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Pragmata Review Androids Dream of Lunar Escape Fifty-seven years ago, man landed on the moon, marking one of the greatest human achievements. Humans have not returned to the lunar surface since 1972, but what if they had maintained a permanent presence? In fact, what if there were a whole lunar colony, with all of the technological advancements of our modern era? Enter Pragmata , Capcom’s newest original game, which brings players to a massive lunar space station where spacefarer Hugh and android girl Diana must confront a hostile AI known as IDUS and its legion of rogue bots to escape its clutches and get back home. Being well-rounded in most respects, Pragmata is boosted significantly by its sublime, crisp visuals, delightfully unusual combat system, tight level design, oppressively lonely and sterile atmosphere, and an enjoyable dynamic between its two main characters, making for an outstanding experience. The game’s outset sees Hugh arrive at a seemingly abandoned lunar outpost with his three comrades, but when a moonquake hits and disaster unfolds, Hugh is the only survivor. After suffering a near-fatal fall from a significant height, Hugh is saved by a mysterious girl who heals his wounds. When he wakes up shortly thereafter, aggressive bots attack Hugh and the girl. While Hugh's bullets uselessly ricochet off their armor, the girl manages to expose their weak points by hacking them, allowing Hugh to neutralize the bunch. Realizing something is clearly wrong at the station, Hugh joins with the girl, who reveals herself to be a sentient android codenamed DI-0036-7, though Hugh decides to name her Diana. Together, they set off to figure out what’s gone wrong with IDUS, the central AI, and venture out to communicate with Earth and escape. Pragmata ’s plot is quite good, mostly being fueled by the stellar partnership between Hugh and Diana. As they explore the station, there’s a sincere sense of camaraderie between the two as they learn more about each other and work together. Diana is so adorable and endearing, with all the traits players would expect from a young child: excited, bubbly, and incredibly curious. While she has a few uncanny, inorganic moments that remind players she’s an android, her growth arc is remarkably compelling as she learns more about humans and their intricacies. This balances extremely well with Hugh’s steadfast, blunt personality, making their emotional connection a definite high point. Pragmata also weaves in themes about the dangers of AI, unchecked corporate power, interdependency, and loneliness. All of these are executed well, though the game suffers from a few predictable twists, which is a bit jarring given its short runtime. [caption id="attachment_188510" align="aligncenter" width="640"] High-five! Teamwork makes the dream work.[/caption] Where Pragmata shines brightest is its unusual hybrid combat system, blending third-person shooting with real-time puzzle solving and RPG mechanics, with the latter heavily influencing damage and character progression. Essentially, Hugh keeps a whole arsenal of firearms at the ready, all anchored around his primary weapon, with regenerating ammo, which is further supplemented by offensive, tactical, and defensive guns with limited ammunition, though these weapons periodically respawn in the field, either as enemy drops or from breakable crates. The entire arsenal feels fantastic to use, and Pragmata ’s gunplay is tight, snappy, and responsive. Hugh also has a jetpack on his suit, and his thrusters allow him to quickly dodge attacks or even recover from being knocked down by a heavy blow, which, despite the bulk of Hugh’s suit, feels fluid, smooth, and fair. While there is no lock-on mechanic, Diana does an excellent job of alerting players of impending danger or off-screen attacks, ensuring players have fair warning. However, firing at the metallic robots is useless on its own, dealing negligible damage — this is where Diana comes in. When Hugh aims at an enemy, a grid of squares known as a hacking matrix appears, and players use the face buttons to directionally navigate from a preset point to a green “OPEN” square (also signified by a power button symbol), which makes the enemy vulnerable and drastically reduces its defense. On the grid, though, players can also pass through various nodes that Diana can equip. These can increase damage dealt, lower the enemy’s defenses, hack multiple enemies in proximity at once, or apply various status ailments, including halting movement or overheating the enemy, allowing for a high-damage critical strike. Various error nodes or other interesting detrimental squares appear too, adding a layer of challenge that constantly keeps players on their toes and weighing important split-second decisions: is it easier to simply beeline to the OPEN square, or is it possible to navigate around the grid and dodge the insta-fail error nodes for maximum offensive output? Like Hugh's non-primary weapons, hacking nodes have a limited number of uses, meaning players also have to weigh when and where to use them, though these also spawn in the field. [caption id="attachment_188511" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Diana navigates the hacking matrix while Hugh unloads bullets into a bot.[/caption] Together, the gunplay and hacking synergize extraordinarily well, even if it takes a bit of getting used to at first. Bobbing and weaving through hordes of bots while solving puzzles feels incredibly smooth, and Pragmata ’s combat does wonders at making Hugh and Diana feel like a superstar duo. But what really pushes Pragmata ’s combat from great to exceptional are its RPG mechanics and the various ways players can augment each character. At the hub area, known as The Shelter, players can utilize Upgrade Components found throughout levels. These allow Hugh to upgrade his HP and defense, as well as his primary gun’s damage, stagger rate, ammo, recoil, or heat gauge buildup, whereas Diana can strengthen her hacking damage, OPEN duration, or heat gauge buildup. On the other hand, using lunafilament – this game’s version of experience, essentially – allows players to upgrade non-primary weapons, Diana’s hacking nodes, and innate abilities. Players can also equip Mods, further altering the pair's attributes to suit their playstyle, enabling an astonishing degree of adaptability. Want to lean into Diana’s hacking and utilize her ultimate multi-enemy hacking Overdrive Protocol more? Go for it. Want to focus on Hugh’s gunplay and mowing down bots? Totally possible. Long-range build? Absolutely. Up-in-your-face assault build? That works too. There are so many possibilities, and the extent to which players can customize their build makes the odd gameplay hybrid all the more accessible and fascinating. [caption id="attachment_188512" align="aligncenter" width="640"] 3D-printed New York City melts in on itself, creating a bizarre landscape.[/caption] Throughout its various levels, Pragmata is generally a joy to navigate, with plenty of platforming sections and mini-game puzzles scattered around, requiring the use of both Hugh’s boosters and Diana’s hacking abilities. Exploration often grants excellent rewards or leads to interesting lore and backstory about the station, as well as finding visual spectacles that litter Pragmata ’s world. That said, the game could use some more variety later on, as the collectibles become just a bit rote. The Shelter serves as a great hub, with collectibles known as Read Earth Memories gradually filling its perimeter with holographic, childlike Earth-based settings, much to the ever-curious Diana's amazement. Also present are numerous, substantial Metal Gear Solid -like VR simulations, with preset challenges that test the player’s movement, skills, or combat expertise in exchange for various rewards, which are always worth it. It also bears mentioning that despite its odd combat and intertwining mechanics, Pragmata controls extraordinarily well. Pragmata is truly a sight to behold. Taking place on the Moon, the desolate isolation of the lunar surface and its vacuous atmosphere are conveyed flawlessly, but it’s within the station that the true magic unfolds. Essentially, the entire lunar base and all of its components are made of a material called lunafilament, a somewhat fragile yet versatile material. With the station operating as a giant 3D printer, entire facsimiles of Earth-based locations can be created between the crisp, white, and sterile halls that connect the base’s various nodes. Most impressive is the game’s first zone, a bizarre recreation of New York City that is all topsy-turvy and mish-mashed together. The 3D-printing errors and general dysfunction of the zone perfectly evoke the often-chaotic results one would expect from an AI-generated video or image. The overall visual direction does wonders at elucidating the game’s themes, and it just looks absolutely jaw-dropping at every twist and turn. [caption id="attachment_188509" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Aw… she’s just too adorable![/caption] While not quite as memorable as its visual design, Pragmata sports a solid, effective score and great voice acting. Sad, melancholy pianos amplify the isolation of space and the lunar surface, punctuating quiet moments well, whereas some pounding, synth-heavy tracks back the game’s chaotic battles to great effect. While most of the voice cast is at least effective, Pragmata hits where it matters most. David Menkin turns in a great performance as Hugh, but Grace Saif as Diana is even more notable, with an exceptionally charming voice that makes her innocent joviality and moments of vulnerability so emotionally raw and effective. Sporting a relatively short runtime of fifteen to twenty hours, Pragmata doesn’t overstay its welcome and is a briskly paced adventure that does everything a game needs to do. Its bold and stunning presentation and smart, compact level design make it so fun to navigate. Hugh and Diana have a truly wonderful, organic, and beautiful relationship, evident not only in the sturdy – if sometimes predictable – plot but also in its exceptional hybrid combat system, where facing down and overcoming hordes of AI bots feels incredibly rewarding, further fueling their bond. Pragmata proves that when you shoot for the moon, you land amongst the stars. Disclosure: This review is based on a free copy of the game provided by the publisher. The post Pragmata Review appeared first on RPGamer .

