Build your tribe in Soulmask while possessing NPCs to learn new skills and survive in an ancient land
Masks let you possess members of your tribe and develop fresh abilities by turning into anyone
If you’re looking for a sandbox survival experience with a twist or two up its sleeve, then Soulmask could be for you. Tasked with surviving in an ancient land, the mysterious mask you wear allows you to merge your consciousness with the tribesmen you recruit, so if you find an NPC with a particular skill or talent you want to use, then you can possess them to transform into their body and take advantage of their abilities. There are more masks belonging to ancient heroes that you can discover as you progress, allowing you to take on their appearance and harness their unique abilities including immortality, invisibility, and more.
At the heart of Soulmask is your tribe, and you can recruit up to 20 different tribesmen to fill out your ranks who each have their own distinct personality. These can range from skilled hunters and fierce warriors to lazy party animals, so you’ll need to choose who you invite into your clan carefully by considering what they can bring to the table. Managing your camp is made easy thanks to a detailed command system supported by AI, which means you can assign roles and set up custom processes to completely automate the day to day running. Whether they’re patrolling the area for threats, farming and hunting for resources, or producing new items on an assembly line, everything your tribe does can be tailored to your needs.
When you encounter threats, Soulmask’s physics-based combat system kicks in to provide players with diverse ways to fight. You can build your own unique fighting style by selecting one of the eight weapon types and some of the 75 possible skills that are learned through experience, so experimentation is encouraged to find the approach that best suits your play style.
It’s not all work in the clan though, so whether you’ve spent the day exploring, fighting, or building, everyone comes together in the evening to socialise as a tribe. Jump in a hot bath to relax, enjoy a drink with your fellow tribesmen, or light a bonfire and dance the night away. You’re never alone when you have your tribal family around you!
The Early Access launch of Soulmask is already brimming with content, promising 500 hours of gameplay as you explore the seven varied biomes of the world to discover mysterious ruins and temples, while adapting to the diverse climates and creatures found in each. There are also six World Bosses to challenge in combat, plus over 20 dungeons to explore including three that are randomly generated for unlimited possibilities. You can set out on this adventure alone in offline single player to define your own experience, or if you’re feeling adventurous then online multiplayer with up to 70 players is supported on official servers to form mutually beneficial alliances or initiate deadly rivalries in tribal warfare.
Soulmask is available in Early Access for PC right now, so you can purchase it on Steam to begin your adventure. You can also join the Soulmask Discord for inside information on the game’s development, and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok for the latest updates.
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Iain originally joined Future in 2012 to write guides for CVG, PSM3, and Xbox World, before moving on to join GamesRadar in 2013 as Guides Editor. His words have also appeared in OPM, OXM, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, and SFX. He is better known to many as ‘Mr Trophy’, due to his slightly unhealthy obsession with amassing intangible PlayStation silverware, and he now has over 600 Platinum pots weighing down the shelves of his virtual award cabinet. He does not care for Xbox Achievements.