Dual Souls: The Last Bearer/FAQ

Beginner

Do I need to finish the tutorial to understand this game?

For the most part, yes. The game has a large amount of mechanics, so finishing the tutorial will already answer many of the questions you may have about its systems.

If you can't get through a certain part, or just want to skim through the info, pausing during the tutorial allows you to skip to the next lesson.

Is there any other in-game teaching tools?

The movelist is accessible through single-player pause menus and the training mode menu. It contains a "Basics" section that lists most of its universal mechanics.

If you want to see what the character can do, you can go to Battle > Combo Challenges and see a few combo samples. You may also watch replays of your character by selecting Online > Replay Channel.

What do all these meters mean?

This is answered in the tutorial but, to put it shortly, the game has two main resources: meter and Recovery Points. Your meter changes color based on how full it is. Solid blue lets you do Limit Breaks (similar to ex moves), blinking blue lets you do Blue Powers (super moves) and blinking red lets you do Red Powers (stronger supers that spend almost all your meter).

You can store up to four Recovery Points, and gain them by landing Limit Breaks or Powers. You also automatically gain one when you're at Last Chance, you get the recovery point as a Chance Reward.

Why does it ask me to pick a #1 or #2 move before every match?

You choose which Power you want to bring into every match. They often cost different amounts of meter, ranging from 45% to 60%, and have different uses. For example, you may want to pick a more defensive Power when facing an unfavorable matchup.

Why is there two Mireis?

The plan is to introduce different "Paths" to each character, which is an alternate universe version of them with different moves. Functionally, they are two different characters with entirely separate movesets and features.

Is there an easier way to hit combos?

Most of the combos requires links, so you'll need to practice timings to understand when to input every move. The game has 3 frames of input buffer for normals, so it's not frame perfect.

You can buffer special move inputs by holding the last direction and mashing the button. When you want to do a follow-up attack, you can simply hold the next button after the first input and the game will automatically execute it as early as possible. This makes it a lot easier to combo into Mirei's command dash, as all you need to do is 236+K, then hold the button.

Why do my moves start doing less damage randomly?

There's a lot of things that can impact combo scaling. As you lose health, your incoming damage gets reduced by a certain percentage that's different for every character, similar to the GUTS system in Guilty Gear. Recoveries also incur heavy damage scaling, as does hitting a knocked down opponent.

During a combo, a yellow bar below the combo counter will indicate the scaling the combo is at.

What character should I start with?

Brandon and Kanae are the easiest characters to learn. They have simple tools and most of their weaknesses can't be so easily exploited until you reach a higher level. They also have more intuitive combo strings and do fairly good damage.

Brandon is similar to a traditional shoto character with projectiles, while Kanae is a more traditional rushdown character.

Is the combo scaling bugged? I did 50% damage without spending meter.

Some characters take more damage than others or have less heath, but in general, it's normal and expected damage for optimal combos, specially if they start in a counter hit.

How can I know when to do a Power Recovery?

The character's movelist will tell you which moves have a Power Recovery spot. During training mode, your character will briefly flash during the periods in which you can input a Power Recovery. They have a fairly large buffer, so you can hold the input a few frames before the window actually happens.

I can't do Kanae's 214+SL Power Recovery at all.

This is one of the trickier windows, but going into training mode will help you see it. Holding SL after the move makes Kanae cross to the other side of the opponent. After holding SL and activating this property, you can press the Recovery input to do the Power Recovery.

A shortcut for this is 214+SL, let go of SL and quickly press SL+BS. This will input the Power Recovery as early as possible, but might drop your combo if you're not close enough.

Gameplay

How do I stop people jumping in on me?

You can anti-air on reaction or air to air them with a jumping normal.

Where can I find people to play with?

You can join the official Discord server and join the "Matchmaking" role for games.

Which characters are the easiest / hardest?

In terms of execution, Nagashapa is considered the hardest to pilot, with Assassin Mirei coming close due to her low HP and relying on her mixup vortex without the priority of Warrior Mirei's specials. Brandon and Kanae are relatively simpler by comparison.

However, every character has roughly similar input requirements, since a lot of your optimal combos will emerge from links.

General

How do I save and view replays?

Every game played is stored in Online > Fight Log.

How do I use the Save/Load options?

The "Save"' option will save the state of the replay, allowing you to press "Load" and revert back to that state. Combining this with "Next Frame" and the "Control" options, this lets you analyze and better understand specific situations in a match.

I can't see the Save/Load options.

You have "Extra Info"' turned off. Hit the pause button and turn it on in the menu.

Can I see hitboxes and frame data in-game?

Yes. Select Training > Pick any characters > Go to the "Advanced" option in Settings > Toggle Data Display for frame data, and Show Helpers for hitboxes and stun.

How do I turn on matchmaking while playing other modes?

During single player modes, including Training, you may access the pause menu and change the "Match-Making" option. "Ask First" will let you decline a match, while "On" will automatically match you with opponent. If you set Online Status to "On", you'll be able to receive direct requests from opponents, instead of only being matches by the automatic matchmaking.

This only allows for ranked matches, you will need to manually join a lobby if you want to play casuals.

How do I stop people from challenging me?

Set your status to "Busy" or "Invisible". You will still be able to challenge other players.

How can I match only against people of my region?

In the Online menu, switch the Region option to "Same".

What does Active Fighter do?

It simply chooses what character you want to display the score of. In the character select screen, the game will automatically start on your Active Fighter with the selected color, so you don't need to move to select them.

Can I increase the room size limit?

No. 8 players is the maximum size.

Why does it say "Password Removed" every time I set a room password?

The room password needs to be at least 4 characters long.

Controls

Do I need an arcade stick to play this game?

No. There's no complex inputs to be found. You can comfortably play on gamepad, stick or keyboard. There's also players that do very well with the mobile screen's touchpad controls.

How do I map player 2 controls?

Inside the Options menu you'll find configurations that let you separately set keys for playing the game and controlling the menus as player 2.

Why does the game do random inputs or double my inputs?

It's possible that there's two identical gamepad configurations at once. Check if you have any other input apps like Joy2Key open, or if the same controller is listed for both players under Options > Gamepad Setup.

DLC and Updates

What are the plans for future updates?

Currently, it's expected for a new character called "Han" to be finished, and for every character to get a second Path.

Platform Differences

What is the difference between different platforms?

The differences lie in menu functionalities and the fact that beta tests may come earlier for PC versions. Also, mobile versions get an easier input for their Ultimate (46PW instead of 4646PW) and they can use Power buttons, which are basically Power Move shortcuts. Power Moves done with this shortcut cause reduced damage, however.
Other than that, all versions have the same gameplay.

Is there cross-platform multiplayer?

Yes. Every platform can play against each other.