RPGamerApr 13

Hades II Review Forever In Hell Serving as the sequel to the much-lauded roguelike Hades , Hades II finally arrives on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, bringing the action roguelike to all modern consoles. This time around, players control Princess of the Underworld, Melinoë, daughter of Persephone and the titular Hades. Hades II sports some riveting and heart-pounding action combat, although the gameplay suffers quite a bit due to the balance of available Boons. That said, the presentation benefits from vibrant graphics and some fantastic music. Further, the game features an amiable cast of characters, with a rich story deeply rooted in Greek mythos. From the outset, Hades II drops players right into the fray in Erebus, the waiting area at the edge of the Underworld, with Melinoë swearing vengeance against Chronos for kidnapping her family. When players inevitably die on their first run out, they’re returned to The Crossroads, Hades II ’s hub area. Here, they will meet Melinoë’s mentor and the Titan Goddess of Witchcraft, Hecate. She leads the Underworld’s resistance against Chronos alongside numerous undead shades and various allies, including Nemesis, the personification of retribution, and master strategist Odysseus. The ramshackle nature of the Crossroads and its varied inhabitants does a great job of making the overall struggle against Chronos feel personal and dire, with a strong sense of camaraderie amongst its residents and visitors. Hades II ’s plot effectively uses and twists around elements of Greek mythology, and all the characters feel compelling and well-written. This is especially true for Melinoë, who is constantly riddled with self-doubt and an inferiority complex, particularly toward Nemesis. All the while, she's steadfastly devoted to her mission and the gods, willing to endure maddening trials no matter how many times it takes. There’s no shortage of appealing characters, and players are given a lot of leeway in who they choose to interact with and learn more about. While the roguelike structure of the game can make the pacing a little hit-or-miss at times, there’s a wide abundance of dialogue to ensure that players are always receiving new information or interactions. The high-quality writing is sure to keep players entertained for long stretches, as most characters feature plenty of highly situational voice lines that depend heavily on the player's choices. This attention to detail is noticeable throughout the experience, and incorporating it keeps the plot captivating despite the roguelike structure. [caption id="attachment_188910" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Melinoë, being a witch, casts a spell to accept Apollo's Boon.[/caption] As an action roguelike dungeon crawler, Hades II centers around becoming gradually stronger across runs, and attempting to get closer to Chronos each time while learning enemy behavior and boss patterns along the way. In combat, Melinoë has access to six different weapon types, most of which feature a short-range attack and a longer-range Special. She can also utilize a dash for extra mobility. In addition, she has a magic Cast, which allows her to freeze enemies in place, which, in addition to Omega (Ω) attacks, makes use of a Magick Bar. During every run, as players progress from room to room, they’ll receive Boons from the Olympian gods, with each Boon allowing the player to choose from one of three boosts that take effect for the remainder of the run and empower their various abilities, be it through adding status effects or increasing damage. Additionally, most of the time, Melinoë can also obtain a lunar-based Hex from Selene, the incarnation of the Moon, which is upgraded through a skill tree during runs. Unlike the first game, the sequel offers two different dungeon paths, each split into four distinct dungeons. The initial branch features the Underworld, consisting of Erebus, Oceanus, the Mourning Fields, and Tartarus. Later, players may also reach the surface world, also featuring four dungeons, though it is toxic to Melinoë due to her bloodline, and cannot be traversed without a special spell. Each area within both branches features a boss Guardian, and all four must be defeated within a single night. Die, and players must start all over the next night. Both areas are thematically and visually opposed, providing the game with appreciable variety and a way to mix up their playthrough if one path becomes too difficult. Hades II ’s combat is quite engaging, with responsive controls, a good variety of enemies in each area, and exciting bosses that feature challenging, interesting patterns to dodge. Bosses like Scylla in Oceanus are especially exciting, as fast-paced attack patterns and chaotic action dominate. The sheer number of options available to players, be it through Boons, weapons, or random events, helps keep combat feeling fresh and different across runs, while also helping manage the game’s adequate and strong level of challenge. However, what prevents Hades II from fully excelling is the imbalance of Boons, which is a fundamental problem. Not all gods are created equal, and Hestia’s fire Boon and its associated Scorch status are significantly and noticeably more powerful than the others, while Hephaestus and his forge Boons offer static damage options and defensive abilities that also clear the competition. It’s a bit disappointing and a little frustrating when coming across Zeus or Poseidon, whose Boons just can’t mathematically stack up against the damage output of Scorch. This results in runs sometimes feeling artificially inflated in runtime due to the sheer grit of continued survival while attempting what feels like a distinct hard mode, depending on which Greek god appears randomly. While it’s still possible to make other Boons work with proper dodging and good play, Hades II could truly excel if Boons were balanced better and all of them felt as viable as fire. [caption id="attachment_188926" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Melinoë communes with Selene and is offered three different Hex options.[/caption] The Crossroads offers many options for Melinoë to improve her abilities and chances of success across runs. Primarily, there's a whole host of Arcana Cards that give dungeon-based abilities or improve stats, but there's also a magic cauldron overseen by Hecate that allows players to brew collected ingredients into magic spells. These spells alter dungeons, allowing players to alter aspects of a boss or add benefits to dungeons like shops and improved healing pools, or unlock areas of The Crossroads, including a bar and the hot springs. There’s an area to grow crops, a merchant, and various spots where guests occasionally show up. Players can progress character dialogue trees and relationships by providing them with nectar, or, for denizens of The Crossroads, communally bathing in the hot springs. These provide interactive scenes that offer more story and reward players with various items, including equippable Keepsakes that further empower Melinoë. However, like combat, the roguelike nature of progression can sometimes make character questlines or interactions feel artificially elongated or poorly paced, especially if players are compelled to focus on those who appear less often due to RNG. That said, Hades II consistently strengthens players through interactions with all members of the cast and elements of The Crossroads, creating an ever-so-slightly frustrating but overall accessible and addicting roguelike experience. Hades II sports a vibrant, colorful look, with plenty of exuberance, life, and detail throughout its world. This is especially evident in its character portraits, with all the major NPCs having distinct, memorable looks. Melinoë's heterochromia, outfit, and transparent green arm displaying her bones are quite striking, as are her various night-aligned kin, including Nyx, Selene, Hecate, Eris, and Artemis. The strong character designs absolutely ooze personality, and characters like Dora the Listless Shade and Arachne the Silk Weaver all benefit greatly from their portraits’ expressiveness. Environments are littered with plenty of details, making the world feel immersive and animated, and this is further boosted by field animations and spell effects. These aspects go a long way towards making combat feel fluid and the world organically alive. [caption id="attachment_188928" align="aligncenter" width="640"] After getting beaten down several times, Scylla gets mad. Real mad.[/caption] Hades II 's soundtrack excels, utilizing a wide variety of Greek instruments from the earliest moments of Erebus. This sets up the atmosphere, setting, and tone before quickly mixing in plenty of modern sounds, including metal guitars and synthesizers, to keep the music fresh and varied. The dark, witchy atmosphere of The Crossroads owes much to its music, which conveys an underlying sense of conspiracy and magic. There’s also a noticeable and dizzying variety of tracks, helping keep the game's sound varied across repeated runs. Oceanus’s second boss, Scylla and the Sirens, have several different songs they can play during the boss encounter, including the hilarious, well-composed, and catchy rock n' roll diss track titled “I Am Gonna Claw (Out Your Eyes then Drown You to Death).” Boss encounters are the most memorable in this regard, but the level music also boosts the atmosphere considerably. Voice acting is excellent across the board, with Judy Alice Lee as Melinoë turning in an extraordinary performance, although plenty of side characters — namely Erin Yvette as both Dora and Scylla — also feature some fantastic and animated voicework. On the whole, Hades II delivers a truly great action roguelike experience, buoyed by strong, exciting combat. It remains addictive across multiple runs, even with poor Boon balance, keeping combat artificially elongated. This is achieved through engaging combat and a compelling story that motivates players to learn more about the characters and world. Its outstanding visuals and fun, immersive audio also make it a treat for the eyes and ears. Trudging through the depths of hell has never been more exciting, and as someone fairly new to roguelikes, I found myself pleasantly surprised at just how engaging Hades II can be. Disclosure: This article is based on a free copy of the game provided by the publisher. The post Hades II Review appeared first on RPGamer .

