What an absolutely wicked month we've had! A crafty contest, an insightful developer interview, an awesome playtest event, and to cap it all off, the release of Soul Reaper's Open Beta! Head over to powerlevelstudios.com for the download link, and enjoy!

Launch Trailer

Want a quick showcase of what to expect? Check out the launch trailer below for an action-packed preview that only scratches the surface!

Get a glimpse of The Vault's different climates in this new launch trailer!

The Switch From Early Access to Open Beta

There's been a lot of information this month, so much so that you might've missed the recent announcement from Monday's Dev Blog! I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't done so already, but for now, I'll do my best to bring you up to speed!

You may recall that we initially planned to have Soul Reaper available on Steam via Early Access this Halloween. As you might've realized by now, we've instead opted for an Open Beta that's free to download for anyone interested in playing the game early. Why the switch? Well, allow me to explain.

First impressions are everything, especially when your product comes with a price tag. While Soul Reaper already has a lot of amazing content readily accessible in its current form, it's not quite as polished as we'd like it to be. That was the original motivation behind the Early Access period: to allow players to list feedback while improving the game's overall experience.

However, after discussing with a number of playtesters and indie developers alike, we've learned that many players would nowadays consider the Early Access launch of a game as the launch of a game. With this mindset in place, we don't feel that Soul Reaper is at the level of polish that would allow it to shine on a marketplace just yet. A little extra time in the oven would go a long way in nailing a positive, first impression from those who buy it. Hence, the Open Beta!

Squash Them Bugs

Encounter an oddity within your Soul Reaper journey? Want to contribute to the development of the game? Then allow us introduce you to Soul Reaper's Bug Reporting Form! The linked thread contains a submission sheet that can be used to notify the developers of a bug you've discovered! We'll be monitoring the feedback we receive quite frequently, and we'll be compiling a list of known issues so you know what to look out for.

Beginner's Guide to Leveling Up

Want to give Soul Reaper a shot, but don't know where to begin? Don't worry, we have a few excellent resources for newcomers!

For starters, check out the introductory post on our Steam Community Forum here! It outlines the basics of combat, and explains a few of Soul Reaper's base mechanics.

To dive into a bit more detail, brush over this month's Developer Interview. There are timestamps in the description, and Danny Forest further explains the intricacies of Soul Reaper's stat points, type advantages, and loot drops.

To really sink your teeth into the mechanics, check out his own article, "How to Build a Kick-ass Squad in Under 10 Hours in Soul Reaper". The project lead delves into the complexities of squad mechanics, loot bonuses, farming locations, and more! If you'd like tips on building a devastating army from the man behind Soul Reaper himself, this read is just too good to pass up!

Get Involved!

Interested in what you see? Want to make Soul Reaper even better? Here are a few quick tips if you'd like to get involved!

• Bug reporting! As mentioned above, using our Bug Reporting Form will help us get to fixing any issues that crop up ASAP! The developers see the submissions directly, so it's the best way to give 'em a poke!
• Chill with the community! Discuss recommendations for the game, talk about your favorite enemies, theorize what life is like inside The Vault… You name it! Where, you may ask? Well, why not give our Discord or Steam Community a whirl?
• Spread the love! Soul Reaper's Open Beta won't be accessible forever, so if you think you have some friends that might be interested in giving it a shot, please feel free to toss the download their way!
• Content creation! We'd love to check out videos pertaining to Soul Reaper, and provided Benign set things up correctly, the game should appear as a category on Twitch shortly! (He had to create a wiki for the game on Giant Bomb, as Twitch's game directory reads directly from that site. Typing with a hook and claw isn't exactly easy, so if there are any brave souls out there that would like to flesh out its page over time, you can do so here!
• Write guides, walkthroughs, and tutorials! As mentioned earlier, Soul Reaper's depth can get pretty insane when you familiarize yourself with its systems. Talking strategy will be huge for the community, and if you share an awesome technique that works, you'd become quite the popular fellow rather quickly! (Orrrrr, keep it for yourself and get the world's first speedrunning record, hehe!)

Animation Sensation (Pumpkin Edition)

Continuing the trend of spooky specters and fearsome foes, we're ending the month with the Malevolantern and Jackoclops! Check out these haunting horrors in all their glory in the videos below!

Not quite the night-light you were expecting... Unless you'd like one powered by spirits.

A pumpkin carving to die for. Maybe literally, so be careful around this guy!

Soul Reaper's Halloween Endeavors

Should a trick-or-treater without a costume get candy? Is the Soul Reaper's charming good looks enough to win a costume contest? Can a Malisade actually be anything more than a smart-device? These questions, and more, answered in the following skits!

This cat is just asking for the remainder of his 9 lives to get knocked right off the chart. You can’t dress up as yourself for Halloween, can you?

With the Soul Reaper's iconic look, there's no way he'll lose the costume contest! Unless, of course, other people "borrowed" his idea.

The Malisade might look scary, but he's actually quite the emotional fellow. Someone egged his house and took all his candy, because he can't really walk… I wonder what the Soul Reaper thinks?

The overall theme and presentation of Soul Reaper lends itself really well to the Halloween spirit! We couldn't resist mixing in teasers of the Open Beta with some spooky charm to fit the mood. It was a lot of fun, and time permitting, it'd be great to get even more silly skits produced in the future!

Follow Us!

That's it for this update! Swing by our social media to stay up to date on all things Soul Reaper, and have an excellent Halloween! Stay safe out there, and see you next time! Good luck on the hunt for candy!

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