It has been a while since we got a retro Ninja Gaiden experience, hasn't it? All that wall jumping and enemy slashing while running on your toes... It really did make us feel like a ninja, and if you had a chance to beat any of the three originals, it made you feel like a god. The game we are discussing today isn't as hard but it is just as fun, paying homage to the popular franchise but having its own identity. That game is The Messenger. *cue cool rock riff*

The Messenger is simple in its premise and story. You are a ninja in training that has to step up and deliver a message forwarded to you by a mysterious traveler all while your village is under attack by the demon king. Ouch!
Armed with your katana, you will blast through a handful of stages with a boss waiting for you on each one. It is pretty standard fare but one that is honed to perfection thanks to controls that blend so well with the stage design it makes the game speedrunning heaven.
All of that is accompanied by fantastic pixel art that is very much inspired by the limits of the NES era but never sacrifices the detail because of it.
Where the game truly shines is in its humor, especially when talking to a hooded shop vendor that is always there to help and throw some sarcasm at you. It never goes into parody and it pulls the jokes out of its own world, which is quite refreshing.

 

So, yeah, The Messenger is a fun, Ninja Gaiden-inspired platformer, that, despite its shortness, will bring you back to play it over and over. Highly recommended.

What is that? The article is too short? Well, what do you want me to say? I mean, the game is good, it is simple but fun...
OKAY FINE! I will go play some more and get back to you!

*10 hours later*

My god.
So, it turns out everything I said about the game is a measly 5% of it.
Yes, the game is a retro-inspired platformer, and yes, it is short... But that is just the beginning. See, after you beat the "final" boss, the game truly begins, changing the genre from platformer to Metroidvania. How often did you hear about a game that changes genres in the middle of the game, or in this case at the very beginning?

It is this Metroidvania aspect of the game that everybody is raving about, and rightfully so, with everything becoming so much deeper.
Your skillset is now expended and you can upgrade it through the skill tree, learning new moves and handling new weapons, with the glider being one of my favorites - combine it with sword attacks and you get yourself a crazy ninja-like experience.
Every stage you've been through can be backtracked to uncover more areas, and believe me when I say, the world expands greatly the more you go through it, especially when time travel is taken into consideration.

"What? Time travel?" Yep, time travel is fully utilized as one of the main features. Just to name an example, you can plant a seed in the past and jump through the portal to pluck its goods in the future, therefore completing a quest that would usually take 100 years (seriously). To make this feature even better, the whole future segment of the game has a unique 16-bit style instead of an original 8-bit, where every single enemy, background, and your main character, are updated to look even better than they do in the "past".

There will be a couple of occasions where you will think the game is nearing the end, but it just keeps adding more content, stages, and challenges for you to tackle. It subverts expectations to a point that you just stop caring about reaching the end and purely enjoy the road to it.
I am intentionally leaving huge parts of the game out from this article, but this should be more than enough information to entice you to try it and experience it on your own.

It has been a while since we got a retro Ninja Gaiden experience, hasn’t it? All that wall jumping and enemy slashing while running on your toes… It really did make us feel like a ninja, and if you had a chance to beat any of the three originals, it made you feel like a […]

A neat pixel-art hack 'n' slash at face value, Hyper Light Drifter's lore and story are some of the heaviest hitters around. While the majority of early adopters of this game expected the story to be somewhat dark, the intro cutscene really set the tone from the get-go: Hyper Light Drifter does not mess around. Even more interestingly, the horror behind the events of HLD is set up without a single word of text.

It just so happens that Hyper Light Drifter doesn't actually have you read anything at all, far as lore and story go, and it's all presented at face value and almost entirely open to interpretation. This alone is impressive, but the fact that the game delves into the metaphysical and unsettlingly odd is even more so.

One of the very first scenes in the game showcases a nuclear-level detonation, and is immediately followed-up by huge, titanic war-beasts rampaging through the remaining rubble, and then comes the unforgettable knee-deep ocean of blood, floating corpses of dead creatures and all. With imagery this powerful, Hyper Light Drifter has absolutely, positively no need for text of any sort. Keep in mind, too, that this is an almost entirely alien world, with odd, impossible technology, weird humanoid peoples, and other sci-fi staples. In spite of this, the message is clear - this world you are stepping into is beyond saving.

