Fun fact, but growing up, I was heavily into emo culture. I wore the clothing, painted my nails, and was moody as hell. My attitude and the alternative lifestyle meshed beautifully – it gave me identity. I was hooked, so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that out of every From Software game, I’ve only touched Bloodborne. Everything about the depressing motif resonated. It’s gorgeous in how dark it is, and there’s something truly captivating about the deliciously grotesque elements. After finally rolling the credits, though, I vowed never to endure that torture again. Yeah, I lied. 

The Last Faith is described as a Soulslike Metroidvania. That description alone had me chuffed, but the dead and desolate world is the foreplay that sold me. I was wholly smitten by the aesthetic, and I knew, without question and against my better judgment, that I needed to cover it. I was eager to get my grubby hands on it, but I can’t help but wonder if perhaps this is proof of a deep self-loathing. Regardless, I’m locked, loaded, and ready to rip out handfuls of hair, so let’s jump into it.

From the offset, anyone can see that The Last Faith’s inspiration is obviously Bloodborne. To deny that might be an indication that you need glasses. If the visuals don’t convince you, look no further than the lore – it’s a dead ringer. A sickness has ravaged the land, infecting men and women, as well as giving gargoyle statues sentience. During the journey, you’ll stumble on trinkets and letters that provide more context on what’s happening. For example, I could find a diary entry from a Scientist speaking about the illness and why it turns those afflicted into bloodthirsty monsters. It does an impeccable job of driving home everyone’s terrifyingly bleak reality. Sure, the idea has zero originality, but none of that matters because the storytelling is intriguing and delivered sublimely.

One aspect of literary prowess I could see as being seen as lukewarm is how dialogue can feel like it drags. This game maximizes word usage to say things that realistically could be condensed – ironic coming from me. That isn’t to imply that whoever wrote on this project sucks. There’s evidence of passion, but the refinement isn’t quite where it should be. This results in long-winded spiels that, with the proper verbiage, could have been cut, thus becoming easier to digest. For me, it wasn’t a bother, and actually, I thought it was delightful, but I’m also an English dweeb. I’m an exception, and while it isn’t imperative to read through the text, it does heighten the experience, providing a firmer grasp of the dire situation.

Bluntly, the gameplay of The Last Faith is brutal, but fair. I didn’t feel like deaths were normally due to bad design, but more due to an absence of fast reflexes on my part. It utilizes the ideology of having enemies follow a set pattern in their attacks. By keeping acutely aware of their movements, I could determine what was coming next and adequately prepare. I want to appreciate the level of engagement that requires and how it challenges me to stay focused. I never fell into the trap of mindless button presses because I was actively participating. Despite the frustration I felt and my want to smash my Nintendo Switch, I, like all sadists, found pure fun in that pain.

Of course, I did have the tiniest of gripes that, granted, can be rectified if I were to “get good”, but I can’t shake how maybe a slight tweak wouldn’t help the flow of an already fantastic romp. See, the dodge mechanic is arguably crucial to any Soulslike, even those indulging in a second genre. Let me paint a picture – I have bad anxiety, and sometimes, I get overzealous, doing what I call panic evading. I feverishly tap, trying to avoid strikes. The Last Faith tries to curb that habit with a minor delay between somersaults. I no longer have this tactic in my arsenal, and yes, that meant I was routinely killed. In that same breath, I can confidently say that it was my fault and my fault only. It’s aggravating, but I knew that to attain victory, I had to simply adjust to these limitations, which introduces strategy.

As for the leveling system, it’s also been directly lifted from Bloodborne, and The Last Faith harnesses it to great effect. I’m not collecting the souls of the creatures I slaughter, however, and instead, I’m infused by the essence of Nycrux. If The Grim Reaper does embrace me, though, then whatever I’ve collected up to the point is left behind, hovering in the general vicinity where I croaked. After respawning, I’ve got a single chance to retrieve the fruits of my earlier massacre or risk losing them forever. It’s a nifty method to elicit a semblance of urgency. I’m forced to devote extra concentration to each maneuver – it made my heart race, upping how engrossed I felt. Again, it’s worth noting that when I did perish, it was strictly due to my lapse in attention.

Alright, I’ve got to commend how damn balanced the combat is. It’s stellar, and I think what helps it to appeal is the RPG tinge. During my journey, I can find and equip various weapons. That’s not all, as before I even begin, I’m presented with a choice to choose from four classes. Naturally, each has a specific set of stats that best suits them. I can also further build on that by investing what equates to status points to particular attributes – if I’m a sorcerer, my inclination is honing in on making sure my magical abilities are lethal. I didn’t quite expect such decent character customization. It helps to add a little replayability thanks to their varied play styles – I can either go kamikaze or choose to incinerate my foes.

