Soul Sacrifice is a third-person action RPG that offers a slight twist on the popular Monster Hunter game mechanic by putting players in the role of a spell-wielding sorcerer instead of a warrior on quests for new weapons and armor. Gamers begin by creating a completely custom character, but unfortunately that character is an imprisoned slave who is about to be executed. Suddenly, a strange demon in the form of a book appears, offering a chance at salvation if gamers relive the classic battles between sorcerers and monsters stored within its pages.

Players head into battle armed with a variety of elemental spells, and spells also happen to be the spoils of successfully clearing each stage. The leveling system lets gamers upgrade their light and dark elements, which represent health/defense and attack power respectively. Spell attacks become depleted during battle, and the only way to replenish them is through sacrificing enemies, while saving foes increases health. Boss characters can also be saved or sacrificed, with the salvation of bosses coming with the bonus of turning them into helpful NPCs. Soul Sacrifice also includes a multiplayer mode in which four online gamers can team up to take down powerful foes.