Then comes the black Anubis-looking dog, the strange illness that plagues the protagonist, the ominous shadowy beast that chases after them, and an abundance of other disturbing snapshots that are as impressive as they are striking. All of this combines into a sort of a fever dream-like experience, and it is downright incredible.

In Hyper Light Drifter, words would've ruined things and distilled them to a point where a fair bit of the game's charm would've dissipated for good. While there certainly does exist a subset of players who do not care for games that don't explain what they're about, the fact that Hyper Light has a 'Very Positive' review rating on Steam is quite telling.

What Hyper Light Drifter has going for it is that it perfectly combines two non-standard takes of your garden-variety narrative disclosure. First, it is completely and utterly wordless, allowing players to draw their own conclusions depending on what they focus on. Secondly, it is not afraid to obfuscate its narrative and delve into the metaphysical side of things. Philosophical, even. In this regard, Hyper Light Drifter is closer to the narrative approach of, say, Dark Souls, than one would expect.

Thing is, when the game allows for such a personal interpretation of its themes and subject matter, the player may be left directionless in deciphering it all. For some, who favour gameplay first and foremost, this will all be irrelevant anyway, provided that the game in question plays well. Others, like those we've mentioned above, may feel slighted. However, as with any other type of media, games, too, have plenty of room to tackle subject matter that's not necessarily obvious or straight-forward, and Hyper Light Drifter does precisely that.

It's not for everyone, but the target audience for wordless storytelling definitely exists. Hopefully, we see more games in the vein of Hyper Light Drifter as time goes on. In the meantime, go play the game if you haven't yet!

A neat pixel-art hack ‘n’ slash at face value, Hyper Light Drifter’s lore and story are some of the heaviest hitters around. While the majority of early adopters of this game expected the story to be somewhat dark, the intro cutscene really set the tone from the get-go: Hyper Light Drifter does not mess around. Even […]

Breakout was a revolutionary game, giving us a way to play pong solo. It is also a simple concept, and simple concepts are ripe for adding new twists and turns to it. Such case is with Puppet Kings, a Breakout-inspired indie.

Puppet Kings starts with a fairly simple (if not too simple) title screen, and through a couple of slides, you are presented with the mechanics and controls of the game. There are five characters in total to choose from (no, you are not playing with a simple paddle here), each with their own special ower, but you only have one at the start while others need to be unlocked. How do you unlock them? By beating the stages, of course.
However, while Breakout had a simple goal of breaking the blocks with a ball, Puppet Kings faces you with a boss rush. Each stage is a boss stage, carefully designed to test your skills and nerves, while you chase the ball and launching it into opponents.

The very first boss is a clear homage to the game that inspired it, but other bosses range from evil woodland spirits to spaceships controlled by robots. Needless to say, the developers at Timba Game really did let the imagination run wild.
After a couple of playthroughs, you will realize that you are starting to unlock alternate paths, which contain new bosses, so a game that seemed pretty straightforward has now become a hunt for different ways to beat it, and it won't be easy. See, there are no real hints on how to get to secret bosses. Is it by beating the previous boss the fastest you can? Do you have to defeat it with a specific power-up? It is up to you to discover it.

What really gives this game a huge amount of replay value is the visuals. As someone who puts gameplay as the highest priority of getting in the game right, in Puppet Kings' case the visuals are really the selling point here. That is not to say the gameplay is bad - the controls are responsive, the power-ups are fun and the one-more-try feel is ever present - but the way the bosses were designed, the beautiful background, the little details on the characters you control, it amounts to a lot of visual flare that is hard to ignore and makes you keep going to see what waits for you next.

It will take a while to see everything the game offers, not only because of alternative paths but because of the game's difficulty. It borders with Cuphead in those terms and at times it can feel like it is more based on luck than skill, but considering which game inspired it, that is not a bad thing.