Now, I’m sure that reading the above made a certain thought jump to mind, and no, grinding isn’t necessary. I can roam around the map and go in any direction I desire. By traveling down the correct one, sure, it’ll remain hard, but not excruciatingly so. If I don’t, though, the spike quickly increases as I’m met with resistance. While I may eventually adapt to the lesser enemies along this route, the boss provides a microscopic chance at survival. I will die, I will cry, and I will have my spirit broken. In other words, I can dictate if I’m devolving into a typhoon laced with vulgarity or only uttering a few. More importantly, it addresses accessibility with this pseudo-easy setting, and that’s bloody genius.

The puzzles, on the other hand, are a mixed bag of clever and obtuse. In the examples of the former, whenever I solved it, I felt accomplished. Much like after winning a grueling encounter, I was on Cloud 9 while my adrenaline flowed. The hints were sufficient enough that the solution took no time to click. It will be subtle, and it’s sometimes drenched in wordplay, but it’s doable. Then I had one that, while I did figure out what needed to be done, I was ignorant of how to place the pieces. It’s at this moment that I wish the communication was more optimal. I got through it in the end, but I was doing whatever came to mind, getting it by complete accident. It just occurred, and I’m none the wiser as to what the actual right answer even is.

The reason for my tardy coverage is that PR notified me of a pair of patches that were coming. I was playing a version of The Last Faith two weeks out of date. I’m thankful they spoke up, as each slash was met with a brief stutter. That has been tremendously improved, but I still suffer drops, particularly when there’s an explosion on screen – having tons will turn this game into PowerPoint. Do note that it’s still very much playable. I can’t help but be impressed by how silky it otherwise is, but that minuscule slip needs to be addressed, and can be with a patch. There just isn’t a justification for that hiccup, given the art direction. The Nintendo Switch should be plenty beefy to handle it. I also had an isolated incident when a boss vanished. The attacks were still harmful, but I couldn’t retaliate.

For anyone wanting to turn me on and rev my engine, pixelated sprites are the ticket. The environments are fantastic, too, and I enjoy the number of details in the background. A complaint could be levied on some looking similar, but it doesn’t detract from the heft of differences. What makes me super giddy is the special executions I can periodically do, on par with those found in Blaspehmous. It’s gruesome, it’s visceral, and I relished in every minute of those bloodbaths. It’s such a juicy inclusion that won’t affect the core of The Last Faith, but it adds to cementing the grim truth of this world – it’s also plain awesome. The character portraits are fine, but they borrow too much not to be seen as stereotypical. There’s not a distinctive aura, but I can’t say that, despite that, they aren’t well done.

Upon first starting The Last Faith, I wasn’t anticipating voice acting, but, lo and behold, that’s precisely what’s here. It’s pretty friggin good, too. I did feel the delivery could have been better to aid in nailing the desperation of the survivors, but it’s serviceable. Not to mention that the general ambiance made up for any slack. What’s weird is how, every so often, I would talk to an NPC, and their dialogue box would have a sentence or two that wouldn’t be spoken. They gleaned over it, which is jarring if you’re following along, but luckily, isn’t a huge disruptive misstep.

All in all, it elevated my session. I’ve said countless times that I adore dubs, and when they’re done to a respectable degree, even better. Combine that with the creepy sounds of this world, and it’s a grand slam. I would gleefully listen as I decimated ghouls. It doesn’t hurt that the impact of whatever I’m wielding feels heavy and satisfying.

In lieu of my initial reservations, The Last Faith not only won me over but has me eagerly desiring a sequel. The blend of Metroidvania, requiring me to backtrack to access areas previously unreachable, and that bone-crunching misery that Soulslike is known for is simply enticing. Sure, being endlessly dismantled isn’t exactly my definition of fun, but how this game implements that toughness and whether I’m in for a challenge or not, cushions the grief. Frustration isn’t far, and I felt a guttural reaction in a handful of instances, but not feeling like it was futile and knowing I could climb the mountain with commitment motivated me to continue. This title is amazing, and I hope it doesn’t remain a hidden gem and can break into a permanent spot in many libraries.

Graphics: 9.0 Enemy variety is robust, and the environments are attractive. Some areas might look a bit similar, but there’s enough of a difference to appreciate looking at it and taking in the details. Without a doubt, it’s visually interesting.	Gameplay: 9.0 The Metroidvania genre has been done justice. Some titles will claim that as part of their DNA, but fail to live up to it. The Last Faith doesn’t, and that helped the addiction factor. Nothing felt like it was lacking, showing a huge bit of polish.
Sound: 9.0 The score is almost exclusively sound effects. When music does grace whatever area I’m in, it’s beautiful. I could easily place The Last Faith beside Ender Lilies and it wouldn’t stick out. The voices could stand to be a bit better in the delivery department.	Fun Factor: 9.0 Did I rage and swear with everything in my being? Yes. Did I want to snap my Nintendo Switch in half due to unbridled frustration? Double yes. Was I having fun dodging and slicing through my enemies? Also yes. Whenever I levelled up and got visibly stronger, was I excited? Also doubly yes.  Conclusion: I had a blast.
Final Verdict: 9.0

The Last Faith is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch.

A copy of The Last Faith was provided by the publisher.