Vambrace: Cold Soul

Likes
- Incredible artwork.
- Decent story, though nothing great.
Neutral
- Music is okay but nothing memorable.
- The game is too easy. Once I understood the camping mechanics, I finished the rest of the game without any wipes or retreat on Cold Soul difficulty, starting from Chapter 2. This is primarily due to the oversimplification of battle stats into a single Combat stat.
Dislikes
- No keybinds.
- UI is clunky at times. No tooltip for enemy status effects. After a major conversation, Evelia kept getting auto-swapped to the front row.
Conclusion
Overall, the game feels more like an RPG than a Roguelite, which I don't really mind. I would still recommend getting it when it's on sale. It might not be the best game out there, but I think it does deserve to have better rating than Mixed reviews.

The type of flawed game only niche players can like
The good stuff I liked:
-The amount of detail the game has, like every district has a different map layout, backgrounds, some enemies have stronger versions, etc.
-Nearly, every dialog from NPCs changes depending on which chapter you are and which decisions you took so far.
-The main character Lyric has 26 different costumes, each with different poses, animations and sprites. Very impressive, kudos to the director (who is also the main artist in Dvora (formerly Devespresso) who went the extra effort to make every costume unique and different.
-The amount of world building the game has it's massive and interesting, when you count all the notes in the codex you collect, you could make a movie or tv series out of this.
-The items? All of them have a function and aren't there just to clutter the inventory and...man, I really like when stronger versions of equipment look bigger, stronger and better rather than just being lazy recolors.
-Character design is fantastic you can clearly see the class, faction and main role in the party from a quick look.
-The soundtrack is so-so at the beginning but starting with chapter 5, the bosses get some kickass songs and when you reach the endgame, only then, you hear the best the soundtrack has to offer. That and the ending song when you beat the game.
-Very likeable characters, even if they are flawed in a way, it makes them more memorable.
-The classes the game has are very varied, which let you build a really efficient party for your questing.
-The last chapter and it's last battles are the most hype ♥♥♥♥ ever.
The meh to bad stuff that needs a rework or fix:
-A proper NG+ mode, because the one you currently have, only let's you select chapters (for those that are seeking costumes in later chapters so they can skip earlier ones) but there isn't a NG+ where your whole inventory carries over (except quest items to avoid conflicts of course).
-The 50/50 events (?) while exploring X district need some rework or indicator to make them worth the risk, otherwise you can just ignore them and they are an empty slot in the map.
-Some rare items can only and only be found through high sleigh or merchant skills, so if you want them, you need someone in your party that expertise in either of these and pray that you get the rare class exclusive equipment that greatly improves the main skill of X member in your party.
-Some quests and the game itself need a quick-travel from area to area, there is a certain quest when the fade-to-black screen is very notable, and having to go from X to Y when they are very far away is quite tiresome when you visit those areas often due to sidequests and note hunting.
-RNG may be good or bad, you can crit, miss or get blocked in-combat. The same goes for your enemies. The targeting also comes into play because they might focus on 1 or 2 party members and thus end up with low hp after the combat ends which really sucks when you are 4 to 5 rooms in advance of the map.
-Kinda sucks how some costumes are mutually exclusive, so if you get A costume, you won't be able to get B costume unless you start a new save. I guess this is the devs encouraging replays.
-There should be a clear indicator of what and when your choices affect the ending you are gonna get (NG+ gives you some but it doesn't specify if other actions can also affect the end, like saving characters or picking X or Y in certain quests.
-Trial and error might be the biggest issue with this game. Because when you start and you see all this info in your first playthrough, there is bound to make mistakes which will force you start over from the beginning of the map. Like, HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT when you realize something with and without a guide. I'll give them a pass with the few puzzles because they weren't that hard.
-Traps are ass, even someone with high awareness has a low chance of failing the check which ends with lower health/vigor or one of the several debuffs that you can get and you can only remove when you reach a camp.
-I feel like inventory should be separated from perk points in ways to upgrade it, that's just me, maybe the devs are right on putting it with the others when spending perks to upgrade Lyric but eh...
-While the fast forward option is nice in-combat, there should be another one for exploring (no need for CE's speedhack lol) and dialog.
-Where is Hilda? (I know she appears in a CG near the end but still, she
isn't in the camp like everyone else)
And despite all this, I wish for a sequel of this game with hopefully, a very different and improved gameplay, the same well written setting it has and returning characters for everyone.
Although, making a sequel when this game 3 different endings is kinda tough.

Like
- artwork.
- Decent story,
- protaganist
Dislikes
- The game is too easy
- UI is bad.
Conclusion
A decent game and a decent story and easy to 100% without too much repetiton thanks to the skip room.