A lot of you reading this might be thinking to themselves "Why did I never hear of this game?"
Puppet Kings went so low under the radar that pure coincidence led me to it. For a game that has so much going for it, it would be a shame for it to fade to obscurity.
Now you do know about Puppet Kings, so be sure to give it a try - you won't be disappointed.

Breakout was a revolutionary game, giving us a way to play pong solo. It is also a simple concept, and simple concepts are ripe for adding new twists and turns to it. Such case is with Puppet Kings, a Breakout-inspired indie. Puppet Kings starts with a fairly simple (if not too simple) title screen, and […]

While the ancient The Thing video game from 2002 does certainly have its merits, it is also a product of its time, and while it does convey the atmosphere of Carpenter's movie to a point, this is arguably not enough. We could certainly do with a remake, but in the meantime, what about games that tackle this matter, even if from a different perspective?

Carrion, for example, is a game that deals with a similar subject - humans encounter an amorphous mass of flesh that wishes to assimilate them all, hijinks ensue. It's great fun, but from the perspective of the unknowable alien creature, this time around. Similarities with The Thing aside, Carrion looks like something pretty special. We'll explain our optimism below!

The premise of the game is that it grants us full control over said creature itself, allowing us to stalk and rampage our way across a clandestine research complex filled to the brim with both scientists and the military. You've guessed it - humans are essentially food in Carrion, and will fuel the creature's evolution and adaptation in various directions, both expected and unexpected. What's particularly interesting is that "character" progression isn't necessarily linear in Carrion, but rather contextual.

What we mean by that is that the creature's skillset depends primarily on the amount of biomass it has at any given moment. Of course, you're going to need to unlock the ability to shoot a cobweb-like substance at range, but it's not going to be available if the creature has substantially grown in size. Instead, when large, the creature will have the ability to violently dash in any direction. Since Carrion will let us bifurcate our creature into as many instances (of any size) as possible, no puzzle will remain inaccessible for long.

Most intriguingly, Carrion will be a fully-fledged Metroidvania game, albeit one with a far more gory and violent visual style than we are used to. This means puzzles, hub-based exploration, and a constant and consistent upgrade path for the protagonist. What has us impressed is the fact that Carrion will seemingly provide a more layered experience than most Metroidvanias do.

By this, we refer to the variability of gameplay, since Carrion supports both onslaught and stealth approaches to combat and exploration. Few games in this genre support as detailed and granular AI and character control as what is reported by those who've had the chance to play an early build, which implies an impressive level of complexity. In simpler terms, whether you want to be a gargantuan wall of flesh or a horrific Sam Fisher wannabe, Carrion will let you play however you wish!

In regard to technical qualities of the game, it's obvious that Carrion is good-looking, but in such a way that you can't exactly focus too much on the details of the creature's rampage. Impressive lighting effects give the game a look that's reminiscent of The Thing and Alien, and the sound design is out of this world, from what we've heard so far.

The catch is that Carrion isn't a game for everyone. It's going to be hyper-violent and incredibly disturbing, but we'd say it's something that needed to be made, sooner or later. With a release date set for 2020, there's no telling yet just how good or not-good Carrion might be, but it sure is going to be unique. We've got our hopes up, though!

While the ancient The Thing video game from 2002 does certainly have its merits, it is also a product of its time, and while it does convey the atmosphere of Carpenter’s movie to a point, this is arguably not enough. We could certainly do with a remake, but in the meantime, what about games that […]

It is common sense that platformers are played with controllers. You can try playing it with keyboard, and you can even get used to it, but playing them with gamepad feels more natural, doesn't it? But what if I tell you that there is a platformer that not only doesn't have gamepad support but it requires both keyboard AND a mouse to be played. That game is Noitu Love 2.

Developed by konjak (which you might know from last years Iconoclasts), Noitu Love 2: Devolution is a sequel to a freeware game Noitu Love, which you can play right after you finish reading this article. Noitu Love 2 follows on the footsteps of the original, an action platformer that sets you to fight Grinning Darns, a robot like creatures whose main goal is to destroy Noitu so they can further their nefarious plans - you know, standard villain stuff. Hundred years later the mantel of Noitu is passed to Xoda, the character you control in the sequel.

