Morbid: The Seven Acolytes Is A Horrorpunk Ode To Bloodborne

While I do think that the term Souls-like is overused, sometimes it just fits. There’s no way to look at the trailer for Morbid: The Seven Acolytes and not think to yourself, “damn, that’s a dope Bloodborne game.” Hell, even the developers themselves Still Running describe it as, “a Horrorpunk Action RPG filled with Lovecraftian horrors and Cronenbergian gore, making it the most gruesome take on the isometric Souls-like genre yet!” Sometimes, the shoe just fits. And it fits snug and warm like an UGG boot in the middle of winter. Ooh, the sweet soft squishy sounds. Plip, plop, plip..

Recently revealed at the Future Games Show, Morbid: The Seven Acolytes is everything I want from an indie Souls-like. It’s got glorious pixel art dripping with atmosphere and a level of gore that makes even a cenobite blush. The combat looks tight and frantic. Even the UI is just screaming indie Souls-borne. Plus it has a shotgun that actually looks like it does damage. That’s already one point above Bloodborne! This joke brought to you by the Strength/Dex boys. Real gamers don’t go Bloodtinge.

The plot of Morbid: The Seven Acolytes is also sufficiently grandiose yet vague. You play as the last surviving Striver of Dibrom. Your lifelong mission is to destroy the Seven Acolytes, powerful beings that serve as the mortal vessels to evil gods called the Gahars. Without their hosts, these Gahars cannot survive. So if they die when their hosts die, how is this different than just regular death? Don’t worry about it. Just get to smashing those squishy mortal vessels to save the world. If I were to guess, these Seven Acolytes serve as the main bosses, while a number of smaller encounters and sub-bosses serve as the game’s set-pieces. You know, like a Souls-like.

While there isn’t a release date yet, publisher Merge Games lists Morbid: The Seven Acolytes as coming to PS4, PC, Switch, and Xbox One. If you want to learn more, you can check out Morbid: The Seven Acolytes‘ Steam store page here.