Most people will agree that Dark Souls is a good game but it still surprises me how much of an impact it had on the gaming scene. The Souls series has at this point practically redefined what the ARPG genre stands for, a fact that you can clearly see when every new ARPG plainly states their Souls influence.

One such Dark Souls inspired game is Eitr, an isometric ARPG steeped in Norse mythology and done in pixel art by a small indie studio. Eitr recently came to my attention when VaatiVidya, a youtuber dedicated to all things Souls, did a short gameplay showcase which made it look quite incredible. Take a look for yourself:

The Dark Souls influence upon Eitr is plain and obvious given that it shares a similar UI, playstyle, healing mechanic and even the bonfire system. Its senseless to complain about games emulating the best example of a genre but it does seem a bit silly to copy the UI and visual elements as well as the actual mechanics. But that's a minor complaint and with Eitr still under heavy development who knows what's going to end up in the final release.

Things get interesting when you start talking about the differences however. The biggest addition is the Diablo styled loot system where you will be able to find different tiers of gear that all come with randomized stats. What this means in gameplay terms is that Eitr actually gives you a reason to explore areas you've already progressed through, something you tend not to do in any of the Souls games.

Another point of difference is how the weapon system functions. Each weapon has some sort of innate ability that gives you great benefits as long as you fight in an appropriate style. For example the shield showcased in the video has an ice armor spell attached to it that recharges itself upon successfully blocking enemy attacks, or an axe that gives you elemental damage as long as you score chain hits on the enemy.

As of right now there isn't much information available on Eitr beyond what you will find in the video above but to me, as a big Souls fan, it looks rather promising and I will definitely be keeping an eye on it as it goes through development. When is it going to come out? The answer to that is when its ready but so far a 2016 release seems likely.