The team had the idea for a protagonist who could copy abilities for their new game without knowing that Sylas would be just around the corner. While Hades offers an example of a satisfying story with a roguelite setup, the developers thought it would be easier for the team to strengthen the narrative in a more straightforward way. Digital Sun knew it wanted to go with an action RPG instead of a roguelite like Moonlighter (its previous game) this time so that it could focus on story. No League necessaryĪction isn’t sole focus here, though. Every maneuver felt easy to execute with the button layout, enough that I was able to choreograph my next attack at each point of the fight and effectively combo enemies. When I messed up, I was always sure it was my fault and not the product of unclear game design.Īll that action is responsive without feeling a step off beat, and none of the controls overlapped enough that they interfered with each other. I’d sometimes find myself in a screen full of enemies, all of them throwing magic while a boss unleashed wave after wave of devastating attacks outlined in red. Each monster I faced had a clear visual cue that alerted me when it was attacking, when it was about to recover, and how to differentiate between them on a busy screen. Smart UI decisions enhance that combat flow. During the demo boss fight, I cycled between frantic dashing, timely melee attacks, and healing magic whenever I had meter. I repeatedly slammed Sylas’ chains against a gate that the captive NPC asked me to break down, which covered all my charging needs. They rely on an energy meter that charges based on how often you attack enemies and objectives, though. In addition to basic attacks, players can hold four abilities that can be freely used via D-pad. They differ on both speed and range, adding another layer of strategic pacing to battles. The two melee attacks aren’t just the same skills with different damage outputs. The Mageseeker gets a dash, light attack, and heavy attack that all have minimal cooldowns. Melee attacks and evasive maneuvers round out the system. Magic falls into one of six elements with type advantages and elemental weaknesses that developers tried to keep simple, like fire being strong against ice. ![]() This limit forces players to aim spells carefully and rely on other attacks besides magic. Sylas’ signature ability steals powers from enemy mages, and it can only trigger again after a brief cooldown. ![]() Mageseeker’s complex combat system is its crown jewel. Mageseeker is shaping up to be one of the best action games of the year - enough so that I’m tempted to call it Hades-level good. ![]() On top of that, though, it doubles as an intriguing addition to the League universe for newcomers and veterans alike. Fitbit Versa 3ĭigital Sun took inspiration from games like Hyper Light Drifter, Cross Code, and Hades when creating it, and that’s very apparent based on the fast-paced gameplay I tried at PAX.
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