It is 2026, and the soulslike subgenre continues to develop, with new contenders all aiming excessive to be the following nice hit. It is an interesting style, to make certain, however to really make an influence, you needn’t solely an incredible hook, but additionally stellar fight fundamentals that run deep. That is the place the upcoming Swords of Legends is trying to put its greatest foot ahead, as developer Aurogon Shanghai reinvigorates the long-running Chinese language RPG collection right into a sooner, extra fierce motion sport that’ll push gamers to grasp its wuxia-inspired martial arts.
Swords of Legends lately left an impression at Summer time Recreation Fest 2026, and we have lastly obtained over an hour of hands-on time to get a really feel for its slick preventing programs and the visually beautiful and tense boss encounters. It is a kind of soulslike that embraces the journey of a legendary hero within the making with its heightened action-focused jaunt by way of Chinese language mythology. To date, Swords of Legends performs like a promising new soulslike that has me desirous to see the place this grand spectacle will go subsequent.
A Legendary Saga Reborn
For a lot of Western gamers, this can be the primary time you have heard about Swords of Legends, which is definitely half of a bigger collection of role-playing video games and a live-action TV present primarily based on the Chinese language cross-media collection Gujian. Swords of Legends is a reboot of kinds that takes the collection into the realm of soulslike motion, bringing the wuxia-inspired spectacle – the marrying of Chinese language-influenced high-fantasy and martial arts motion – into an action-RPG that is all about taking out foes with model and a sure stage of grace that is befitting of a legendary hero.
Taking over the position of Sipan, a fallen swordsman turned agent of the underworld, he is tasked with touring to the mortal realm to face off with ruthless demons and mysterious rivals rampaging by way of the lands. This additionally contains the added job of claiming as many souls as doable from slain enemies, and utilizing them to enhance his increasing arsenal of weapons and artifacts that significantly alter his preventing model.
My hands-on time with Swords of Legends centered on a demo-specific collection of tutorials and remoted missions that ran me by way of among the bigger environments to discover, such because the dreamlike, ethereal panorama of the legendary realm and remoted mountain-top communities overrun by demons within the mortal realm. The signature boss battles capped off every phase, which weren’t solely an incredible dive into slick martial arts motion, but additionally surprisingly tough encounters that had me pulling out each trick I might use to maintain up with them. Certainly one of my favourite bosses – which additionally exhibits the tone that Swords of Legends goes for – was the Tri-Tail boss, who turns from a healthful cat into a completely ripped feline that pummeled me to bits.
Swords of Legends does stick near that Souls-like construction, and it’s an admittedly well-established setup, particularly within the wake of latest standouts like Black Fantasy: Wukong and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. Nonetheless, I used to be impressed with how effectively Swords of Legends presents its fight fundamentals. It, in fact, sticks with the tried-and-true circulate of choosing your moments rigorously to go in for strikes towards each frequent enemies and among the extra ruthless foes. However it handles that individual dance of navigating fight encounters the place you will evade, parry, and dodge assaults to strike on the proper time as precisely that – a dance of wills and wits.
I used to be notably impressed with how these battles have such aptitude to them – which is a pleasant distinction from different soulslikes that are inclined to maintain the tone of battles subdued and largely critical. With the wuxia affect, it actually properties in on the tone of a legendary, martial arts fable. There is a dance-like high quality to the circulate of those fights, the place you are allotting combo assaults and reacting to enemy assaults in a method that was actually thrilling to observe because it was to participate in. It made for a extra enjoyable kind of engagement that I do not typically really feel from soulslike video games. Nonetheless, there have been loads of moments the place the enemies actually decked me when I discovered myself getting too comfy.
That very same sense of satisfaction when taking out a very ruthless enemy – and in a while as soon as once more with ease – is current in Swords of Legends. I obtained a giant kick out of efficiently parrying many enemy strikes from a cross, then sneaking in a essential hit to knock them right into a stagger. On the subject of fundamentals, Swords of Legends – whereas very acquainted – hits a lot of the proper notes in relation to matching that compelling, but nonetheless tense soulslike circulate. Sadly, one draw back of the demo I performed was some unlucky technical hiccups that disrupted the circulate and made touchdown some parries a bit tough. This could be a very troublesome snag for a soulslike within the making, so hopefully the builders will have the ability to iron them out previous to launch.
Upgrading a Legendary Journey
The place Swords of Legends actually makes its large swings away from acquainted soulslike traits is with Sipan’s arsenal of weapons and abilities. Together with a myriad of weapons like glaives and two-handed swords, there’s additionally a slate of weapon artifacts that outfit Sipan with totally different fight skills. His base Cosmic Mirror artifact permits him to summon glyphs that may do group injury, or extra importantly, block and parry strikes from enemy combatants. I spent most of my hands-on time sticking with this one for its defensive qualities, because it was extremely satisfying to efficiently smack away assaults like I used to be in Avenue Fighter III: third Strike. One other enjoyable artifact was the Thunder Banner, which added lightning injury to my core assaults and a fast lightning dodge that got here in helpful in the course of the fiercer fights.
One other enjoyable twist with Swords of Legends is the flexibility to name in an help from defeated foes. One of many early bosses I defeated within the tutorial was the hammer-wielding Ox-Head, who then provided his companies to Sipan in future battles. Along with summoning him for fast, powered-up strikes, you’ll be able to even have him take part key battles towards stage bosses, supplying you with a companion to struggle alongside you and even execute cinematic Hyperlink Assaults, with Sipan and his companion teaming as much as deal essential injury on a staggered boss. This particularly got here in helpful throughout among the extra intense boss battles, which actually bought the extra stylized and wuxia-spectacle moments of Swords of Legends.
The demo’s most difficult struggle was towards a powered-up Ox-Head, who actually dished out some critical ache. Even with a powered-up Sipan’s new weapons and kit – akin to a shrine guardian armor set lined in talismans – I nonetheless needed to lock in and discover these moments to interrupt by way of his defenses, and even then, it took me many tries to lastly take him out. It was an incredible capper to the demo, and I used to be impressed with how effectively Sipan’s skills can evolve by way of the marketing campaign – which is at all times enjoyable to see in a soulslike.
What makes Swords of Legends such a neat spin on a soulslike is that it focuses on gamers steadily increase a legendary hero – and that is an intriguing hook for an action-RPG. Nonetheless, very like the sub-genre itself, there’s a sure problem that comes with making a soulslike that not many builders can absolutely grasp and switch right into a compelling sport. However up to now, Swords of Legends and its legendary hero’s journey do have the makings of a classy and invigorating motion sport that makes its badass character moments depend.
Alessandro Fillari is a longtime video games media skilled. Speak video video games with him on BlueSky at @afillari.bsky.social.