RPGamerApr 13

AI LIMIT DLC: Eirene’s Furnace of War Impression While well-executed enough, it is far from the kind of expansion that changes one’s opinion on the whole game. A year ago, I gave AI LIMIT a decently positive review for its solid level design, interesting world-building and fun combat. Since then, my impression of the game has improved, as I’m quite fond of the protagonist Arrisa and how she’s actually an active protagonist with a shred of personality, unlike a lot of other Soulslike protagonists. As such, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the game was receiving a free expansion, titled Eirene’s Furnace of War. Players are required to roll credits on the base game without starting a New Game Plus on that save file to access the DLC. After arriving at a new area and defeating a rather simple boss, the player will enter Eirene’s domain, the Furnace Arena, where she reveals her role in the larger design of AI LIMIT's world. Eirene is essentially an arms manufacturer, and after the events of the story, is left masterless and fighting a war she has no reason to fight other than it is the reason she was created. Eirene asks Arrisa to help her obtain combat data for a new experiment she is performing, and Arrisa agrees because the new weapon Eirene is developing will ostensibly help humanity survive. Thus, Arrisa begins the Trials of War, and that is where the narrative elements of the expansion mostly end, aside from a few lore-heavy conversations with Eirene that reveal some of her motives and the true purpose of the trials; conversations that feel more like the game checking a box rather than essential to the larger AI Limit narrative. [caption id="attachment_184886" align="alignnone" width="640"] One of the new bosses in the Trials of War: Eirene herself.[/caption] Eirene’s Furnace of War adds three distinct game modes. The most prominent is the Trials of War, a roguelite game mode where the player starts without their previously obtained equipment and must start from scratch. Arrisa will travel through remixed areas from the base game, and upon defeating familiar enemies and bosses from the base game, players will be able to obtain items such as stat upgrades, upgrades to Arrisa’s other moves, such as her parry and shield, and even some passive buffs, such as a projectile that spawns when she gets hit. It is possible to become extremely powerful, which is good because even on the easiest difficulty, no run of the Trials of War is guaranteed to succeed. After either completing a run or losing it, players can return to the beginning to spend obtained currency buffs that will make Arrisa more powerful in subsequent attempts, and also spend special currency on items that can be used outside of the Trials of War, such as a new outfit and weapons. Unfortunately, the items on offer here are sparse, but it is nice to have them nonetheless. [caption id="attachment_188864" align="alignnone" width="640"] AI LIMIT's developers aren't resting on their laurels in the art department.[/caption] Additionally, Eirene’s Furnace of War adds two more modes. The first is a welcome addition: a boss rematch mode that can be used to challenge most of the game’s bosses after they’ve been defeated. This is especially welcome, as the Trials of War includes its own variants of some of the base game bosses that have their own designation, so players can practice against either version if they so choose. Each boss also has up to five difficulty levels to choose from, so those looking for an even greater challenge are able to ratchet up the difficulty, alongside an in-game timer that players can use to compete against themselves for the best time. This mode has also been coupled with a boss rush mode where players can fight a curated list of bosses in sequence without a break, which can be a fun way to reexperience some of AI LIMIT’s best fights. Unfortunately, that is about it when it comes to Eirene’s Furnace of War . A solid 85-90% of the expansion is reused assets and is entirely focused on gameplay, and while well-executed enough, it is far from the kind of expansion that changes one’s opinion on the whole game. The fact is that this is only for those who enjoy AI LIMIT’s combat and boss design, and even then, those who are turned off by roguelite systems may want to stay away. While far from bad, Eirene’s Furnace of War doesn’t offer much that hasn’t been seen before, making it a relatively unnoteworthy addition to an otherwise solid game. Disclosure: This article is based on a build of the DLC provided by the publisher. The post AI LIMIT DLC: Eirene’s Furnace of War Impression appeared first on RPGamer .

