Code provided with many thanks to Plan of Attack.
Serpent’s Gaze: Soulslikes and Me
Right, let’s get the transparency out of the way first. I am not exactly the biggest Soulslike player in the world. I’ve tried. Repeatedly. I’ve gone back to games inspired by FromSoftware more times than I can count, hoping one day it’ll suddenly click in my brain, and I’ll transform into some parry god capable of effortlessly dodging giant monsters while looking stylish doing it.
That has not happened. Part of it is definitely skill-related; I’m simply not very good at these games, but I also think the intimidating reputation surrounding the genre can sometimes make it harder to fully settle into them comfortably.
That said, I still want to enjoy Soulslikes. I’m always interested when one tries something a little different, and that’s exactly what drew me towards Serpent’s Gaze. This is a roguelike action game heavily inspired by Souls combat, currently launching into Early Access, and I have to admit my first impressions were positive.
A Gorgeous Desert Full of Danger
The very first thing that stood out to me was the presentation. This game looks fantastic. Serpent’s Gaze leans heavily into this dusty, mystical desert aesthetic filled with towering ruins, ancient castles, weathered stone architecture, and strange godlike imagery. Everything feels drenched in atmosphere. There’s almost a slightly Persian-inspired fantasy look to parts of the world design, which helps it stand apart from the darker medieval settings many Soulslikes tend to default towards.
The environments are large, open, and genuinely enjoyable to wander through, even when they’re actively trying to murder you. There’s also clearly a lot of lore here, although the game delivers it in a very hands-off way. Rather than overwhelming players with long cutscenes or endless exposition dumps, most of the storytelling comes through environmental details, notes, NPC conversations, and little fragments scattered throughout the world.
To be completely honest, I didn’t fully grasp every detail of the story during my time with the game so far, but I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. It feels intentionally mysterious, encouraging players to slowly piece things together themselves. The basic idea seems to revolve around you playing as a “Scion” created by a dying tree god called Magnolia, tasked with restoring life to the desert through an alarming amount of violence. Which, to be fair, is very on-brand for the genre.
Combat That Wants You to Stay Aggressive
Gameplay-wise, Serpent’s Gaze immediately feels familiar if you’ve played Soulslikes before. You’ve got your light attacks, heavy attacks, stamina management, dodging, special abilities, and enemies that will absolutely flatten you if you get careless. Every action drains stamina, so blindly mashing buttons is usually a terrible idea. But I do it anyway because I’m getting old and don’t know any better.
I did appreciate one mechanic in particular, though. The game takes inspiration from Bloodborne (a Soulslike i kinda liked) by allowing players to recover recently lost health if they immediately counterattack after taking damage. That creates a more aggressive style of combat where pushing forward can actually save you rather than constantly retreating defensively. This style clicked for me more than being defensive.
Combat itself felt a little hit-and-miss during my early sessions, although honestly, that’s probably more a reflection of my own abilities than the game’s quality. Sometimes I’d feel completely in control, skillfully dodging attacks and landing heavy hits. Other times, I’d get absolutely demolished because I struggled to read enemy patterns properly. Which is admittedly very typical Soulslike behaviour.
Still, the systems themselves seem solid. Weapons feel weighty, abilities are satisfying to use, and I enjoyed experimenting with the various blessings and upgrades you discover during runs.
Roguelike Systems Keep Runs Interesting
As you explore, you’ll encounter strange plants and shrines that allow you to pick blessings and buffs for your character. These upgrades gradually shape your build during a run, encouraging experimentation and different playstyles.
There’s also a curse system constantly throwing new complications into the mix. One run might introduce environmental hazards, while another could have minibosses actively hunting you down across the map. It definitely helps the game avoid becoming repetitive too quickly.
And because this is a roguelike, failure is naturally part of the experience. Thankfully, though, Serpent’s Gaze does something I really appreciated: when playing solo, getting knocked down doesn’t necessarily mean immediate death. If you still have recovery resources available, the game can automatically revive you and keep your run going. As somebody who isn’t exactly an expert at this genre, I found this feature genuinely helpful. It softened the frustration without completely removing the challenge.
The Tutorial Could Be Better
If there’s one area I think could really use improvement during Early Access, it’s the tutorial. Right now, it feels very much designed for players who already understand Soulslike mechanics. The game essentially throws a list of controls at you, asks you to perform them against a training dummy, and then sends you on your way. The problem is that it doesn’t really explain why certain mechanics matter or when to properly use them.
As someone who already struggles a little with these types of games, I would’ve appreciated a more hands-on teaching approach. Something that actively demonstrated stamina management, dodge timing, enemy openings, or aggressive healing in practical situations rather than simply listing button inputs. The current tutorial works fine if you already know the genre. For newcomers, though, it may feel a little overwhelming initially.
This Feels Like a Better Game With Friends
Although I only played solo for these impressions, Serpent’s Gaze supports up to four-player co-op, and honestly, I can already tell this is probably where the game will shine brightest for me personally.
I tend to enjoy difficult games far more in co-op settings because sharing the chaos with friends naturally makes failure feel more entertaining rather than frustrating. Even during solo play, I found myself thinking, “this boss would probably be less brutal with friends.” The structure feels suited for that kind of teamwork-focused experience.
Final Thoughts
So far, Serpent’s Gaze has left me genuinely intrigued. It absolutely feels like an Early Access game right now. There are areas that could use refinement, particularly the onboarding for newer players, and I imagine balancing and polishing will continue evolving over time.
But the foundation here feels strong. The art direction is excellent, the world is dripping with atmosphere, the roguelike systems add good variety, and despite my ongoing inability to become a Soulslike master, I still found myself wanting to jump back in after failed runs. That’s usually a very good sign.
Even when I got destroyed by enemies, which happened quite often, I still felt encouraged to try again, experiment with different weapons, and push a little further into the desert. For somebody who normally struggles to stick with Soulslikes, that alone says quite a lot.
Serpent’s Gaze probably won’t suddenly convert people who completely hate difficult action games, but if you enjoy roguelikes, atmospheric worlds, and tactical combat with a bit of bite to it, this is definitely one worth watching during Early Access. It’s stylish, mysterious, challenging, and clearly aiming for something a little different within the genre.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to get flattened by another giant desert monster. Again.
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