats who had me rooting for the goblins. The combat is simultaneously basic and unforgiving, making replaying segments a reoccurring chore. I think I'm expected to farm minerals and currency but this is taking forever. What might have been a fun beat 'em up is ruined by the poorly implemented dungeon crawling elements.

Вроде и геймплей забавный, стиль тоже очень неплох, но если копнуть детали... Тут всё не очень. Управление ощущается каким-то ватным, особенно блок. Контратака происходит с некоторой задержкой, нужно подстраиваться. Хитбоксы выглядят кривовато. Ну и унылый бектрекинг - как без него-то

It is a tragedy that this game isn't more well known. It's beautifully animated, has a really good story with tons of interesting characters, doesn't overstay its welcome (less than 20 hours), and has a fantastic roll/parry combat system that has gotten my much less gaming inclined girlfriend into combat focused games. And it's a rare coop first game in the modern market, and it can be played solo as well. It has some occasional bugginess, and in 2 player, in the late game, you can overwhelm enemies by approaching them from both sides rather than learning their movesets. But none of this took away from the fact that this game is a masterpiece and more people need to play it.

Great game to play coop over Steam Remote Play. Well worth playing. Good Story, fun combat.

The game is amazing, but unfortunately there is a bug in the loading screen, that is happening for alot of players, but the devs don't fix it, for some reason. I have the bug and can't play anymore ... oh boy, hope they fix it ... one day! Don't recomend because of the bug, if they fix it, buy it ;D

초반에 장비를 안바꾸고 진행하여 생각보다 빡센 난이도라 생각했으나 장비를 바꾼뒤론 적당히 클리어!! 소울류 게임을 거의 안해봐서 지인의 덕을 많이 봤습니다 ㅎㅎ 스토리 자체는 평범한거같은데 번역이 정말 구려서 스토리도 더 구려보이는 문제를 제외하곤 나름 만족 시간 맞춰 겜하기가 쉽지않아 이제서야 엔딩을 봤지만 그래도 잘 즐겼습니다~ *리모트 플레이로 2인이서 플레이 했습니다

Great action Beat'em up/rpg! Fun in coop also! Very unique! Beautiful artwork and good story, gameplay!

Que juegazo maaaan una joya escondida sin duda su sistema de combate 10/10 demasiado adictivo historia no me conecte mucho pero ta buena tambien entretiene 7/10 complalo ta weno