RPGamerApr 13

Etrange Overlord Review Strange, isn't it? Etrange Overlord bills itself as a “Musical Action-RPG,” and while there are both Action and RPG elements, though I often felt like I was playing something more akin to a party game. The narrative is lighthearted and nonsensical, the combat is a chaotic mess of colors and janky mechanics, and the “musical” elements feel more like an aesthetic choice that doesn’t have much consequence to the game as a whole. Etrange Overlord takes place in Hell, shortly after protagonist Étrange von Rosenburg is executed. Why was she executed? Well, she was falsely accused of assassinating the king, of course! Thankfully, Étrange is rather unbothered about having ended up in Hell. Shortly after arriving, she is accosted by demons, meets up with her cat Cat-Smith, and the two of them defeat the demons and subjugate them, turning their three leaders into their servants. Upon giving them the names Cackie, Chortie, and Chuckie (after the way they all laugh), they don brand new, human-like appearances and become her new retinue. So begins Étrange’s journey through Hell to make herself the most relaxing afterlife she can muster, an afterlife she is desperate to fill with as many sweets as possible. The narrative of Etrange Overlord can best be described as a gag-comedy, though it does have some grander elements that come to fruition late into the campaign. Étrange herself is a wonderful protagonist, both aloof and every bit the archetypal “villainess” the story paints her as, while also being hilariously overpowered, having mastered dark magic while alive and so is rather unfazed by most of the major enemies Hell throws at her. The supporting cast is also fun, though most of them lean far too heavily on tropes to be terribly interesting, mostly serving to add dimensions to Étrange’s character. [caption id="attachment_179257" align="alignnone" width="640"] Étrange often astounds her allies with just how powerful she is.[/caption] Unfortunately, the narrative's broader scope is poorly executed. Most of the intrigue involving who and why Étrange was framed is already revealed from minute one, and most of the development on that front is done using Side Stories, which are all totally optional and don’t even involve a gameplay segment. Furthermore, though they are called Side Stories, it is highly recommended not to skip them, because they contain rather essential context for making the later chapters make any sense in the slightest. Another issue that occurs is that some jokes are repeated a bit too often, especially the way every character seems to be competing for Étrange’s attention in some way, only for her to be rather uninterested in the whole ordeal. While not actively annoying per se, the jokes begin to lose their edge as the story continues. The game is presented wonderfully, with the “musical” theming at its most effective here. During many cutscenes, a spotlight will suddenly be shone on a character (usually Étrange, though others may be present as well,) and they will sing a little number. While the songs themselves aren’t spectacular or particularly impactful, they are a fun way to break up the pacing and deliver exposition to the player, especially in scenes where an entire conversation unfolds through song. Unfortunately, the game’s soundtrack leaves something to be desired outside of the musical numbers. The soundtrack has a fairly standard “lighthearted adventure” quality that works well enough, but there simply aren’t enough unique tracks, especially for a game that otherwise has “musical” written all over it. While the cutscene animations aren’t the cleanest or the most high fidelity, the game takes great advantage of its art style and uses some clever limited animation techniques to pull off some great stuff, especially on the comedic side. While some of the environments and areas can feel a bit stale at times, especially in the early-to-midgame, the character designs (done by Shinichiro Otsuka, illustrator of the Re:Zero light novels), are all incredibly fun, though once again many of them lean a bit too heavily on tropes to stand out. [caption id="attachment_179289" align="alignnone" width="640"] Musical numbers are a really fun way to mix things up.[/caption] Gameplay is where Etrange Overlord stumbles quite a bit. The game is a top-down Action-RPG that focuses on completing objectives and progressing through individual stages with four characters. Objectives range from simply defeating every enemy, defeating specific enemies or a boss character, retrieving items, and more. While these mission types work well enough, none of them pop out as interesting or worthy of note, and the capture-the-point goal specifically has several balancing issues that make it frustrating in single player, with enemies easily able to undo progress made while the ally NPCs don’t focus on the actual mission. Characters also feel incredibly stiff and lack any variety in gameplay. Every character only has a base combo attack and a special attack that can be activated after collecting a specific item. Unfortunately, every combo feels restrictive, and the universal dash that every character has access to doesn’t alleviate this much. While there is a little bit of variance in some characters' move sets, such as some using close-range and others using long-range attacks, the game never presents much of a reason, outside of story-related obligations, to change out the party. What makes Etrange Overlord somewhat resemble a party game is the Lane mechanic. Every stage has Lanes that circuit around the area and are populated by items that travel along the lanes at varying speeds. These items range from the aforementioned special attack item, which grants the player the ability to use the character’s special attack, attack and defense enhancement items, sweets that can heal the player, bombs that can be thrown to deal damage to enemies, items that can be retrieved in order to complete a level, or energy that can be deposited into devices that are also traveling along the lanes. [caption id="attachment_180625" align="alignnone" width="640"] Items that aren't immediately consumed upon obtaining them can be thrown, though bombs are the only item one would want to throw at enemies.[/caption] As a result of Etrange Overlord's Lane mechanic, combined with the high density of enemies, most battles have a chaotic quality that is undeniably fun. However, the poor character control, lack of variety, and simplicity of every encounter make the combat system feel underwhelming and cause the game to lose quite a bit of steam towards the end. Even the grander boss encounters suffer from this, particularly the unique bosses who suffer from the chaos more than they gain. Outside of combat, there isn’t much to do. Every stage has materials that can be collected, which can be used to upgrade weapons and cook meals, but these have minuscule effects that don’t alter the core gameplay meaningfully. It is possible to customize Lanes to some degree, though this mostly boils down to upgrading the effects of the various items. The overworld is also rather uninteresting, with no secrets or hidden areas to discover. While these elements aren’t the end of the world, without a solid core gameplay loop to latch onto, they feel rather hollow. Etrange Overlord has a lot of qualities to enjoy. The narrative is fun if a bit nonsensical and predictable, the characters are a blast, and the musical numbers are a nice touch that distinguishes it from its contemporaries. Unfortunately, the lack of a great combat core combined with monotonous gameplay makes the game ultimately difficult to recommend. Disclosure: This review is based on a free copy of the game provided by the publisher. The post Etrange Overlord Review appeared first on RPGamer .

