If you've spent any time in the indie gaming scene over the last few years, you’ve probably seen the pixelated, rain-soaked streets of Mythringal. It’s hard to miss. The Last Faith isn't just another Metroidvania trying to capitalize on a trend; it's a game that wears its inspirations like a bloody badge of honor. You see a bit of Blasphemous in the religious horror. You feel the DNA of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in the movement. But mostly? It’s the closest thing we’ve gotten to a 2D Bloodborne.
Honestly, the developers at Kumi Souls Games didn’t shy away from that comparison. They leaned into it. Hard.
Why The Last Faith Hits Different for Soulsborne Fans
The game follows Eryk, a man waking up with no memory—classic trope, right?—in a world that’s literally rotting from a supernatural plague. It sounds generic on paper. In practice, it’s oppressive. The atmosphere is thick enough to choke on. What separates this from the dozens of other "soulslikes" on Steam is the surgical precision of the combat. You aren't just mashing buttons. You’re managing distance, timing parries, and switching between a massive arsenal of trick-style weapons and elemental spells.
It’s fast. Brutally so.
Unlike many Metroidvanias where you feel like a floaty superhero, Eryk feels heavy. There’s weight to every swing of a Greatsword. When you fire a pistol to interrupt an enemy, the recoil feels real. This "crunchiness" is what most indie devs miss. They get the art right, but the feel is off. Kumi Souls spent years in Kickstarter-funded development refining the hitboxes, and it shows.
The Mythringal Nightmare
The level design is a sprawling, interconnected web. You'll find yourself looping back to the City of Mythringal constantly. One minute you’re in a gothic cathedral, the next you’re shivering in a frozen graveyard or lost in a burning laboratory. It’s a mess of shortcuts and hidden walls.
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One thing people get wrong about The Last Faith is assuming it's just a linear action game. It’s not. It is a pure Metroidvania. You will hit walls. You will see a ledge you can’t reach and have to make a mental note to come back five hours later when you have the right ability. The "Last Faith" experience is 40% fighting for your life and 60% staring at a map trying to remember where that one blue door was.
The Weapon System is Actually Insane
Most games in this genre give you a sword, an axe, and maybe a bow. This game gives you options that feel distinct. You've got the Nightfall Blade for speed, but then you find something like the Ethereal Greatsword that changes your entire rhythm.
Then there’s the magic.
Usually, in soulslikes, magic is either broken or useless. Here, it’s a tactical layer. You have "Burn" effects, "Chill" effects, and "Electrocute." Buffing your weapon isn't just a stats boost; it’s often the only way to crack the guard of some of the late-game bosses. Speaking of bosses, they are the highlight. They don't just have high health pools; they have phases that force you to unlearn everything you did in the first half of the fight.
- The Burnished Apostle: A test of your parry timing.
- The Starborn Nighstar: A chaotic bullet-hell nightmare.
- Laddak: Well, let's just say he's the reason many controllers ended up across the room.
The variety is there. It’s not just "big knight with a sword" over and over again. You're fighting cosmic horrors and twisted experiments that feel like they crawled out of a Victorian fever dream.
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What Most People Miss About the Lore
People complain that the story is vague. It is. But that’s the point. If you aren't reading item descriptions, you’re only getting half the experience. The tragedy of the "Last Faith" isn't just about a guy trying to find his memory. It's about a society that traded its soul for divine power and got exactly what it deserved.
There are multiple endings. Most players hit the credits and think they’re done. They aren't. To get the "True" ending, you have to engage with some of the most obscure questlines in recent memory. It involves collecting Unborn Souls and making choices that aren't clearly labeled "good" or "bad." It’s messy. It’s dark. It’s exactly what the genre needs.
Technical Reality Check
Let’s be real for a second. The game launched with some issues. On the Nintendo Switch, the frame rate used to tank in the more populated areas of the city. Patching has fixed most of this, but it’s worth noting that if you’re looking for the definitive experience, PC or PS5 is the way to go. The pixel art is high-resolution enough that you want those crisp frames during the boss fights.
Also, the map system. At launch, it was a bit of a nightmare to navigate. The developers listened, though. They added markers and better contrast. It’s a sign of a team that actually cares about the player experience rather than just "getting it out the door."
Comparing The Last Faith to Blasphemous 2
This is the big debate in the community. Which one is better? Honestly, they’re different flavors. Blasphemous 2 is more polished and leans harder into platforming. The Last Faith is grittier and leans harder into RPG elements and combat variety. If you want a religious epic, go with the Penitent One. If you want a Victorian bloodbath with guns and spells, Eryk is your guy.
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There is room for both. In fact, playing them back-to-back highlights how much "The Last Faith" brings its own personality to the table despite its obvious nods to FromSoftware.
Practical Tips for Your First Playthrough
If you're just starting, don't ignore your Dexterity or Intelligence stats early on. A lot of players go full Strength because the big swords look cool, but some of the best utility items scale with Dex.
- Prioritize the parry. You can’t dodge everything. The parry window is generous once you learn the startup frames of the enemies.
- Explore the edges. This game loves hiding essential upgrades behind breakable walls that look almost exactly like regular walls. Look for the slight cracks or mismatched textures.
- Use your consumables. Don't hoard the elemental buffs. You get plenty of them, and they turn "impossible" fights into manageable ones.
- Backtrack often. Every time you get a new traversal ability (like the double jump or the wall climb), do a full lap of the early areas. The power spikes you find in hidden chests are worth the 20 minutes of travel.
The Last Faith is a testament to what a small team can do with a clear vision and a lot of passion. It isn't perfect, but it’s memorable. It captures that specific feeling of being lost in a world that hates you, yet you can't stop pushing forward to see what's around the next corner.
For those looking to dive deeper into the world of Mythringal, your best bet is to focus on the side quests involving the various NPCs scattered throughout the city. Many of them provide the context needed to understand the true nature of the plague. Don't just rush the bosses; sit with the world. Read the flavor text. The real horror isn't the monsters—it's the history.
To truly master the endgame, you'll need to locate the hidden arenas. These aren't just for show; they provide the rare materials needed to max out your final weapons. Without them, the final boss is going to be a long, painful slog. Start by revisiting the ruined manor after you've obtained the high-jump ability—there's a secret there that changes the entire trajectory of the late-game gear progression.