Xoda is much faster, more agile and has plenty of fighting moves to both attack and defend, which makes gameplay frantic and ever moving. You will feel like you are breezing through the game and the bosses, which is by no means a bad thing. Speaking of bosses, they are truly the highlights of the game, ranging from gigantic land ships and transforming locomotions to smaller but faster threats like an orchestrating android or Death itself. Each of the 7 stages has at least 3 bosses with multiple phases, and that is not even mentioning minor enemies that are both charming and dangerous.
The visual style is very much Super Nintendo on steroids. The sprites are beautiful and big, populating the detailed stages - every single pixel is worth your attention.

But here is what makes this game really worth playing - the controls. You play with your standard WASD keys to move, jump and crouch and with the mouse, you aim at the enemies and attacking them by the left click. You can also hold the attack click and swipe the mouse for a dash that can make you both faster and take down enemies. With your right click, you can project a shield that will defend you from projectiles, and there are even a couple of uses for it in puzzle segments. It is a simple as it sounds and very intuitive.
It takes half a minute to get used to controls and there is a handy tutorial that will explain every move and attack on your disposal, and there are more than you would think considering the simple control scheme.

Noitu Love 2 is a full package with a twist. It is a satisfying blend of retro gaming and modern gameplay that is rarely seen in the genre, which can only result in the highest of recommendations.

 

It is common sense that platformers are played with controllers. You can try playing it with keyboard, and you can even get used to it, but playing them with gamepad feels more natural, doesn’t it? But what if I tell you that there is a platformer that not only doesn’t have gamepad support but it […]

Pathologic 2 is the less-than-logical continuation of the original Pathologic - a game that was as bizarre as it was incomprehensible. If you clicked on this article, though, chances are that you're into that sort of stuff, and if that's the case, Pathologic 2 is practically a must for you. To explain its allure, even with all of its trademark jankiness and obtuseness, we should first look into Pathologic 2's main draw - the atmosphere. There's an uncanny depth to the fog of this game's rowdy town, for the lack of a better description. Pathologic 2 throws you head-first into a situation so incredibly unsettling that you've got no chance of coming to terms with what's what until it's too late, and this is very much deliberate.

This is a game of survival, and if you don't fiddle with its post-launch difficulty sliders, Pathologic 2 will almost certainly overpower you far earlier than you'd have expected it to. Developers claim that this is by design, and after two games in which they've accomplished their goal of creating a world that's horrific without being explicit about its horrors, we are prone to concur.

On its own, none of the elements of Pathologic 2's worldbuilding seem awfully out-of-place in video games. Even its more arcane features, such as blood-drinking trees, wouldn't be awfully out of place in a fantasy game of some sort, but this isn't the case here. Not exactly, at least. Pathologic 2 is definitely not a sci-fi game, even though it's definitely got some elements of sci-fi. Similarly, it's not fantasy, either, because it does a great job at undermining some of the tropes you'd expect out of a fantasy setting and/or story. This game straddles the line quite well, and so we could define it as a sort of a slipstream title. Something you'd expect for Murakami or Mieville to have come up with, even.

Playing Pathologic 2, the first thing that comes to mind is, in fact, the STALKER franchise, with its brooding, naturalist hellscapes and the ever-present sense of dread. It's a rather unique atmosphere, really, and Pathologic 2 adopts it as its main gist very, very well.

To be frank, some of the game's elements aren't all that well-developed, with combat, in particular, being a drag in most cases. Both combat, and the game's excessive focus on strong survival elements, however, add to the experience. We've mentioned difficulty sliders beforehand - these were added post-launch to make Pathologic 2 more accessible to a wider range of players, though developers still recommend getting through the story without fiddling much (or at all).

Whether uninspired combat and overbearing survival elements (albeit optional) are something you feel comfortable with, that's for you yourself to decide, but there's heaps of praise to be sung about this weird, creepy game that the developers Ice-Pick Lodge have come up with. Simply by making the game easier by minimising its survival elements, you can turn it into an exploration-oriented RPG that's unlike anything you've ever played before. Short of Pathologic itself, of course.