RPGamerApr 13

Being and Becoming Interview Metroidvanias thrive on interesting visually impressive premises that mix with unique atmosphere and enjoyable gameplay. Developer Ichthys looks to combine all of the above and more with their Soulslike Metroidvania Being and Becoming . Joining RPGamer today is creator, game designer, and writer for the game Anthony Fischer to dive into the gameplay and visual inspirations for this upcoming title that will be releasing on Steam . Ryan Costa (RPGamer): Being and Becoming is quite the atmospheric Metroidvania. Can you talk about some of the ideas in its design, such as the underwater cathedral of the first level? Anthony Fischer : I have hypnopompia, which is a condition where I sometimes continue to dream after waking up. Usually this is paired with sleep paralysis so you cannot move while you are getting spooked by whatever hallucination you are experiencing. However, I rarely get paralyzed so I run around my room like an insane person trying to fight whatever dream spilled into the waking world with me. This was the core inspiration behind the idea of The Dream. Being and Becoming pulls from biblical locations, characters, and prophecy, steeping them in the strange logic of dreams. The underwater Third Temple that the player begins in is depicting a biblical location altered bizarrely by the eldritch nature of The Dream. The reasons as to why the Temple is sunken deep underwater with these people stuck in diver suits will be explained in time through the story. RPGamer: Will players uncover bits of the protagonist's past and how they came to enter the dream? AF : Through exploration and meeting different characters the player will learn all about the protagonist’s past and how that ties into The Dream. The protagonist entered The Dream with a convent of sisters and learns of their fates as they explore. RPGamer: There is a lot of detailed spritework for characters and enemies alike. Are there any in particular that the team is proud of creating? AF : Our art director’s favorite work is the save point. We see this beautiful garden of eden location through a ghostly doorway acting as a portal. This was created with the help of several visual effects artists and our art director himself doing the sprite work. RPGamer: What are the main ideas behind the mechanic of defeating enemies to feed into the player's ability to heal? AF : Blood has an important place within the story of Being and Becoming . The player collects it through combat and can heal with it. The reasons behind why this works exactly will be revealed in time throughout the story. We wanted to provide in-world reasons for each of our game mechanics for a more interesting atmosphere. RPGamer: How many weapons are players able to find and how much do they differ? AF : We are still playing around with the total number of weapons, but we will have at least 5 weapons the player can use. Each is designed with a unique combo system that plays to the strengths of that weapon. For example, the protagonist’s basic weapon is a fast, dual wielded axe and cleaver that strikes twice with each press of the attack button. They soon find a much slower but more powerful anchor that can launch enemies into the air. Weapons are designed to fill a specific role not covered by any other weapon, but are designed to compliment the movesets of each other. Launch an enemy with the anchor and you can use the blunderbuss to juggle that enemy mid air with a ranged shot to keep them airborne. RPGamer: Will the various locales all be interconnected through one large world map or are the areas segmented? AF: The sunken kingdom the player explores is interconnected through one large world map that expands outward from every direction from the Third Temple where they start the game. RPGamer: The Steam updates often feature quotes from H.P. Lovecraft. Are there other artists or writers that have helped inspire the story and setting? AF: Being and Becoming has its primary story inspirations from H.P. Lovecraft, the Bible, and Kierkegaard's writings on being and becoming. I have taken the theme of cosmic horror from Lovecraft and wrapped it around biblical figures and prophecy to make something distinctive. Our art director was most inspired by Bibliomania from a design standpoint. There are some inspirations from Fromsoft, Castlevania , and Hayao Miyazaki as well. For the color work, Heartmachine’s titles were the main inspiration. RPGamer: Will there be new abilities to unlock far into the game, or will most of the basic skills be learned early on? AF: There will be many abilities the player unlocks throughout the game from the start up until the very end. Our goal is to keep introducing new weapons and abilities that keeps the player engaged and excited for discovery from start to finish. RPGamer: Are there any aspects or mechanics within Being and Becoming that you think will stand out for RPGamers? AF: We do not have a stat screen or anything from the numbers side of RPGs, but we do have an interesting build system with our relics. In our public playtest, we featured 4 relics that all combined in interesting ways. For example, we had a relic that left a ghostly afterimage of a launched enemy that transferred damage (and further knock ups) to the flying flying enemy, which could be combined with the ability to dodge cancel attacks to leave behind your own afterimage continuing that canceled attack. So you could have your afterimage attack their afterimage while you attacked their actual body. Each relic can be upgraded to change its function and combined with others for a ton of unique builds and playstyles. RPGamer: Between the save points and parts of boss fights shown in the trailer, there's an overlapping set of visuals that occur that seem like one world breaking into another. Is this part of a motif that could be expected to seen frequently? AF: Each area of the game has at least one unique environmental mechanic. The Aqueduct of Jerwan seen in the trailer shows a rift that opens into a completely different background with new level geometry from what was once there outside the rift. There are other areas that build on this idea that are related to The Aqueduct, but there are also many more areas with completely different environmental mechanics. RPGamer would like to thank Anthony Fischer for their time in answering these questions about Being and Becoming as well as Sarah Blackwell and Stride PR for making it all happen. Those looking forward to this atmospheric Soulslike Metroidvania can look forward to its release on Steam . The post Being and Becoming Interview appeared first on RPGamer .

