Enotria: The Last Song is a promising symphany

The soulslike genre is saturated with dozens of copycats trying to replicate the quality and success of FromSoftware. You know one when you see one and you also can tell when it doesn’t look quite right. Last year, Lies of P released to critical acclaim becoming one of the most cherished and beloved games in this genre. It stood out above the crowd due to its unique setting, moody atmosphere, innovative weapon system, and polished combat. Now, Enotria: The Last Song from developer Jyamma Games, is looking to replicate that success in 2024 and has released a new demo showing players what this new Italian soulslike has to offer.

The stage is set

In Enotria: The Last Song you play as the Maskless One, a wooden mannequin with no real distinguishing features. A blank slate, a fresh start, free from the control of the Canovaccio — a stage play that has taken over all other beings in this world and locked it in perpetual stagnation. It is here in this bright Italian-inspired world that you will fight your way toward the Authors, the creators of the play, and liberate the world from the devilish production.

If that description sounds colorful then it reflects in the game’s world design and aesthetic. In this short demo I was able to explore three areas each ending in a boss fight to capstone the level. From a beautiful sun-baked beachfront to a thriving Italian city and ending with an unnerving graveyard overgrown with giant tree roots, each area in Enotria was strikingly gorgeous and diverse. These locations certainly stand-out from the standard dark fantasy souls-likes tend to favor.

One of the biggest problems with soulslikes is level design. They are usually too simplistic or lack the brilliant interconnected nature FromSoftware is known for. Enotria doesn’t fall into these familiar traps as it crafts thoughtful and engaging areas. Throughout the three explorable levels I encountered many side paths, nooks, and hidden treasures that rewarded me for taking the time to look around. There was a large emphasis on verticality as I ran across rooftops and massive tree roots to reach my destination. You can’t always take these levels at face value, however. The world of Enotria is not always as it seems.

Throughout each level I would come across these dark gray glyphs either on the ground or standing in my path. Interacting with these reality rifts will alter the world around you while you are active in that area. In the first instance I used a rift to temporarily reconstruct parts of a demolished beach house to gain access to a chest that was previously unreachable. In another, I used a rift to create an entire massive bridge allowing access to the second area of the demo. Some rifts will not only alter the area around you but also lock you into a small location until you defeat every enemy that spawns in.

Multifaceted masks

The primary differentiator between other soulslikes and Enotria: The Last Song is in its mask changing mechanic. Throughout the game you will acquire various masks that can be equipped to one of three loadouts. These loadouts are constantly active and can be swapped between freely while exploring the world and fighting enemies. These masks favor varying playstyles and allow you to experiment and switch between them on the fly.

In the demo, I received the Mask of Change first after defeating the corresponding boss who wore it. This mask favored two-handed weapons for maximum melee damage. Later, I discovered the Piercing Wit Mask, which leaned heavily into the elemental and special abilities. I also collected shards of other masks while exploring which could be combined to create brand new masks. Jyamma Games has promised over 30 masks which will give players a swath of different options and mask loadout configurations to experiment with.

I chose to experiment with the Piercing Wit Mask due to its emphasis on Mask-Lines. Mask-Lines are special abilities that grant you various offensive attacks. These can range from materializing a giant greatsword to slam down on enemies to spawning multiple red orbs that fly forward and explode for massive damage or materializing a quick spear that almost always throws enemies and even bosses on the ground.

On top of swapping masks at will, each mask can also be equipped with different stat buffs and perks. Each mask has a different amount of perks that it can have equipped at one time. These perks could be purchased using inspiration that you gain by exploring the world or defeating enemies for the first time. These perks are generally minor buffs that sometimes also come with minor drawbacks. For example, one perk I had equipped to my Piercing Wit Mask allowed for my Mask-Lines to charge up faster but deal slightly less damage.

Boss fights are usually stand outs in soulslikes. The demo offered three bosses total to challenge. The first two bosses were fairly simple and easily dispatched on the first try. However, the final boss of the demo, the dreaded Vermiglio the Red Pryor, absolutely demolished me. With a combination of projectiles, wide area attacks, quick and wide swings of his staff, various delays in attack patterns, and a daunting health pool, Vermiglio put all of my skills to the test. I was stuck at this particular boss for well over a dozen attempts before I finally took him out with classic but careful hit-and-run tactics. It was a thrilling feeling and the exact kind of rush I look for in these games.

The final crescendo

The experience was not entirely without its bumps. While I was able to get used to combat, it’s a far cry from the kind of polished and smooth action found in other games emulating the FromSoftware style, such as Lies of P. Certain enemy projectiles were either hard to see or would perpetually travel as they chased you down. The only reprieve would be to have the homing projectiles hit a wall or to parry them outright. Geography was also an issue especially in the final area where giant, rounded tree trunks and roots could quite easily result in the player getting stuck or caught in a perpetual falling animation. The frame rate took noticeable dips and even tanked during certain sections.

Despite these flaws that are typical of indie soulslikes, this game impressed as an overall package. The changing mask system has loads of potential that skillful players will have a blast with, the world is stunning to look at, and its level design — an aspect that indies tend to struggle with the most — looks to be a cut above the rest.

Enotria: The Last Song aims for a full release on September 19, 2024 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.