IOS Spotlight #62: Wayward Souls

Title: Wayward Souls
Developer: Rocketcat Games
Platforms: IOS Universal
Price: $4.99
---
The short version? With Wayward Souls, IOS finally has its Dark Souls.

The long version? Well Wayward Souls may not be comparable to DS in some ways, but they do share other elements. From the start, Wayward Souls is a challenge. You will die many times, as you face foes of all shapes and sizes and abilities. This isn't a hack and slash; timing and smart positioning is key to survival. Limited magic and gear makes each use a tactical decision, weighing the best angle, the best target, using now or saving for a potentially worse fight around the corner. And like Dark Souls, clearing an area with a sliver of health left through your own skills and smart use of magic and abilities feels so rewarding. From the close-range slashing of the Warrior to the Rogue's evasive backstabbing, each class feels decidedly different and unique, each requiring a different finesse to master Your decisions and honing of your playstyle doesn't end with choosing a class. From choosing between what gear to forge, what skills to upgrade, what magic you collect, your skills and abilities could vary significantly between playthroughs. Along with the randomized levels, this makes every new attempt feel like a fresh new challenge.

But any impressions of Wayward Souls would be incomplete with mentioning the visuals. There's a level of polish and charm here that makes exploration a joy. Flashes of lightning in the castle window. Hanging lanterns swinging when you bump into them. Stylish magic effects. The myriad enemy designs. The controls are equally polished, responsive, and free of excessive buttons; not once have I died due to some control issues.

 Polished, finely tuned, charming, challenging, Wayward Souls justifies the hype. You can purchase the game for $4.99. The developers plan to expand the game with a fourth area, an endless mode, and other content and each content update, the price will increase $1. Rocketcat is also working on a PC version and have also mentioned a possible PS Vita version in the future.