October was good to us with the spanking new Steam NEXT FEST and the usual drop of way too many delicious demos to dig into. AS WE DESCEND is an older demo that I finally had time to play, so I am tossing it in. My blog, my rules after all. There are many more games to try, and I will try to cover those that picked my interest - always hoping that I can convince you to give them a try as well. Let's roll!
AS WE DESCEND
Finally found time to try this one out and it did not disappoint. In essence, it's a roguelike like any other with the usual trappings of steady progression. Find new cards, learn powerful perks, and unlock more and more options as you delve into the dark depths of the pit to empower your armies. But all those elements are done in a rather unique and well-thought-out fashion. We are a warden of the city defenses, our role is to make sure it does not succumb to the dark forces of pure evil as the whole structure drives down into the abyss. We also need to train our troops and gather crucial resources with daring expeditions to shore up our crumbling defenses. As well as give ourselves a fighting chance, because the enemies are not going to go easy.
The huge power of the game seems to be how well it interlocks various mechanics across the genres. Yes, you have your standard cards for a deck-building experience... but the cards are connected to units. Picking a proper composition for a fight decides your deck on a combat-to-combat basis. The city itself offers multiple avenues to explore in your attempt to gather crucial resources. Which are needed to use more powerful cards in fights as well as buy necessities to keep your army in ship-shape condition. Everything is scarce and tough decisions have to be made to progress - and you are never sure if they will pay off and that your forces will be curated enough to tackle the dreadful boss at the bottom of the pit.
The fights are interesting too, as positioning plays a huge role in them. Most cards have additional modifiers depending on where your troops stand. Your ranged unit might be relatively safe in the back, but plenty of their cards become more powerful if they sit at the risky front. Your Lamp, which is both a projection of your command and a necessity to not let your troops be lost in the all-consuming void, acts as your core - if it gets destroyed, you lose instantly. Keeping it in good order is therefore crucial. In short, the demo was excellent - match it with a grim, dirty yet highly polished art style a bit reminiscing of DARKEST DUNGEON, and you have a game with a lot of promise.
STARVADERS
It's always a pleasure to see a genre I like grow and evolve in new directions. Rougelikes are my constant companion, always at least half a dozen on my active docket. But since there are so many of them, it is not easy to create something that brings that breeze of freshness to the table. STARVADERS aren't exactly breaking new ground here, but they do mesh many various features and mechanics in ways I never saw before. It's a deck-builder. It's a tactical grid battler. It's a branching paths roguelike. It's a lot of things done well, with snappy and tight combat that leaves little breathing room for errors.
The best part of the game displayed in the demo was the cards. Every single one felt impactful, with no fluff about it. No filler cards that feel meh. It might be because of the internal systems - the fights are short and the resources you have are at the same time sparse, yet relatively easy to fill back up for bigger plays. You often need to make a tough call to burn a card, rendering it useless for the round of combat, so you can off a crucial threat that can tilt the battle into an unwinnable scenario. There is no HP on your mech, so to speak, but taking damage is punished by filling your deck with nasty junk cards, which either need to be played and burn your resources... or they will trigger their nasty effects. A great punitive balance is achieved.
So far I am quite impressed. The art style and the music might not be exactly up my alley, but it's all done very well. There are a lot of things to learn, but everything is displayed in a very neat, orderly fashion - making it easy to digest the information and make informed decisions. The effects are quite kinetic, the fires burn bright and the action, despite being turn-based, feels very fast-paced. I am looking forward to playing more of it!
COMPLETELY STRETCHY AND UNCOMFORTABLY STICKY
Not so long ago I had a lovely time with VALLEY PEAKS - a climbing game about being a daring amphibian with stretchy, sticky arms to climb with. It was a whimsical adventure in a miniature open world, filled with collectathon activities and well-crafted climbing challenges. COMPLETELY STRETCHY (and uncomfortably sticky) instantly reminded me of that title, because it feels like the base premise is kinda sorta the same. You're a Goober. Blue goober, to be exact. And you are armed (pun intended) with a long, stretchy and sticky hand. Oh, excuse, me you're more likely a Grombi, exploring the Grombi Isles, filled with other peculiar grombis (or so I assume) which are a bit surprised that you're blue.
Your ability to stretch and stick to nearly any surface gives you a mode of operation that other jealous goobers can't replicate. To swing freely and at great velocity from place to place! And so you'll use that power most irresponsibly, causing a bit of playful chaos and harmless havoc wherever you go. Maybe even helping some on your adventure. The selling point lies in the unique world. I hate to say it because it feels like a cheap comparison, but I just couldn't shake it off - it feels... Rick & Morty influences. The naming. The silliness. The random scenes of unexplained lunacy. It fits in the same brand of humor, which will appeal to many as well as put some others away from the title. It worked for me, that's for sure.
I am not sure how well the game will keep my interest. The mechanics are fun to play with, if a little clunky - seriously missing the ability to jump up from a position I'm holding to, and the hard stickiness limit. But with enough upgrades, which are a part of this game, I believe it might keep itself fresh and engaging through the entire run. Remains to be seen.
Comments