Soulframe feels like a Soulslike game in several ways. One of these similarities is not clearly explaining several mechanics in the game, if at all. However, there are a few things you can learn to help get yourself ahead quickly. This guide goes over some beginning tips to make sure you’re building your character properly, get materials, and fill out your map.
1. How to Build Your Character
When building your character, it’s important to make sure you choose and build the right Virtue. Every weapon scales its damage based on a different Virtue, so it’s important to make sure you’re raising the one that matches what you’re building.
- Choose Your Virtue: Grace for agility, Courage for strength, and Spirit for magic.
- Match Your Weapon and Virtue: When looking at your weapon, there’s a symbol to represent which Virtue it scales off of.
- Reset Points if Needed: If you put points in the wrong Virtue or decide to change your main weapon, you can reset and redistribute your Virtue points for free.
You can look at a weapon’s description to see what Virtue it attunes with
2. Return to the Nightfold Frequently
The Nighfold acts as your central hub in the game, and this is the only area where you develop your character. You can go back here at any time out of combat, so take advantage of that whenever you need to.
2.1 Key Things You Can Do in the Nightfold:
- Manage Character Progression: Your tent is the only place to distribute Virtue Points and learn weapon abilities.
- Craft New Gear: The Blacksmith is where you craft new gear and other items.
3. How to Use Your Sparrow
Your Sparrow is a very useful tool that makes sure you’re never lost. It always point you in the direction of your current quest or an objective you can go to.
- Summoning Your Sparrow: Press right on the D-Pad if using a controller, or G on a keyboard.
- Quest Guidance: While a quest is active, the Sparrow guides you to your current objective.
- Points of Interest: If you’re not currently doing a quest, the Sparrow instead directs you to a point of interest.
- Use Frequently: The trail the Sparrow leaves doesn’t last long, so resummon it frequently to not lose your path.
While the Sparrow is out, the objective it’s flying towards pulses on your compass
4. How to Use Spectral Sight
Another helpful tool is your Spectral Sight. It helps highlight interactive items around you, and can even help in combat.
- Activating Spectral Sight: Hold L2 on a controller, or Q on a keyboard.
- Useful Objects Revealed: Plants, chests, animals, and destructible objects all get highlighted while Spectral Sight is active.
- Combat Function: Using it during combat allows you to activate your abilities and Smite enemies.
5. How to Fill Out Your Map
Your map is covered in fog when you begin the game. You’ll need to interact with World Trees in order to fill it out.
5.1 How World Trees Work
World Trees have a distinct look compared to other trees, and are the key to filling out the map.
- World Trees are larger and more decayed compared to normal trees, and have a spear sticking out of them.
- Pull the spear to reveal a section of the map and any points of interest within it.
- World Trees do not appear on the map before you find them.
5.2 Where to Find World Trees
There are a couple of places to look around when searching for World Trees.
- World Trees tend to be near camps and settlements in regions covered in fog.
- These areas also stick out as being designed for early exploration.
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- Look for the spear on the World Tree to pull out
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- All of the World Trees on the map
6. Destroy Everything that You Can
While going on your journey, there are plenty of objects around that you can destroy by simply hitting them. Break these objects whenever you see them — it’s a very easy way to obtain crafting materials and money.
You’re going to need plenty of these in order to craft and buy items, and if you don’t break items, you would have to rely solely on enemy drops and chests to gain them, which would take much longer.
7. How to Smite Enemies
Smite is a very effective ability that can be used in combat. Every once in a while, a glowing light appears on your enemies — this is your chance to use Smite, a powerful attack that finishes off most enemies instantly.
- Expose an Enemy’s Soul: Any attack has a small chance to expose an enemy’s soul, letting you use Smite on them.
- Using Smite: Once an enemy’s soul is exposed, activate your Spectral Light and perform a light attack towards them.
- Damage from Smite: Smite deals massive damage to the enemy it’s used on, killing weaker enemies instantly.
- Smite Upgrading: Some Pact Upgrades can improve Smite further, such as increasing damage and healing you when used.
When you see a bright light like this, it’s your chance to smite the enemy
8. How to Read Enemy Actions
During combat, there are a few animations to look out for while fighting enemies. Knowing what these mean and how to react to them helps keep you alive in battle.
- Enemy Guarding: Light attacks just bounce off of them. Use charged heavy attacks or kicks to break the guard.
- Weapon Glows Gold: They are about to use a heavy attack on you. Counter it with a Perfect Parry, or dodge out of the way.
- Kneeling and Glowing Blue: If an enemy does this right as you kill them, they are about to self-destruct. Get away from them immediately.
Be ready to dodge attacks like this
9. How to Equip Totems
While exploring, you’ll obtain Totems by rescuing animals or temporarily controlling them with your Spectral Sight. However, the game does not indicate what these are or how to use them. Totems can be attached to your gear to give them extra effects, making you more powerful.
- Check Your Gear: Go to your tent in the Nightfold, then click on any piece of gear.
- Find Enchance Option: If a piece can use Totems, when you click on the equipment, an Enhance option appears under the description.
- Equip Totems: The Enhance menu has a large circle with 3 smaller circles surrounding it — Totems can be placed in the smaller ones.
- Swap Freely: You can swap Totems around without losing your current one and at no cost.
You can upgrade your Totems from this menu as well
10. How to Stagger Enemies
While fighting enemies, it is possible to stagger them with continuous pressure. Once an enemy is staggered, they become vulnerable to a powerful execution attack.
- Normal Enemy Stagger: A white border slowly forms around the enemy’s level and health. The enemy becomes staggered when the border fully forms.
- Boss Stagger Bar: Bosses have a dedicated stagger bar under their health bar instead of the white border.
- Execution Attack: Once an enemy is staggered, move close to them and use a light attack to trigger a powerful execution.
With this extra information, you’re going to have a much better chance of surviving your adventures.