RPGamerApr 12

Avowed Works Best When You Stop Expecting a Sandbox RPG Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed is a game I liked from the start, even when the wider conversation around it didn’t always reflect that. A lot of the criticism surrounding it seemed to come down to comparing it to what it isn’t: a fully systemic, sandbox-driven RPG in the vein of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim . However, that framing misses the point. Avowed works best once expectations of a sandbox experience are set aside and it is approached as a dialogue-driven, roleplay-focused experience. When it launched in 2025, the conversation around it felt split. Some players were drawn in by its connection to the Pillars of Eternity universe, while others bounced off what felt like a lack of traditional RPG systems. Once the game’s focus on dialogue-driven roleplaying clicks, the entire experience starts to make a lot more sense. More than anything, what pulled me in wasn’t the combat or even the exploration. It was the world itself. Avowed doesn’t ease players into its setting. It throws terminology, factions, and history at players almost immediately, expecting them to either keep up or take the time to learn. Characters speak like these things are common knowledge, because to them, they are. At first, that can feel overwhelming. But over time, it makes the world feel more believable. Instead of constantly stopping to explain itself, the game trusts players to meet it halfway. The glossary helps fill in the gaps, but the dialogue itself stays natural, never slipping into exposition-heavy explanations. It’s a small thing, but it goes a long way in making the world feel lived in. [caption id="attachment_188957" align="aligncenter" width="591"] Kai serves as a strong anchor into Avowed’s world through dialogue and character interaction.[/caption] Much of the criticism around Avowed focuses on what it doesn’t do. There’s no real sandbox chaos here. NPCs don’t follow complex routines, players can’t attack random characters, and the world doesn’t react in the same systemic way as something like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim . For a lot of players, that’s been a sticking point. However, Avowed is deliberately built without those systems, and when approached on its own terms, they aren’t actually missed. That’s because most of the sense of immersion comes through dialogue and roleplaying choices rather than systems. The game gives plenty of opportunities for players to shape their character through conversations, deciding how they respond, what they believe, and who they align with. After finishing the game twice with very different characters, those choices did a lot more to define the experience than any missing sandbox system would have. That said, this approach does make some of the game’s weaker elements stand out more against the stronger parts, especially the companions. Kai, in particular, works well as an anchor into the world. His background and perspective help ground the setting in something personal, giving players a clearer way into its broader conflicts. His connection to places like the Deadfire makes the world feel lived in rather than explained. Not every companion reaches that same level, though. Characters like Giatta and Yatzli often feel more like vehicles for delivering lore than fully realized people, with personal arcs that don’t leave much of a lasting impression. Marius stands out for a different reason. Where other companions at least serve as a lens into the world, Marius rarely feels like he adds much at all. His personality leans heavily on sarcasm and friction, but without the depth or payoff that usually makes those traits work. [caption id="attachment_188962" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Not every companion reaches that same level, but Avowed works because it focuses so heavily on a specific kind of immersion.[/caption] A good comparison is Sera from Dragon Age: Inquisition , another companion who can be abrasive and divisive. The difference is that Sera is given space to evolve, and the player can choose to engage with or reject her. Marius never quite gets that same level of development or agency, and as a result, he feels less like a difficult character and more like an incomplete one. While the immediate responses to choices usually strike true, the long-term reactivity is also a bit lacking. Characters can strongly disagree with major decisions in the moment, only to fall back into familiar patterns shortly after, with little sense that those moments carry forward. It undercuts the immersion the game works hard to build and makes some choices feel less meaningful than they should. But even with those issues, Avowed stayed with me, largely because of the strength of its world and writing. Not because it does everything expected from a modern RPG, but because it focuses so heavily on a specific kind of immersion: one built through its world, its writing, and the way it lets players exist within that space. It’s not Obsidian’s most ambitious game, and it won’t click with everyone. But for players willing to meet it on its own terms, there’s something genuinely rewarding here. After a year of updates and improvements, it finally feels like the version of Avowed that was always meant to be played. The post Avowed Works Best When You Stop Expecting a Sandbox RPG appeared first on RPGamer .