Keeping this in mind, Pathologic 2 is best played at its default difficulty setting, which truly underscores just how haunting this game can be. Whether you ever find the cure for the Sand Plague, find out who killed the protagonist's father, or even survive all twelve in-game days, one thing's for sure - Pathologic 2 will etch itself into your memory.

That's quite an achievement, right there. Worth a try, in our book!

Pathologic 2 is the less-than-logical continuation of the original Pathologic – a game that was as bizarre as it was incomprehensible. If you clicked on this article, though, chances are that you’re into that sort of stuff, and if that’s the case, Pathologic 2 is practically a must for you. To explain its allure, even […]

While there's been a galore of side-scrolling pixel-based horror games released over the past few decades, few of them ever reached what you'd call a mainstream audience. Lone Survivor, Limbo, and Inside are the few examples that immediately come to mind, but horror fans seem to rarely look for their next hit of dread far as this genre goes.

Developed by Hidden Layer Games and published by Chucklefish, Inmost looks like it might end up being one of those games that people will love to discuss and theorise about. Much as was the case with Inside, in particular. Whether that will be the case in due time, we do not know, but what we can tell you right now is that the game looks incredible so far.

The catch with Inmost is that it really comes into its own when you see it in motion. What seems like a detailed albeit simplistic pixel-art visual style turns into an incredibly-animated and thrilling visual experience. There is no overstating the amount of sheer movement present in any given scene we've seen of Inmost so far. It might be something entirely simple, like cypress trees swaying in the wind, or small animals running in the background, in the most subtle of cases, but it all comes together in a very particular and deliberate manner.

It's not all about looks with Inmost, mind. The game will place a heavy emphasis on storytelling, and its narrative is going to be told through the unique perspectives of three separate characters: a brutal and uncompromising knight, a frightened man, and - from the looks of it - a young girl, around whom the story is centered. There's no telling yet on how gameplay mechanics will differ from one character to the other, though the gameplay trailers do offer some insight into how that will work.

The main antagonist will apparently be some sort of shadow-monster that can take over and control living creatures. While the knight will have a sword, a crossbow, and a grappling hook at their disposal at the very least, the other characters are unlikely to be quite as well-armed. This, in turn, implies a significant variety of gameplay situations and encounters, which is all the more impressive when you remember that this is an indie passion project.

The three-pronged storyline presented by Inmost is going to be stretched across two worlds or dimensions, with players having the option on how they approach the various situations and puzzles they find themselves in. This all looks very, very promising indeed. Truth be told, Inmost almost seems too good to be true, but the game is slated for a 2019 release on both PC and Nintendo Switch, and Chucklefish has been very consistent when it comes to delivering games to fruition.

There's not much else to say as it stands, short of inviting you to watch some of the game's trailers and see for yourself what a uniquely oppressive feel Hidden Layer Games have managed to come up with. Here's hoping we don't have to wait too long to see it all in practical action.

While there’s been a galore of side-scrolling pixel-based horror games released over the past few decades, few of them ever reached what you’d call a mainstream audience. Lone Survivor, Limbo, and Inside are the few examples that immediately come to mind, but horror fans seem to rarely look for their next hit of dread far […]

Every time Devolver Digital publishes a game an angel gets its wings. Indeed, DD proved to be impeccable when it comes to publishing indie games, a good chunk of them becoming favorites among gamers and Gato Robot, from the developer doinksoft, is yet another game on that list.

After crashlanding on a suspicious planet the captain of the ship sends his cat Kiki, armed with a mech suit, on a mission to save him from the wreckage. The premise is as simple as it is quirky.
Along your adventure you will discover audio recordings that will offer more insight into the story and why the rats are trying to kill you... or is it mice? Sometimes it is so hard to tell with the minimal visuals. Clever segue way...

The visual style is something between Atari and Gameboy, going for a monochromatic look, not unlike Minit, another great offering from DD. Color can be a great tool in Metroidvanias to differentiate between the larger sets of a stage, so I was pleasantly surprised to see Gato Roboto did just fine without color, which just tells you how good the level design is.
Never did I feel lost to a point that I hardly needed a map, until I went for extra collectibles.
Among those collectibles are 14 items that can change the color of the game, like a red hue that will give you flashbacks playing infamous Virtual Boy, or a urine pallet, which speaks for itself.
Don't worry, they are more fun than they sound, especially the chewed bubblegum colors.

