It’s
hiding
around
the
corner.
What?
You
don’t
know
yet.
But
something
is
there.
It’s
waiting
for
you,
waiting
as
you
peek
into
the
gloom,
waiting
to
pounce.
That
sense
of
tension
and
claustrophobia
is
what
defined
the
early
Souls
games,
at
least
up
until
Elden
Ring‘s
mostly
wide-open
spaces.
I
remember
vividly
stalking
Boletaria
Castle
in
Demon’s
Souls,
tentatively
tip-toeing
around
every
corner,
waiting
for
those
zombie-like
enemies
to
stab
me
in
the
back
at
every
turn.
Later
games
from
FromSoftware
then
played
with
those
expectations,
all
to
prolong
the
sense
of
anxiety
and
unease.
Void
Sols,
from
Finite
Reflection
Studios,
achieves
the
same
effect
but
with
a
shift
in
perspective.
The
world
is
viewed
top-down,
with
every
corner
–
and
every
obstacle
–
casting
a
pillar
of
shadow
upwards,
obscuring
your
view.
The
world
becomes
a
chiaroscuro
of
light
and
shadow
–
no,
not
shadow,
but
a
deep,
impenetrable
darkness
that
hides
whatever
atrocity
is
lurking.
There’s
a
palpable
tension
in
Void
Sols
that
had
me
slowly
peering
around
corners,
probing
the
darkness
with
care
–
or
should
that
be
the
void?
Sols
|
Launch
Date
TrailerWatch
on
YouTube
It
achieves
this
with
simplified,
abstract
visuals.
Your
character
is
a
mere
triangle,
a
tiny
three-sided
shape
with
the
odds
against
them
as
they
slowly
explore
and
battle
against
other,
more
complex
shapes.
It’s
remarkable
how
evocative
a
set
of
angular
lines
can
be,
really,
but
when
the
bright
white
outline
of
an
enemy
comes
charging
out
of
nothingness,
Void
Sols
feels
akin
to
a
horror
game
as
much
as
a
Soulslike.
That’s
also
testament
to
its
atmosphere:
the
gloomy
prison
hallways
and
shadowy
forests
of
its
still-available
Steam
Next
Fest
demo
are
heavy
with
silence
until
the
clash
of
tiny
weapons
where
colourful
sparks
fly.
Lit
torches
gradually
illuminate
the
safety
behind,
marking
your
route
and
contrasting
with
the
darkness
beyond.
Lighting
–
and
the
lack
of
it
–
is
everything
in
Void
Sols.
Sols
has
an
oppressive,
ominous
atmosphere
enhanced
by
its
lighting
|
Image
credit:
Modern
Wolf
Beyond
that,
the
game
has
all
the
typical
hallmarks
of
a
Soulslike.
Its
combat
relies
on
a
stamina
gauge,
with
multiple
weapons
to
alternate
between
and
a
pleasing
weight
to
each
suggestion
of
a
sword
swing.
Currency
is
lost
upon
death
but
regained
through
careful
play.
Your
triangle
can
level
up
various
attributes,
which
weapons
are
attuned
to.
And
bosses
put
up
a
formidable
challenge.
Still,
it
all
controls
incredibly
smoothly
and,
with
persistence,
this
is
an
approachable
Soulslike
–
one
that
plays
with
mood
more
than
difficulty.
It’s
a
generous
demo
too,
and
it
left
me
itching
to
explore
more
of
its
murky,
sombre
world
–
a
freezing
mountain
and
the
depths
of
a
decrepit
mine
lay
tantalisingly
out
of
bounds.
As
many
Soulslikes
can
attest
to,
it’s
nigh
on
impossible
to
outdo
FromSoftware.
It’s
not
enough
to
tick
the
genre
boxes.
But
with
its
novel
use
of
lighting,
Void
Sols
distills
the
essence
of
Souls
games
into
something
minimalist
and
pure,
but
just
as
frightening.
Perhaps
the
dawn
of
the
Sols-like
is
upon
us.