RPGamerApr 12

RPGamer Round-Up: April 5 – April 12 Welcome to the latest edition of RPGamer's round-up column, where we look back at some of the articles that we have posted over the intervening period. This article is designed to give reminders of some interesting content and stories that our readers might have missed. Editorial Content People of Note Review People of Note takes center stage, ready to show off its musical prowess and measured, thrilling turn-based combat. With the game hitting every note, Jordan McClain states that music lovers and RPGamers won’t want to miss out on this indie gem. GreedFall: The Dying World Review The story of the continent of Teer Fradee isn’t quite finished. Pascal Tekaia reports back from before it all started, as developer Spiders lets players see through the eyes of the island’s natives. Avowed PS5 Review Is Avowed' s Envoy a fungi to be around? Sam Wachter finds that Obsidian Entertainment’s first-person fantasy action RPG is plenty enjoyable, even with a bit of mold growing on it. Ultima VII: The Black Gate Retroview Ultima VII is a game that is revered by its fans, at least the PC version is. Ryan Radcliff discovers that the SNES adaptation of The Black Gate is a condensed, inferior, clunky game that is a blight upon the series’ legacy. People of Note Interview Iridium Studios’ People of Note sees pop-star Cadence journey across the land of Note to form a contest-winning band with a new, fresh sound. Director Jason Wishnov answered some questions from RPGamer's Jordan McClain about the game and its creation. Aether & Iron Interview with Christopher Tin and Alex Williamson Decopunk narrative RPG Aether & Iron is available now on Steam. Alex Fuller was able to put some questions to composers Christopher Tin and Alex Williamson about creating the music for the game. Voidling Bound Interview The monster taming subgenre expands into the third-person action shooter subgenre with Voidling Bound . Ryan Costa puts various questions about the game to Hatchery Games's Creative Director Jonathan Rancourt. Neverway Demo Impression A prologue demo introduces players to the horror life-sim of Neverway . Michael Baker was able to get an early look at the demo. Translating Genres: Arknights and Endfield Arknights: Endfield took a different tack to the original strategy mobile game. Kay Vandivert examines how Gryphline and Mountain Contour created a different gameplay experience while keeping the spirit of Arknights . Major News Snack World: Reloaded Announced Level-5 announced a remake of Switch title Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl Gold . Snack World: Reloaded will include revamped gameplay and controls, additional story, and an extra mode. Alabaster Dawn Releasing on Steam Early Access in May Radical Fish Games announced that Alabaster Dawn will arrive on Steam Early Access in around a month. The latest title from the CrossCode developer is not expected to fully release for at least two years. Neverway Releasing in October, Prologue Demo Out Now Coldblood and Outersloth announced an October release window for horror life sim RPG Neverway . In addition, a prologue demo is available now on Steam. Koshmar: The Last Reverie Announced Developer Purple Ray Studio announced dark fantasy game Koshmar: The Last Reverie . In development for PC and consoles, it blends action adventure, roguelite, and RPG elements. Town of Zoz Out Now on PC Balor Games and Studio Pixanoh’s Town of Zoz is out now on PC via Steam. The cooking action RPG draws from Latin American culture and 2000s JRPGs. Arcadia Fallen II Released on PC, Consoles Galdra Studios has released Arcadia Fallen II . Its follow-up to the 2021 role-playing visual novel is available on PC and all recent consoles. Another Eden Begins Releasing in September Wright Flyer Studios announced that Another Eden Begins is coming to PC and Switch consoles in September. The game offers a reworking of the free-to-play turn-based RPG Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space . Bylina Releasing on PC This Month Digital Vortex Entertainment and Far Far Games announced that Bylina will release in a couple of weeks. The Slavic-themed isometric action adventure title will be available for PC via Steam. Other News Fuga: Melodies of Steel Coming to Mobile This Summer Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Coming to Mobile The Relic: First Guardian Pushed to Summer Pillars of Eternity Turn-Based Mode Released Genesis RPG Traysia Coming to PC, Consoles Ninja Cats: Tactics Coming to Steam Early Access This Month Colony Management Action RPG Impurity Announced Oceanhorn 3: Legend of the Shadow Sea Receives Gone Fishing Chronicles Update Diorama Break Demo Released, Kickstarter Campaign Beginning This Month Cyberpunk 2077 Receives PS5 Pro Update Level-5 Provides Inazuma Eleven RE, Decapolice, Holy Horror Mansion Platform Updates and Teases Absolum Switch 2 Release Announced Asterfel Playtest Starting Next Week Valor Mortis Gets Gameplay Trailer, Fall Release Window Alkahest Receives Debut Gameplay Trailer Mongil: Star Dive Shows Gameplay New Release Round-Up (April 9, 2026) Podcasts RPG Cast – Episode 808: “Crafting Makes Me Feel Good” Chris kicks Tidus into the ocean. Kelly is looking forward to taming an army of cats. Robert lauds the efforts of the 2D waifu union. And Ryan is practicing his Smash freeze cheese. The post RPGamer Round-Up: April 5 – April 12 appeared first on RPGamer .