As said before, you control a cat in a mech suit, which is not something you can play as every day. While being in a mech suit you can shoot your cannon at first, but as you unlock more upgrades you will be able to fire rockets, double jump on enemies and even zoom past the obstacles. However, a good portion of the game is dedicated to controlling the cat outside the suit where you will have to rely only on your cat reflexes.
Without the suit, you can climb the walls, swim (say what?) and crawl through the tight spaces where the suit can't fit, but beware, one hit and you will die, while the suit can take significantly more damage. The game uses this gimmick to a great effect, never making you feel like you are doing the same thing over and over, and changing the rules at just the right times.

Despite being in a Metroidvania genre, Gato Roboto doesn't really feel like one. It is a much more linear experience and the game is better for it. Backtracking is never tedious and it always makes sense in the context of the stage. It sounds like a short game, and it is, with about 3 hours needed to complete the game, and maybe an additional hour to find every collectible.
So it must be a hard game to compensate for the shortness, right? Nope, Gato Roboto is an easy game to a point where even a complete beginner might feel like they are speedrunning the game, and I mean that in the best possible way. There is even a timer at the bottom and an achievement to be earned for completing the game under 1 hour.
I've never speedrun a game, but Gato Roboto made me try speedrunning it without me even realizing. It is definitely a game for multiple playthroughs.

Gato Roboto is a Metroidvania for those who either never cared for that genre or just don't have enough time to invest in gaming. Yes, it is on a short side, but if it was any longer it would lose much of its appeal. Even if you never come back to Gato Roboto, I assure you it will make you wanna try more Metroidvanias.

Every time Devolver Digital publishes a game an angel gets its wings. Indeed, DD proved to be impeccable when it comes to publishing indie games, a good chunk of them becoming favorites among gamers and Gato Robot, from the developer doinksoft, is yet another game on that list. After crashlanding on a suspicious planet the […]

There are games that are absolutely genre-defining, and which either establish new player niches or re-establish old ones under a different light. This is exactly what Stardew Valley did when it brought casual farming RPG into the limelight, making virtually everyone care about the game and, by proxy, the sub-genre too. Atomicrops isn't exactly this type of game, though it's probably for the best, because someone somewhere had to make this ridiculous idea happen sooner or later. What Atomicrops does is that it takes what made Stardew Valley special, and then turns it on its head, adding mutants, guns, and radiation to the mix for good measure too.

In simplest terms, Atomicrops is the inevitable lovechild of Stardew Valley and Nuclear Throne, and this article is going to take a gander at everything we know about it so far to try and see what is it, exactly, that Atomicrops is going to bring to the table once it's out.

Atomicrops' standout feature is definitely its artwork, and if any of the game's screenshots remind you of some other title that you just cannot place - as was the case with us - you'll be happy to hear what that's all about. The game you're undoubtedly thinking of is Nidhogg 2, and what links that oddity with the upcoming Atomicrops is that a prominent game artist Toby Dixon developed both of their respective art styles. Right off the bat - Atomicrops is rather unique in that regard, though the good news is that it is decidedly less disgusting than Nidhogg 2 was, in case that put you off.

In our description of Atomicrops as being the unholy union of Stardew Valley and Nuclear Throne, we may have understated just how big of a role Nuclear Throne has in this hypothetical situation. Whereas Stardew Valley did have a somewhat speedy tempo that players had to contend with, it wasn't that difficult to pace yourself and plant fewer plants or some such. With Atomicrops, on the other hand, being billed as a fully-fledged rogue-lite, the game will be far more dynamic than Stardew ever was.

Mutants seem like a constant threat at any given moment, and the player's avatar is rather fast and snappy - especially when it comes to unloading hot lead in the general direction of mutated flora and fauna. Indeed, Atomicrops' plants seemingly grow in a very stressful environment, as the player has to keep taking down enemies for their investment to pay off. Thing is, however, that mutants can be used as fertiliser, so if everything turns out well, we might have a hell of a fast-paced experience on our hands with Atomicrops' core gameplay loop.

