He is back and packing a little heat. Creator of the Legacy of Kain, Denis Dyack, along with Apocalypse Studios, dropped this action narrative-driven RPG right into our laps. Now powered with Unreal Engine 5, Deadhaus Sonata has the potential to be quite a fun game.

The early access to the game places you behind the controls of a vampire, launching from your stronghold into the world of Malorum. Playing as the undead, you will get more powerful over time, collecting upgrades to enhance and customise your character.

Deadhaus Sonata offers a Tarot card-based progression system where players acquire what they call the minor and major arcana.

Major Arcana are the primary abilities used in your fights and exploration, such as whirling death, bite, telekinetic push, and many more. Minor Arcana are cards picked up from regular enemies that are used to upgrade Major Arcana, making them last longer, do more damage, and so on.

Alongside the tarot cards, you can earn inscriptions by completing certain area feats or tasks. Equipped with a mainhand/offhand weapon, you would use inscription to increase the weapon’s damage output, your own speed, or how fast you would recover health from blood.

This feature lets you create a custom build to suit your play style, either alone or in a group. Oh yeah, did I mention Co-op is on the table, custom-build a play style that suits you, and you can fight through the temples and catacombs with your friends.

It should be mentioned that the looting system was taken a hard look at, whereas other action RPGs use randomness and a grind to get your loot. Deadhaus Sonata uses what you do in-game to generate your loot, a celestial clock that simulates moon phases, day and night, and seasons, to name a few. This mechanic helps determine your loot.

While still in early access, Deadhause Sonata offers a visually pleasing game with a dark, gothic theme that really sets the mood. Dark nights and lit fires really set a mood of the kind of world you live in.

Catacombs that dive deep into the underground with a maze-like feature, full of dead ends and red herring corridors. It was enjoyable to look at.

As you should come to expect from a gothic-themed game full of vampires and blood, dark, ominous music really helps set the mood, and sharp, fast-paced beats help complement the slaughter you inflict.

You will notice, while playing, a very strong narrative focus in which the narration speaks to you with everything you do, providing lore and direction. Co-op was available during my time playing this game, but it has a few issues and is still in development.

My time in Malorum was genuinely fun. While still in development, I can see the great potential this game has, with a broader range of choices beyond vampires and the current tarot cards. Deadhouse Sonata is one to keep an eye out for; its tough/challenging gameplay makes for a strong playthrough. You choose a build that suits you alone or with friends.

Written by: Matiyus