Bleak Faith: Forsaken Review

It feels like barely a week goes by without a new soulslike videogame being released. It’s difficult to blame developers for wanting a piece of the lucrative FromSoftware pie, as the genre is incredibly popular amongst gamers. That said, I feel like the fatigue is starting to set in with the genre, especially when so many titles do little to separate themselves from the pack. Can Bleak Faith: Forsaken, created by developer Archangel Studios, stand out amongst the sea of other similar games?

Like many other soulslike games, Bleak Faith keeps the hand-holding to a bare minimum, with little in the way of guiding the player to the next objective. The same is true about the story, and you’ll really need to delve deep to get an understanding of what’s going on. In short, you awaken in the surreal, oppressive world of The Omnistructure, a once thriving civilisation now left in ruin. It’s a sprawling, interconnected world fraught with danger around every corner, so it fits nicely next to Yharnam on my list of “places to never visit”.

It’s far from a gripping narrative, with the occasional bit of NPC dialogue notes found throughout the world to help fill you in on what exactly is going on. Except, it doesn’t do a great job of it. Sure, there’s the argument that it lets the player create their own story as they progress, but as someone who prefers some solid world-building, Bleak Faith felt like a bit of a letdown.

Despite the story (or lack thereof) being to my liking, The Omnistructure is an impressive place to explore, and the art direction is perhaps its strongest aspect. It’s an absolutely miserable world that’s dripping in macabre style, and I was constantly on edge whilst playing. That is to say, it’s really quite impressive just how atmospheric this game can be. Not every area of this world is quite so bleak, and some later parts of the game are downright stunning to look at! That said, it’s very easy to get turned around in this labyrinthine world, and with no map or aid of any kind, you’ll undoubtedly get lost on more than one occasion.

No matter which way you stumble through the varied locations of The Omnistructure, you’re bound to bump into a whole range of bad guys looking to take you out. The designs of these enemies were also a high point of Bleak Faith, from the unique boss encounters right down to the easily dispatched shambling corpses in the opening sections. Just like the world itself, those that dwell within it are often grim and dangerous.

If you’ve ever played a FromSoftware game (or one of the many takes on their tried-and-true soulslike formula), then you’ll know just what to expect here. Exploration isn’t linear; although Bleak Faith isn’t a fully open-world title, the large environments you’ll explore do take some time to traverse. Then there’s the health bar — which depletes rapidly at even the slightest touch from an enemy — a stamina bar, timing your blocks perfectly, “bonfires” (which take on the terrifying form of floating corpses), and other such mechanics found in the genre. So far, so Dark Souls! There is a mechanic I don’t believe I’ve seen in another soulslike before, although it does feel relatively pointless. Much like the Arkham series’ Detective Vision, you’re able to scan the immediate area, in this case to find hidden lore items. That’s basically it, and the effect itself is a bit of an eyesore and not all that helpful, meaning many players (myself included) will get through the game just fine without using it.

One change from the norm that I did appreciate, however, was that you don’t drop all your experience when you die. And you will die. A lot. You’ll gain this through combat, but also from just exploring your surroundings, meaning if you accidentally stumble into a difficult boss, having a wander round is a good way to beef up your character.

The main gameplay staple is, of course, the combat. And this is where Bleak Faith, unfortunately, doesn’t quite cut it. There’s certainly that feeling of intensity when up against practically any enemy, and the wide range of weapons (both ranged and melee) and magical abilities keep things fresh. It just all feels a bit janky. Controls don’t feel tight enough, the camera has a tendency to do as it pleases when locking on to opponents, and the framerate would sometimes drop during combat. Not ideal when one mistimed block can lead to starting a fight from scratch!

It’s far from terrible, thankfully, and when everything is acting as intended, combat is relatively enjoyable. Boss encounters, in particular those that are so large you can clamber around them Shadow of the Colossus style, are a genuine thrill and something I hope other devs take note of in future soulslikes.

Overall, Bleak Faith: Forsaken isn’t the best in show. But, when compared to the likes of Bloodborne or ELDEN RING, what hopes do any other games in the genre have? What this is, though, is a fairly enjoyable title that’s a tad rough around the edges. It’s difficult to be too critical towards something created by a development team comprising of just three individuals, and the environments and overall designs are incredibly impressive for such a small team. If you’re an absolute die-hard soulslike fan, then you’re sure to get some enjoyment from this one!