Indie Hope On The Scene: The Last Worlds: Crossed Souls Steam Demo Review – A Mixed Bag of Ambition and Execution September 8, 2025

What Actually Works in The Last Worlds: Crossed Souls

Let’s start with the good stuff, because honestly, there’s some genuine charm buried in this ambitious indie project. The art direction deserves props—the alien planet NESS-444 has this vibrant, almost Studio Ghibli-esque quality that immediately catches your eye. When you’re exploring those colorful biomes, there are moments where you genuinely think, “Okay, this could be something special.”

The creature design for the Nessky is legitimately creative. These aren’t your typical fantasy monsters rehashed for the millionth time. There’s actual imagination at work here, and you can tell the developers put thought into making these alien creatures feel, well, alien. The companion system with Lupio adds a nice touch of personality to what could have been a pretty lonely adventure.

Combat System Needs Some Serious Work

Here’s where things get a bit rough, and I’m not pulling punches here. The combat in The Last Worlds: Crossed Souls feels like it’s still figuring out what it wants to be. You’ve got this impressive arsenal of weapons—swords, shields, axes, hammers, the works—but the actual fighting feels clunky and unresponsive.

The hit detection is inconsistent at best, and don’t even get me started on the camera during boss fights. It’s like watching a action movie filmed by someone having a seizure. For a game that’s clearly inspired by action RPGs, this is a pretty fundamental problem that needs addressing before the full release.

The Puzzle Elements Show Promise

Now, the Nessian Stone puzzles? Those actually work. They’re not groundbreaking by any means, but they provide a nice break from the combat and actually make you think. The environmental storytelling through these ancient puzzle mechanics is probably where the game shows its strongest design sense. It’s clear the developers understand how to create atmosphere and intrigue.

Performance and Polish Issues

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room—this demo runs like it’s carrying a backpack full of rocks. Frame drops are frequent, especially in the more visually dense areas. Loading times between areas feel unnecessarily long for what should be relatively small zones.

The UI needs work too. Menu navigation feels sluggish, and the inventory system could use some serious streamlining. These might seem like minor complaints, but when you’re spending significant time in menus during an RPG, these issues add up fast.

Story and World-Building Potential

The premise is actually pretty solid. Being stranded on an alien world with mysterious creatures that have turned hostile? That’s got legs. The environmental storytelling through the ruined civilizations and corrupted Nessky creates genuine intrigue about what happened to this world.

However, the dialogue and character interactions feel stilted. There’s a language barrier issue here—not just literally, but in terms of game writing. The story beats that should feel emotional or dramatic often fall flat because of awkward phrasing and pacing issues.

Technical Specifications and Accessibility

The system requirements seem reasonable for what you’re getting, though the actual optimization doesn’t quite match those modest specs. The game supports full controller functionality, which is appreciated, and the inclusion of captions shows some consideration for accessibility.

The fact that it currently only supports English and Italian suggests this is very much an indie passion project rather than a big-budget production, which explains both its charm and its rough edges.

Early Access Reality Check

Here’s the thing about The Last Worlds: Crossed Souls—it’s launching into Early Access, which means what you’re playing in the demo is essentially a proof of concept. The developers are promising 2-3 years of development, which honestly feels about right given the current state.

The crafting system shows potential but feels underdeveloped. The RPG progression mechanics are there but need balancing. The exploration elements work when the technical issues don’t get in the way.

Should You Wishlist The Last Worlds: Crossed Souls?

Look, here’s my honest take: if you’re someone who enjoys watching indie games evolve and you’re okay with rough edges, there’s something here worth following. The artistic vision is clear, and you can see glimpses of what this could become with proper development time.

But if you’re looking for a polished experience right out of the gate, you might want to wait until this thing gets a few major updates under its belt. The foundation is there, but the house definitely needs more work before it’s ready for prime time.

The demo gives you enough content to get a feel for the world and mechanics without overstaying its welcome. Just don’t expect it to blow you away—expect it to show you potential that may or may not be realized depending on how development goes.

Final Thoughts on The Demo Experience

The Last Worlds: Crossed Souls Steam demo is exactly what a demo should be—a honest preview of what you’re getting into. It’s got heart, ambition, and some genuinely good ideas. It also has performance issues, clunky combat, and writing that could use some serious polish.

Whether that’s enough to earn your wishlist spot depends on your tolerance for Early Access development cycles and your faith in small indie teams to deliver on ambitious promises. Me? I’m cautiously optimistic but definitely waiting to see how those first few major updates shape up before committing any money to this particular alien adventure.

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