RPGamerApr 12

Arknights: Endfield Version 1.2 Update Continues Wuling Storyline Next Week Gryphline announced that its version 1.2 update for free-to-play 3D strategy RPG Arknights: Endfield will release on April 17, 2026. The update, titled "At the Wake of Spring", focuses on the core chapter of the Wuling storyline, seeing players having their first direct battle with Nefarith. It adds the electric-based Zhuang Fangyi as a new playable character, as well as additional map and exploration content in Wuling, plus gameplay and quality-of-life improvements. Developed by Mountain Contour, Arknights: Endfield is based on the popular Arknights mobile RPG/tower defence title, but tells a separate story. Players are tasked with surveying the unexplored wildlands outside of the colonies that are home to dangers and secrets while undertaking missions with real-time combat using a party made up of operators from the Protocol Field Recovery Department. The game is currently available on PC, PlayStation 5, iOS, and Android. Those looking to read more about the game can check out Kay Vandivert's editorial examining the translation of genres between Arknights: Endfield and the original Arknights game. [foogallery id="188886"] The post Arknights: Endfield Version 1.2 Update Continues Wuling Storyline Next Week appeared first on RPGamer .

RPGamerApr 12

Honkai: Star Rail Anniversary Version 4.2 Update Arriving This Month HoYoverse announced that its version 4.2 update for Honkai: Star Rail will release on April 22, 2026. It is the game's third anniversary update, titled "So Laughed the Masses", and will include various special events, gifts, and special store items to mark the anniversary. The update's main story content continues the Phantasmoon Games as it is revealed that the victor will become the permanent Aeon of Elation. It includes two new playable 5-star characters: Silver Wolf LV.999 and Evanescia. Silver Wolf LV.999 is a new version of familiar character Silver Wolf after she attains level 999 and evolves into a "Godmode Player." She is a 5-star Imaginary-type character following the Path of Elation. Evanescia is a Special Observer of the Phantasmoon Games, with the reveal of her true identity forming part of the story. She is a 5-star Physical-type character also following the Path of Elation. In addition, the update will see the Trailblazer on the Path of Elation using a glow stick weapon that can transform into a light blade and nunchucks. Other parts of the update include reruns for limited 5-star characters The Dahlia, Castorice, and Firefly in the first half and Tribbie, Sunday, and Feixiao in the second half of the update as Warp events. Firefly, Huohuo, Seele, and Welt will also receive character buffs. Further event content includes the arrival of "Cosmic Data Roaming", which lets players by broadcasting their best combat moments; an expansion to Currency Wars game mode; a Version 2.0 update for the Cosmicon Collective card game; and more. Honkai: Star Rail tells its own standalone story in the Honkai universe and is available on PC, PlayStation 5, iOS, and Android. The setting features Aeons, incarnations of universal principles that can freely travel between its worlds and apply their principles to them. Players embark on a journey on the Astral Express alongside other passengers looking to explore the universe and find out its secrets. [foogallery id="188898"] The post Honkai: Star Rail Anniversary Version 4.2 Update Arriving This Month appeared first on RPGamer .

RPGamerApr 12

RPG Cast – Episode 808: “Crafting Makes Me Feel Good” Chris kicks Tidus into the ocean. Kelly is looking forward to taming an army of cats. Robert lauds the efforts of the 2D Waifu union. And Ryan is practicing his Smash freeze cheese. Question of the Week What is your comfort game if you're sick or not feeling great? Check out the show notes here! The post RPG Cast – Episode 808: “Crafting Makes Me Feel Good” appeared first on RPGamer .

RPGamerApr 11