Soulbringer

 PC
Soulbringer Image
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 32 Ratings

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  • Summary: It features a five-act plot that involves the player in a fully 3-D world with 1,000 years of history. It includes over 60 speaking NPCs with over 450 people to meet plus over 100 locations to visit spanning an incredible 60 unique maps! [Interplay]

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 19
  3. Negative: 1 out of 19
  1. Game Over Online
    90
    It's unique approach to combat and magic, the interesting storyline, and the usual RPG joy of gaining some newer, tougher weapon or level up, make this a very enjoyable title indeed.
  2. CheckOut
    80
    I think with a little more RPG and a little less aimless wandering (read: adventure), this could have been one of the best games of the year.
    All this publication's reviews
  3. Daily Radar
    75
    In its own way, "Soulbringer" gets things right where it counts: the transformation of your character from a powerless nebbish to a spiky-helmed ass-kicker of world-changing proportions.
    All this publication's reviews
  4. All Game Guide
    70
    The deep 1000-year history of the fantasy world adds a fullness to the game and offers a basis for many sequels. If evil mysteries intrigue you, be assured that Soulbringer delivers!
  5. IGN
    70
    It starts out slow and quickly becomes confusing to the point of senselessness.
  6. GamePro
    70
    Despite a host of flaws, "Soulbringer" is an addictive game that patient gamers are sure to enjoy.
  7. Da Gameboyz
    41
    "Soulbringer" fails to even come close to the game that it promises. So much so that it falls well below average, well below even poor, into the pitiful category with these reviewers.
    All this publication's reviews

See all 19 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Stergios
    Mar 14, 2014
    9
    I agree with AlexF and rambooze. The game is amazing, a very good story, nice spell system, balanced overall. I'm so glad I did not overlookI agree with AlexF and rambooze. The game is amazing, a very good story, nice spell system, balanced overall. I'm so glad I did not overlook it when it came out. The most underrated rpg of its time.… Expand
  2. DamienArax
    Nov 19, 2019
    9
    It was a very good game at the time. One of the best in its genre, in my opinion.
    The level-up system, the plot, quests, non-linearity,    It was a very good game at the time. One of the best in its genre, in my opinion.
    The level-up system, the plot, quests, non-linearity, music, atmosphere, locations, characters, grimdark style - all this made the game special and interesting to spend dozens of hours in it.
    The game also has several turning points just at the very moment when you begin to get tired of doing one thing, suddenly you find that you have much more new opportunities, and the world around you is much wider and deeper than it seemed before.
    And it didn't feel like the usual division by chapters, just your actions and achievements influenced the flow of events and something new was happening in the game world and some previously visited locations changed accordingly. And it felt more natural and fluent than in games from competitors in the same genre of that time.
    The game has enough of its own mechanics and innovations, which previously were not presented in such games, and by the way, they are still not presented in modern isometric RPGs/CRPGs, because they simply copy more famous representatives of the genre, while this game stays pretty underrated hidden gem. It's a pity because many of the new mechanics here are very interesting, and if they were given a polish and development in the following games, a very distinctive and interesting branch of the genre could have been formed.    … Expand
  4. Quantomas
    Mar 16, 2014
    9
    This is hands-down one of the best games I ever played, and I did play a lot of games including greats like Deus Ex and Planescape Torment.This is hands-down one of the best games I ever played, and I did play a lot of games including greats like Deus Ex and Planescape Torment.

    When Soulbringer came out, it was one of the first games that let you use the environment intelligently. It's not only that you can take advantage of height differences, but you can also use furniture and other environment objects to minimize your vulnerability to multiple opponents. Being swarmed by a group of skeletons? Retreat behind a table with your back to a wall and they can attack you only from two sides.

    Using different weapons and targeting different parts of your opponents isn't all that daunting once you master the combo system. It's intelligently implemented and it's easy to record a sequence of moves, then available by the press of a key.

    The magic system that lets you cast spells is ingenious. It's based on elemental spheres, and while specializing in one sphere can greatly boost your power, you need to be aware that it makes you very vulnerable to its opposite element. You need to balance this.

    Artifacts are more than simple items in your inventory. To my shame I have to admit that I never figured out how to use the Tarot cards properly. Later I learned that these can be invaluable.

    The game features a brilliant magic trap system. These are rare but it's enormous fun to learn how to deal with it and what triggers or disables them.

    As a game it brings all these elements together to form more than the sum of its parts, and essentially mastering all the disciplines is very rewarding because the plot is superb. It's well written, with professional voice actors, and greatly adds to the atmosphere. I am still tempted to play the game again because I suspect I haven't unraveled the best ending yet. It's still a mystery.

    All things considered, the gameplay, the story and the atmosphere the game builds is incredible and there are many times I wished for a HD remake. So this has yet to do.

    PS
    If you run the game, make sure not to have your graphics driver scale to the display resolution, because this creates washed-out textures. The best quality is achieved by the driver displaying the game in its native resolution (with a black frame surrounding it) or a full multiple of it, e.g. 1600x1200 for a native resolution of 800x600. This is also true for a lot of older games.    … Expand
  5. rambooze
    Nov 27, 2013
    9
    Agreed with AlexF. The game is awesome. An atmosphere and a story are not typical for this type of games. Collecting new books and runes andAgreed with AlexF. The game is awesome. An atmosphere and a story are not typical for this type of games. Collecting new books and runes and becoming more powerful was really exciting. I found also combining magic and cold weapons is very interesting and new way of building your character instead of typical choosing a mage, a warrior etc. in the beginning of a game. For all RPG lovers this old school game deserves to be played! Don't miss it.… Expand
  6. AlexF.
    Mar 15, 2003
    9
    Don't be fooled from the negative Reviews here. I would call myself an expert in RPGs and CRPGs. I've played all AD&Ds of the old Don't be fooled from the negative Reviews here. I would call myself an expert in RPGs and CRPGs. I've played all AD&Ds of the old Style(EGA and MCGA),Dungeon Master and other classics. Soulbringer has a very good and tense Story, the Quests are good and lots of them. Graphics could have been better but are still good. Powerfull spells, a good feeling when your char gets better. This is one of the BEST RPGs i ever played. The only CRPG which is slightly better is Planescape:Torment. If you can get Soulbringer over Ebay or Budget-pack..do it..take 4-5 Weeks off and you won't get any sleep! This game is one of the most underrated games in game history. Have fun playing it!.:)… Expand

Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Best PC Game of 2000
58
#58 Most Discussed PC Game of 2000
41
#41 Most Shared PC Game of 2000

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