Italian action game Soulstice is not just another clone of Dark Souls
The seeds for Soulstice were sown way back in the 1980s, when growing private Italy TV channels were hankering for the appearance of the show on the air.
It turns out there were a lot of shows in Japan that were perfect for kids.
Thus, 70s and 80s anime reruns have become popular imports in Italy and France
says developer Samuele Perseo, inspiring a generation of kids like him.
"It was really deep down when we were growing up in Italy, everyone was into art or creativity," says Perseo.
For us, it was an opportunity to define a particular style: on the one hand, we needed to find a balance, because we didn't want our game to be a copy of our sources of inspiration.
It was supposed to be a tribute.
On the other hand, it was interesting for us as an independent developer - we were looking for a way to find our own corporate identity.