Not being a simple shooter with a mutant-farming skin on top, Atomicrops will also allow players to interact with various non-person characters and even go out of their way to marry someone whose company they find enjoyable. The non-obvious perk of doing so is that you'll get another set of hands to gun down monsters with. It's all in good fun.

Atomicrops promises opportunities to also befriend various animals and we've seen colourful mount-creatures as well, but it seems that the game will also feature various explorable biomes and whatnot, which will play host to farming equipment, upgrades, gardening tools, and other assorted goodies. All in all - a full package. Atomicrops is slated to launch sometime this year, so stay tuned!

There are games that are absolutely genre-defining, and which either establish new player niches or re-establish old ones under a different light. This is exactly what Stardew Valley did when it brought casual farming RPG into the limelight, making virtually everyone care about the game and, by proxy, the sub-genre too. Atomicrops isn’t exactly this […]

Fans of Planescape and other similarly weird CRPGs will note that this particular niche has been desperately underserved over the past decade or so. With so few classic role-playing games being released as-is, it's no big wonder that even fewer get placed in uniquely odd settings. The last major release of this type that springs to mind is Torment: Tides of Numenera, which while solid, didn't quite attain enough popular acclaim for more developers to jump onto making similar games. This is where Disco Elysium comes in: an RPG that while not quite as odd as the likes of Planescape, is aiming for something rather similar regardless.

Disco Elysium is a "groundbreaking blend of a hardboiled cop show and an isometric RPG within a unique urban fantasy setting," according to developers and from what we've seen so far, that particular description is right on top of things. Weird and unique, tackling hardcore crime in an urban fantasy setting, Disco Elysium is unlike anything we've had the chance to see yet. This is precisely what makes it as interesting as it is.

In Disco Elysium, players will take control over a disgraced detective lieutenant trying to establish himself in the coastal city of Revachol - a place that looks like it was lifted directly out of a China Miéville novel. Here, players will witness grim fantasy and totalitarian, dystopian science-fiction meld in a way that's not entirely dissimilar to what we've seen in Dishonored, for example. All of this will be showcased through the eyes of said detective and his unlikely sidekick. Revachol is as vast as it is complex, and also completely caked in dirt for the better part of it, too. This depth and complexity will apparently be present in virtually every facet of the game, as dialogue options seem far more extensive and expressive than we've had in most RPGs to date.

Being a narratively-focused game, it's to be expected that Disco Elysium is at least somewhat linear in most regards, but where the game's role-playing mechanics come to light first and foremost through the protagonist's skill tree, which is quite substantial indeed. Players will have the chance to invest in Intellect, Psyche, Fysique, and Motorics trees, with abilities such as Electrochemist, Conceptualisation, Visual Calculus, and Composure heavily dictating how the player character interacts with the game world.

It is through these skills and their choices that players will build their particular version of the detective protagonist. A physically-oriented bruiser is going to behave wildly different from a more observant and intelligent arcanist, for example. This goes for virtually every encounter in the game, developers promise, ranging from combat over dialogue and all the way to clue collection. If this all sounds almost too good to be true, you're not the only one, but everything shown so far makes it seem like the devs are really on top of Disco Elysium.

Developed by ZA/UM, a small indie dev studio based in London, but with roots in Estonia, Disco Elysium is going to get published by none other than Humble Bundle through their indie outreach programme, so there's clearly a fair bit of trust going into both the developers and their project. Sadly, we've no idea on when Disco Elysium might be coming out, either, so all we're going off are promotional materials.

Having said that, things seem extremely positive so far, and there's no reason why we shouldn't be excited over the mere prospect of as curious and weird a game even being developed in this day and age. Whenever Disco Elysium finally comes out, we'll definitely be in for a treat - this way or the other!

Fans of Planescape and other similarly weird CRPGs will note that this particular niche has been desperately underserved over the past decade or so. With so few classic role-playing games being released as-is, it’s no big wonder that even fewer get placed in uniquely odd settings. The last major release of this type that springs […]