The Soul

A medieval fantasy beat-'em-up set in the ancient Korean kingdom of Baekje, The Soul incorporates some RPG elements along with a non-linear structure. One or two players can choose from five playable characters: Won Sul Rang, Jeong Do Ryung, Hiromi, Heuk Chi Sang Chi and Seok Hye Tong - a group of battle-mages who had fallen afoul of a powerful weretiger/sorcerer. The latter's machinations are upsetting the balance of good and evil in the kingdom. After encountering a group of seemingly possessed Tang soldiers, who turn hostile, the party sets out to restore cosmic harmony.

The characters all have their own unique strengths, weaknesses, special moves and magic attacks, with which to carve their way through the armies of soldiers, sorcerers and fantastical creatures that await them. These skills can be strengthened at the end of each stage - the 'level up points' you have gained can be distributed amongst your character stats: health, strength, intelligence and five different magical skills.

On many occasions, after a stage has been completed, you will have a multiple choice of destinations; you can set your own path through the realm, and the sequence of stages can vary from game to game. You're only given a single life (once you're out of health, it's game over), but four save slots are provided to compensate for the difficulty.