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SoulStream Saga: Chapter 1 (Prototype)
Story
A brutal war has ravaged the capital city of Alestria. Rival factions claim that they’re fighting for a better future, but the truth is simple: Ordinary civilians are paying the price, and many who are taking part in the battle are using it as an excuse to enact total anarchy.
Astarius Valcrest, a former Mage who wishes to stop the conflict between Mages and Alchemists before it reaches the point of no return.
After casting aside his title, he left to explore the world and study alchemy independently. Astarius returned years later with Alchaeon, a special blade forged by his hand and infused with a mix of both magic and alchemy.
With this blade, he is now determined more than ever to prove that unity, not division, will shape his city's future...
Combat System
Shared ATB (Active Time Battle) System: Designed to focus on timing, pressure, and smart decision making.
Casting and interrupts: Most actions performed take time to execute, well-timed disruption can change the flow of battle.
Elemental strategy: Both Astarius and his enemies have elemental weaknesses and resistances that can be exploited within battle. Astarius's elemental affinity is determined by the stance he is currently using, which changes depending on the skills that you choose.
Adaptive enemy behavior: Enemies evaluate the current situation every turn. Reacting appropriately to heal, buff, disrupt, focus, assist teammates, and more, with a touch of unpredictability.
Equipment and items: Utilize a variety of items within battle, equip various types of gear to better prepare yourself for what lies ahead.
Prototype Notice
This release focuses on a segment designed to showcase the game’s narrative and combat, in addition to acting as a prequel to the full story. All skills and magic are already unlocked and the character is at their maximum level.
Please note that is a prototype/vertical-slice build. You may encounter bugs, glitches, or performance issues. Missing polish, placeholders, and problems are to be expected as this project was developed in only a few months by a 3-person team. Any feedback is incredibly valuable to us and will help shape the full game nevertheless.
In the coming months, the prototype will be expanded with new content, story elements, and of course, fixes and other updates.
Full Game Plans
The complete version of SoulStream Saga: Chapter 1 is planned to be a larger experience of much higher quality. This includes:
A full party-driven JRPG structure: 3 characters active in combat, 7 total party members to recruit and develop.
At least 40 hours of story content, expanding far beyond the currently playable segment.
Lore and narrative that explores the world 100 years after the war, revealing its long-term consequences.
Major upgrades to presentation: Improved art style, VFX/particles, lighting, music, and sounds, with a vibe inspired by classic PS1/PS2-era JRPGs.
A deeper progression layer: A unique skill tree for every character, supporting distinct builds and playstyles.
Various minigames and stuff to do: Treasure hunting, fishing, and even a unique playable trading card game!
Input/Controls
SoulStream Saga: Chapter 1 supports and has been designed around controller play. This is the recommended way to experience the game, but of course a keyboard will suffice and is just as comfortable. Please note however that you must first use the keyboard to manually enable your controller for usage in the Options/Controls menu.
Currently none of the controls are rebindable, but in the future this will change. Check the options/controls menu to get a visual overview for your currently used input device.
Please ensure that only ONE controller is connected to your computer at a time. Multiple detected controllers may cause input issues.
Controller support has been tested with select PlayStation and Xbox controllers. Other controllers that have similar layouts may work through direct emulation or otherwise, but are not considered officially supported for this prototype build until further notice.
Any actions within the game that trigger controller rumble will not work unless you have your controller connected directly to your computer via USB. This will be rectified in the future.
Content Warning
This game contains graphical violence and mature subject matter. This includes depictions of death (including children) and graphic gore. Player discretion is advised.
AI DISCLAIMER:
While we do believe that AI has it's place in the world of game development as a tool, we do not support the direct usage of AI generated content within final products. This being said, we would like to be completely transparent in mentioning that audio used in this prototype version of the game has been sourced almost entirely from sites such as Pixabay and freesound.org, some of which have likely been generated by AI/artificial intelligence. This audio is temporary and is not indicative of what will be in the final game. We recently recruited a dedicated sound designer and musician who will be phasing these out entirely as time goes on. We appreciate your understanding and respect any concern regarding the matter.
Contact/Socials
For any inquiries, please contact us via our email:
#rpg #jrpg #adventure #turnbased #steampunk #oldschool #pixelart #2D
