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3DS

North America

Fractured Soul

by Nate Andrews - February 8, 2012, 5:34 am EST
Total comments: 2

The unique platformer finds new life on the 3DS.

Fractured Soul's road to release has been notably rough. Initially slated only for the DS, the dual screen-heavy adventure-platformer found itself in limbo for some time as developer Endgame Studios shopped it around in search of publishing, which it eventually found in Graffiti Entertainment and Ignition Entertainment (for the DS and 3DS versions, respectively). Though a release had been schedule for late 2011, both games were moved back once more. While the 3DS incarnation (subtitled Deep Void) is expected to appear in the coming months, though no release date is scheduled for the DS version at this time.

Deep Void’s 2D gameplay is a tapestry of several different inspirations. Jake, the protagonist trapped aboard the craft, has the otherworldly ability to swap his physical form between two different realities on the fly as he explores the derelict remnants of a presumably eerie space station dense with monsters and dangers. The duality dynamic of Fractured Soul is akin to that of renowned schmup Ikaruga, in which players could switch the polarity of their craft on the fly to counteract matching enemy fire. In Fractured Soul, the hot swapping takes Jake back and forth between the twin realities displayed by the system's two screens. Flipping between the two incarnations of Jake is essential to avoiding environmental hazards, defeating enemies, and collecting the various items strewn about the station’s hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.

No major changes have been introduced for the jump to the 3DS, though the graphical style has been given a bit of a bump. The polygonal visuals of the new version add some depth to the Metroid-esque flat sprite look of the old, while maintaining the general aesthetic undertone.

This tricky, layered system is complemented by the core gameplay, a more traditional, Mega Man-style combination of shooting, and platforming via jetpack. Throughout the 30-odd levels, a number of environmental factors (including wind, ice, water, and inverted gravity) look to compound the difficulty of the asymmetrical conditions, making the experiences fast-paced and tight. In addition to exploring the interior of the station, Jake will pilot a craft in several top-down shooter levels, which employ the same switching mechanic.

Each of Fractured Soul’s levels is timed and ranked, and includes support for online leaderboards, making it ideal for speed runs, intense item collection, and general replay. It’s been a bit of a wait, but it’ll have been worth it if the game can deliver a solid platforming experience when it (hopefullly) comes out in just a few months.

Talkback

TenserFebruary 08, 2012

I don't even remember hearing about this. Hopefully it turns out to be as good as it plays out in my head.

Fatty The HuttFebruary 08, 2012

Now, if this game were called Fractured Soul: Deep Roy, I'd be all over it!

Hey-yo!

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Fractured Soul Box Art

Genre Action
Developer Endgame Studios
Players1

Worldwide Releases

na: Fractured Soul
Release Sep 13, 2012
PublisherEndgame Studios
RatingEveryone 10+
jpn: Saitama
Release Mar 27, 2013
PublisherCyberFront
RatingAll Ages
eu: Fractured Soul
Release Jan 10, 2013
PublisherEndgame Studios
Rating12+

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