Soulbringer is a 2000 Action RPG developed by Gremlin Interactive, and published by Infogrames in Europe and by Interplay Entertainment in North America. The protagonist is a young man who starts off looking for his uncle, his last living relative. He goes on to investigate a bandit problem and eventually explores more of Rathenna, leading to a memorable journey with an epic ending.
Many aspects of the game were well planned, such as enemies being immune to certain types of weapons or costume changes at significant character milestones.
This video game provides examples of:
- And Your Reward Is Clothes: the player-character changes clothes at different points throughout the game.
- Big Bad: The revenant Skorn. Created the "hexseekers" to kill the main character.
- Breakable Weapons & Armor: misuse damages them more, but they can be repaired.
- Elemental Powers: Air, Earth, Spirit, Water & Fire.
- Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors: An odd version, where if you cast too many of one type your "seculorum" becomes unbalanced making it difficult to cast other spells.
- Hyperactive Metabolism: food can heal, but watch out for some.
- Immune to Drugs: Averted, alcohol and mushrooms can have negative effects.
- Magic Compass: One the points to hex stones.
- No Name Given: The hero is never referred to by his real name. The one time he almost said his name, he was interrupted, so everyone calls him "lad," "Blood of Andrus," "vagrant," "Young Moon," and (eventually) "Soulbringer".
- Portal Network: The Hex stones.
- Power-Up Food: different food items have different effects.
- Reincarnation: The protagonist turns out to be a the reincarnation Harbinger, the last Hex user.
- Slice-and-Dice Swordsmanship: Averted with "piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning" damage similar Dungeons & Dragons.
- Spell Book: several are found throughout the game and need runes to use.
- Unexpectedly Realistic Gameplay: The game features stores that sell cheap but poorly made compasses (that you have to click on a few times to get working), weapons that break when used improperly (when swinging a spear repeatedly at an armored enemy rather than thrusting with it), enemies that are immune to things that actually make sense (skeletons + arrows = miss), and potentially crippling magic specialization if you only use one category of spells.
- Weapons Kitchen Sink: From clubs to katanas.
