Steam Just Quietly Added The Most Hardcore 2D Game That Shows A Little Restraint Can Go A Long Way

"The Dark Souls franchise is the stuff of legend. A virtually flawless series of games so influential that an entire genre, Soulslikes, sprung up to meet the overwhelming demand of gamers who could not get enough grinding, parrying, and rage quits. Some entries are better than others, but the best work in the genre is done when creators understand it isn't about imitating what the GOATs do, but how they do it."

"Velaster, from four-person indie studio Odysseyer, is out to prove it brings a new perspective to Soulslikes. Literally. One look at the game, which hit Steam Early Access on January 14, and it's obvious it wears its affection for Dark Souls on its armored sleeve. Grim, gothic architecture and grimy combat evoke the earliest days of director Hidetaka Miyazaki's franchise with a unique twist. Velaster is a 2D, side-scrolling Metroidvania instead of a 3D RPG. Will it be the best of both worlds?"

"At its core, Velaster uses Dark Souls as an entry point to make something fresh feel familiar: stamina-based combat governs every action, enemy encounters are carefully staged to punish recklessness, and checkpoints are sparse enough to keep tension high. Enemy animations are razor-sharp, attack tells are visually clear, and spacing is king. What makes this especially compelling in a 2D space is how readable and precise everything becomes."

Velaster is a 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania that adapts Dark Souls–style mechanics into a precise, readable platform. The game emphasizes stamina-based combat where every action consumes resources, encounters punish recklessness, and checkpoints remain sparse to maintain tension. Enemy animations provide clear attack tells, making timing and spacing essential, and the flat plane focuses play on pattern recognition rather than camera manipulation. Parrying, dodging, and counterattacking carry significant weight, and the loop of grind, rest, upgrade, and repeat remains intact. Players may choose among three character types — Knight, Dual Sword, and Hammer — with the Knight presented as a defensive, shield-oriented starting class.

Read at Inverse