Those who enjoyed Cold Symmetry’s Mortal Shell (which most recently made its Switch debut) and its unique mechanics can look forward to Tate Multimedia and Trialforge Studio’s upcoming Soulslike Deathbound. Launching on Steam next year, Deathbound makes use of its Binding System to mix up its combat mechanics akin to Mortal Shell‘s playstyle.

Deathbound is set in a crumbling civilization where the clash between fanatical faith and unnatural science has decimated the world of Ziêminal and the great city of Akratya. You are the product of the Essencemancers, a zealot sect of scholars of the forbidden knowledge to deceive death itself. However, this deception has come at a cost. You are now in a race against time to face your creators before the powerful Church of Death captures them and executes them as heretics.

Deathbound makes use of its Binding System that allows you to absorb the essence of the fallen warriors found throughout the world. Essence offers the opportunity to craft catered playstyles through a diverse range of skills and abilities, as well as form a party. This allows players to switch between a party of four heroes at any time to adapt to any situation. Binding also allows players to deliver devastating Morphstrikes using the combined powers of all the absorbed fallen, which can turn the tide in battle.

Through Binding, players will also uncover the memories and identities of the fallen, which in turn reveals the narrative of Deathbound. However, not all heroes converge harmoniously when Binding. The conflicts caused by divergent essences absorbed will affect not only the narrative, but the gameplay, as well.