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There are a lot of extraction shooters out there today, and even though I don't really get the hype around the genre, I respect that people love it. If so many people are into something, there's probably some value in it.
Now, Souls-like games are a completely different story. I simply love those punishing action RPGs, formidable bosses, and constant repetitions after dying to the point where the controllers start flying all over the place. But what if someone dares to try the impossible, even blasphemous in the world of video games, and tries to blend those genres?
Well, Bellring Games dared and decided to give us Mistfall Hunter, not the extraction shooter per se, but more like an extraction brawler mixed with something heavily reminiscent of Souls-like games, and the result is surprisingly positive.
Story
The story in Mistfall Hunter is far from an ordinary one; it serves more as background rather than a big campaign, but there is a clear premise. The lore draws clear inspiration from Norse mythology, and the game never tries to hide it. The story pretty much goes like this: the gods and the "Outer Gods" fought a war during Ragnarök (the fall of the gods in Norse mythology), and it ended with almost every god dead.
Their blood turned into the Gyldenmist, a corrosive fog that has been swallowing the world ever since, turning animals and people into corrupted monsters. A god named Kjernnos is singled out as a major source of that corruption. The world you're fighting in is called Weavereach, and what's left of humanity survives in scattered shelters while the mist eats away at everything else.
You play as a Gyldhunter, a dead warrior brought back with immortal flesh by Dew, a small fragment of the Fate Goddess who survived the war. That is the game's explanation for why you keep dying and coming back. Your job is to head into the mist, kill corrupted creatures, and collect Gyldenblood to help repair the Web of Fate, the cosmic order the war broke.
The story exists, but more as something that gives you a reason for what you're doing rather than a plot full of twists and turns. If that's what you're after, you're looking at the wrong game.
Gameplay
The gameplay is where Mistfall Hunter tries to make its biggest statement, mixing two genres that shouldn't work together and trying something new. It doesn't always stick the landing, but I applaud the intention.
The gameplay loop is simple. You start a run at your camp, where you gear up, pick your skills and talent points, and maybe grab a buff from the tavern before heading out alone or with two friends. This is where things get complicated. The game is designed to be played in teams, and if you have one, you'll be far more efficient. You can play solo too, which I tried most of the time, but the game doesn't separate solo players from squads and drops everyone onto the same map.
As a solo player, you have zero chance against a team of three, and every time you run into a squad, it's game over for you. I rage-quit more than a handful of times after getting humiliated by those groups. So my advice is, if you plan to play Mistfall Hunter solo, just don't. It's a rage-inducing experience.
Once you're in a run, you explore, fight monsters and rival hunters (provided you survive), loot gear, and take on optional tasks or bosses. To leave with your loot, you need to find and kill a guardian monster, which drops the item that lets you ring a bell and escape. A wall of toxic mist keeps closing in the whole time, so you can't wander forever. Die before you get out, and you lose everything you were carrying, which is what makes every run tense.
Then there's combat. Combat in Mistfall Hunter is third-person and melee-focused, except for one class that fights at range. There's no lock-on system at all, so getting used to the controls was a nightmare for the first couple of hours. Once it clicked, though, combat felt personal and more physical than in any Souls-like game. I won't say I loved it, only that it's different, and once you learn the ropes, it gets genuinely interesting.
Every class can carry two weapon types and swap between them mid-fight, so you're not stuck with one style for an entire run. There's no stamina bar, and gear weight doesn't slow your dodge, so movement stays light no matter what you're carrying, which is the right call for this kind of game.
At the start, you're free to choose from six classes.
- Blackarrow uses a bow and javelin and plays as a ranged scout, picking off enemies from a distance or high ground.
- Mercenary uses a hammer for big area damage or switches to a sword and shield for a more parry-focused style.
- Seer carries a magic catalyst and can go two ways too: heal and support the team, or turn aggressive as a melee-focused "Blasphemer" using a mace.
- Shadowstrix is the stealth class, using daggers or dual blades along with poison and summoned crows to pick off targets quietly.
- Sorcerer is the pure spellcaster, using a staff for serious ranged damage, though it takes more practice to use well.
- Withered Knight is the tank, wielding a greatsword for offence or a polearm and shield to protect teammates instead.
Classes in Mistfall Hunter aren't reskins with different weapons bolted on. Each one brings a different playstyle and a different job within the team, which proves once more that this game is built around squads, and solo players aren't especially welcome in this world.
There are also only two maps available at launch: Hallowgrove, a Viking-style village and countryside area meant to help players learn the game (solo play here seems a little easier than on the second map, though you can still run into rival squads), and Brandrgarde, a tighter dungeon-like map built more for full squads. A third map is planned but not out yet.
Visuals and Performance
Mistfall Hunter won't blow anyone away with its visuals, but it looks decent enough, not the best, not the worst. The Norse-inspired art style suits it well, with rocky coastlines, feasting halls and misty ruins that make Hallowgrove and Brandrgarde feel distinct from most other extraction games, even if the two maps start to blur together after a few hours, since there isn't much else to explore yet. Combat animations are flashy and quite likeable. What I didn't like at all was the busy UI. Every corner of the screen is filled with something: chat, objectives, controls, and a minimap. You can turn most of that off, sure, but then the experience changes drastically. A smaller, more compact UI would do the game a favour here, but it is what it is.
Performance on PlayStation 5 is more than good, and I didn't have a single complaint about it. The PS5 version also gives you the usual Quality and Performance mode choice, and the difference is what you'd expect: a sharper image against a smoother frame rate, with neither one feeling broken.
Conclusion
Mistfall Hunter is a strange but likeable experiment. Bellring Games took two genres that shouldn't mix, extraction survival and Souls-like combat, and somehow made something worth playing, as long as you bring two friends along. The six classes each feel like a different job on the team rather than a different coat of paint, the two weapon options per class keep fights varied, and once the lock-on-free combat clicks, it becomes one of the more physical melee systems the genre has to offer.
The catch is how badly the game treats anyone without a squad. Solo players share the same maps as three-person teams with no separation, and that turns most solo runs into a quick, humiliating death. Add a busy UI and only two maps at launch, and it's clear Bellring Games still has work to do. None of that comes down to performance on PS5, at least, which held up throughout without a single hitch.
The Good
Weighty, physical combat once it clicks- Six classes with real identity, not reskins
- Two weapon stances per class add variety
- Decent Norse-inspired art direction
- Solid, complaint-free performance on PS5
The Bad
No separation between solo players and squads- Only two maps at launch
- Busy, cluttered UI
