Dying isn’t the end in Soul Covenant, and it’s a theme that developer Thirdverse wants you to think about through both the narrative and combat gameplay.
Out now for Meta Quest 2 and 3 for $39.99, and for PlayStation VR 2 and Steam for $49.99, Soul Covenant is a first-person JRPG that takes place in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, with players fighting against a powerful artificial intelligence that’s destroying the world. As a member of a scientifically enhanced human army, your character has the ability to reincarnate into a new body after every death. Even your weapon, the Scapegoat, is made from the remains of your fallen comrades.
You can see the story through by yourself or play with others in Soul Covenant’s 4-player co-op mode.
Soul Covenant is actually a spiritual successor to Soul Sacrifice, a third-person hack-and-slash RPG that came out on the PlayStation Vita in 2013. Some of the team members behind that game also worked on Soul Covenant, including executive producer Teruyuki Toriyama, producer Koh Okamura, and director Teruhiro Shimogawa.
“We’re honored to deliver the first authentic JRPG experience in VR with the launch of Soul Covenant, building on our legacy with the highly successful and beloved Soul Sacrifice,” said Toriyama in a statement. “This game is a tribute to our dedication, creativity, and the groundbreaking potential of VR technology. We eagerly await the community’s response and are excited for players to immerse themselves in the rich, narrative-driven world we’ve created.”
Based in Japan, Thirdverse is a VR developer that’s known for games like Swords of Gargantua, Altair Breaker, and X8.