At PAX West, I had the opportunity to go hands-on with Mistfall Hunter, the upcoming dark fantasy action extraction RPG from Bellring Games. It was one of the demos I’d circled early, and after spending time with it, I walked away impressed by how it blends soulslike combat with the high-stakes risk of extraction gameplay. The result is a tense, punishing experience where every fight, every loot drop, and every decision to push forward or retreat carries real weight.
Into the Fray
The demo opened with the grim ambience that frames everything, that backdrop seeped into the gameplay. The world felt oppressive, like venturing deeper into the mist was as much a gamble as facing rival players. It gave context to the tension I felt throughout my run it wasn’t just about loot; it was about survival in a world actively trying to consume you.
Hands-on, the combat immediately felt familiar similar to Dark Souls: deliberate, weighty, and punishing if you got careless. What stood out was the precision aiming system there’s no aim-locking. Every strike, dodge, and ranged attack demands intention. Missing a swing in the demo wasn’t just clumsy, it was costly. What is more is the world is PvPvE, expect everyone and anything to come from behind to kill and take what is rightfully yours.
One mechanic I particularly liked was the ability to swap weapons mid-combo. During one fight, I started with a main melee weapon to stagger an enemy before quickly switching to a lighter blade to finish them off. It felt fluid, almost improvisational, and it gave combat a layer of expression you don’t always see in games like this.
Classes add more depth. I sampled one during my session, but Mistfall Hunter features five: Mercenary, Sorcerer, Blackarrow, Shadowstrix, and Seer each with distinct playstyles. Add in skill trees, talent points, and gear affixes, and it’s clear there’s room to experiment with builds that feel uniquely your own.
High Risk, High Reward
Loot defines the experience, and during my demo, I quickly learned how unforgiving it can be. The longer you remain in the Gyldenmist, the better the rewards, but death means losing almost everything to whoever kills you. You’re only guaranteed to protect one item of your choosing. That mechanic reminded me of RuneScape’s infamous Wilderness, but with the added pressure of AI enemies and the constant threat of other players. During my run, I found myself constantly weighing whether to push further or cut my losses. That tension that constant second-guessing was one of the highlights of the demo.
Extraction adds one last wrinkle. To escape with your loot, you need to find and defeat a rare creature called the “Returner Woodling”, which drops the “Soul of Return.” Without it, there’s no way out. In my hands-on session, just knowing that a final hurdle was waiting made every decision feel heavier. It’s not just about surviving long enough to stockpile treasure it’s about enduring until the very end, where one slip-up can cost you everything.
While I played solo, Mistfall Hunter supports teams of up to three Gyldhunters. Even alone, I could see how party play would open new tactical possibilities. Imagine a Sorcerer locking down enemies while a Mercenary hammers them, or a Blackarrow setting up precision shots during the chaos. Coordinated play feels like it could change the entire flow of a run.
A Hunter’s Reflection
After going hands-on with Mistfall Hunter at PAX West, I left both impressed and intrigued. Bellring Games isn’t just chasing the Soulslike formula they’re fusing it with extraction RPG tension to create something that feels genuinely fresh.
The precision combat is punishing but rewarding, the loot system is unforgiving in all the right ways, and the extraction mechanic ensures that every run builds to a nail-biting finale. Most of all, the game had me constantly on edge, weighing greed against survival.
If the full release builds on what I experienced in the demo, Mistfall Hunter has the potential to carve out a unique niche in the action RPG space. It’s brutal, it’s tense, and it’s exactly the kind of high-risk, high-reward gameplay that keeps you coming back for more.