Vambrace: Cold Soul, developed by Devespresso Games and published by Headup, is a gothic roguelike RPG that weaves together narrative-driven exploration, punishing combat, and strategic party management in a world blanketed by perpetual frost. Set in the haunted city of Icenaire, the game introduces players to Evelia Lyric, a mysterious outsider who possesses a magical artifact known as the Vambrace. This relic allows her to enter the cursed city—a place overrun by the undead and sealed off from the outside world. With a narrative foundation steeped in lore and dark fantasy, the game wastes no time immersing players in its bleak yet beautiful world.
The strongest aspect of Vambrace is undoubtedly its visual presentation. The hand-drawn art style is striking and full of personality, offering richly detailed character portraits and haunting environmental backdrops. Every screen evokes the chilling isolation of the setting, from frost-covered ruins to claustrophobic underground tunnels. The color palette leans into icy blues and shadowy blacks, reinforcing the oppressive mood of the narrative. This visual direction is further supported by a haunting soundtrack that manages to blend eerie ambiance with occasional bursts of intensity during key story beats or combat encounters. Altogether, the audiovisual elements provide a strong thematic identity that helps the game stand out in a crowded genre.
Gameplay in Vambrace revolves around two core loops: preparation in the underground city hub of Dalearch, and procedurally generated expeditions into the surface world. In Dalearch, players interact with NPCs, accept missions, manage resources, and assemble a party of adventurers from various classes. Each class brings a unique combination of combat abilities and passive traits, which are essential to surviving the perils of the surface. Once an expedition begins, players guide their party across interconnected zones, making decisions about which paths to take, whether to engage in battles, and how to manage dwindling health and morale. The game’s turn-based combat system emphasizes positioning, synergy between characters, and careful use of limited items and magic abilities.
One of the more challenging aspects of the game is its unforgiving difficulty. Vambrace draws clear inspiration from titles like Darkest Dungeon, and it shares many of the same mechanics, including permadeath for companions, affliction systems, and heavy attrition over time. However, unlike its spiritual predecessors, Vambrace layers on a deep narrative and worldbuilding that help contextualize the struggle. That said, the balance can feel uneven at times, with some encounters proving excessively punishing and random events capable of undoing a well-planned run. The procedural nature of maps, while adding variety, also introduces a sense of repetitiveness and a lack of cohesion in level design after extended play sessions.
Combat, while visually engaging, has its share of pacing issues. Animations are slow, and battles tend to drag out, especially during longer expeditions. Enemy variety is decent, but the core mechanics do not evolve much beyond the first several hours. This contributes to a sense of mechanical stagnation, particularly in a game that expects multiple retries and replays. Additionally, the user interface, while serviceable, can be clunky during inventory management or when navigating menus. These friction points, while not game-breaking, detract from what is otherwise a compelling loop of exploration and survival.
Narratively, Vambrace is surprisingly rich. Dialogue is well-written, and the lore of Icenaire unfolds gradually as players progress through the game’s chapters. The world feels lived-in, with factions, personal rivalries, and tragedies that echo through logs, conversations, and environmental storytelling. Evelia herself is a fully voiced protagonist, and her role in the story goes beyond a simple cipher for the player. The game takes time to explore her motivations and backstory, offering a more personal stake in the unfolding events. This investment in character and narrative is one of the game’s most commendable design choices, setting it apart from more mechanically focused roguelikes.
However, there are design shortcomings that hold the experience back from greatness. Chief among them is the pacing. Whether due to slow animations, repetitive level layouts, or overly punishing expedition mechanics, the game can feel like a grind at times. Progress is hard-won, and the lack of meaningful checkpoints or quick recovery options means failure often results in long stretches of repeated content. For players who relish a slow-burn challenge with high stakes and a heavy emphasis on strategy, this may be a welcome structure. But for those seeking a more fluid or forgiving experience, Vambrace may prove too harsh.
In conclusion, Vambrace: Cold Soul is a bold and aesthetically distinctive entry into the roguelike RPG space. Its commitment to worldbuilding, visual storytelling, and narrative complexity sets it apart from many of its contemporaries. While its punishing mechanics, uneven pacing, and occasional lack of variety may limit its appeal to a niche audience, it remains a worthwhile journey for players who value atmosphere and storytelling as much as challenge. With patience and perseverance, there's a deeply layered world to uncover—one filled with loss, resilience, and the glimmer of hope beneath a frozen curse.
Rating: 6/10

It's alright, that's all your getting out of me for this one. (joking ) XD
The game was worth the sale price for sure. It's a chill game play. Has a vintage style to the game. The artwork is nice and I'm enjoying the story so far.
Enjoy!

It is clear effort was put into this game and while i'm struggling with the difficulty and game mechanics i love the art style!
I do not remember paying for this game but my memory is not the best.
Pros: Art style, Nice UI, very unique character designs
Cons from what little i have played so far: very difficult, the game seems to force me to use my controller when i prefer keybord and mouse.
if this game goes on sale i would reccomend it unless you are after a difficult rpg. seems to run well on my pc but the load screen seems abit laggy.

Gather your team and survive the endless winter night in turn-based side-scrolling combat. Change your outfit and get boons to your stats, manage your inventory for survival or scavenging supplies out in the ghost haunted cities, and enjoy the time that remains because they won't let you escape your destiny.