Indivisible
At first glance, it would be easy to mistake Indivisible as ‘just another’ indie side-scroller with a pretty art style. But this little action-RPG is hugely ambitious, rolling different genres into one delightful package that stood apart as the most exciting game I played at EGX Rezzed 2019.
First teased way back in 2015, developer Lab Zero has taken its time to craft its second ever video game, following on from the highly regarded beat em’ up Skull Girls. Indivisible draws on the best qualities of that esteemed IP — stunning artwork and top-notch gameplay — and packs it into a 2D role-playing experience that is totally captivating.
The battle system is a standout feature, a lightning-quick turn-based affair that’s so fast it almost feels like a fighting game. Players command several characters at once, attacking and defending with one assigned button which performs different actions according to which direction button is pressed on the d-pad. Cooldown times are so quick there’s barely a moment to catch one’s breath before launching another attack or defending a barrage.
The pace continues outside of combat, too, where Indivisible really surprises with how tight its platforming mechanics are; running, jumping, and springing from wall to wall is super fluid and gratifying.
To top it all off, it looks as though there’s a genuinely fun and interesting story tying everything together. The dialog snippets and story that I saw in a short time with the game was both cute and compelling.
Indivisible still doesn’t have a confirmed release date, but it’s certainly coming in 2019.
Katana Zero
If Katana Zero doesn’t raise your pulse then nothing will. This adrenaline-pumping Samurai action game is mercilessly difficult and brutally violent. It bursts from the screen in gorgeous pixel art highlighted with a bright neon color palette that screams the 1980s, and the soundtrack is a suitably retro synth score that pounds away as you slash and slice your way through each level.
If you liked Hotline Miami then this is a game that should be front and center on your radar. In many ways, it feels like a side-scrolling version of that iconic game, built around many of the same core design principles.
Yet Katana Zero is very much its own entity, featuring a time-bending mechanic that means there’s much more to the experience than simply blasting through levels cutting enemies down. It’s a blend of fast-paced action and careful strategy, which we’ve broken down in a more extended preview after our time with the game at this year’s PAX East.
You won’t have long to wait to get your own hands on Katana Zero, which launches on PC and Nintendo Switch next week, April 18.
Empires in Ruins
I didn’t see many other tower defense games at EGX Rezzed, and that’s probably because this is a genre that peaked a good 10 years ago. It’s certainly not a hot trend anymore, and how many variations have we had on the TD formula by now, between third-person action games and touch-screen mobile titles? But let me tell you, I had so much fun playing Empires in Ruins.
At its core is a foundation of good old tower defense gameplay, defending a castle from waves of creeps ranging from relatively harmless minions to giant battle tanks and flying balloons with all manner of different upgradeable towers.
It’s all about strategic placement, covering each choke point to maximize damage and slow the enemy onslaught. Each wave brings a new challenge, balancing resources to make sure you’ve got the right blend of heavy hitters, scouts, and splash damage.
I’m instantly reminded why this once booming genre was so phenomenally successful: it’s just such an entertaining loop.
But Empires in Ruins isn’t just a tower defense game. There’s much more to this little indie than at first glance.
“The bastard son of 4X and Tower Defense” is the game’s tagline, according to Emiliano Pastorelli from developer Hammers and Ravens. In between traditional tower defense battles players are taken to a regional map where they grow and expand their empire, accumulating different resources and abilities along the way. The empire management adds another layer of strategic depth to gameplay, and it also helps provide some context to the game’s plot.
Empires in Ruins is also a fully story-drive experience, with a meaty narrative conveyed through comic-book-style cutscenes voiced by veteran actor Doug Cockle (Geralt, The Witcher 3), whose gruff voice well suits the black humor tone and low-fantasy setting. As does the rocking folk-metal soundtrack, too, which was recorded by Pastorelli’s talented father!
I can see Empires in Ruins as one of those strategy experiences you could lose a lot of time to, either driving through its main campaign and building out your nation or continually challenging yourself to harder levels in the game’s arcade mode.
I’m told the game isn’t far off an early access release, but the actual launch window isn’t clear. You can expect it sometime in 2019, though.
Phogs
Time for a change of pace with Phogs, a cutesy, chilled-out co-op puzzle game in which players control two elastic dogs connected at the belly. Working together to grab, stretch, and wiggle across a plethora of dreamy-looking levels, you’re tasked with navigating various puzzles and platforming sequences.
It’s not terribly challenging stuff, but then again it’s not really supposed to be. Phogs is fun to control and accessible to children. I can see kids having an absolute blast, and couples enjoying a relaxing game on the couch after a long day at the office.
I’ve played two levels of Phogs across two years of EGX Rezzed shows. It’s taking time to develop, but that’s because the team behind the game is only three-men strong. Not to mention, publisher Coatsink tells me that the reception to the game has been so positive that its scope has expanded from the original vision. Phogs is coming, though… to stuff at some point… That’s the official word on platforms and a release date.
It’s safe to say Phogs is likely a 2020 game, but it’s certainly one to keep in mind for the long term. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that this adorable puzzler makes its way to the Nintendo platform we all know it suits best!
Bloodstained Ritual of the Night
Another highly anticipated side-scrolling action game that’s taken an absolute age to make, Bloodstained Ritual of the Night is slowly but surely getting closer to launch. After waiting for Koji Igarashi’s spiritual successor to Castlevania Symphony of the Night for so long, we were excited to jump in and get some hands-on time with the game. What we discovered was a game that felt great, though perhaps not quite as special is it sounds on paper.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in on Bloodstained; it’s a must-play for Castlevania/Metroidvania fans. I just didn’t get the sense that it’s doing anything other than what has come before it. Sluggish movement and somewhat one-dimensional gameplay makes it feels dated. Of course, it’s a retro-inspired throwback, but Bloodstained very much feels like a modern version of something I played 20 years ago, rather than Symphony of the Night reimagined.
Regardless, I still enjoyed my time with Bloodstained Ritual of the Night at EGX Rezzed even if I wasn’t blown away. We’ll be able to give our final verdict on the game when it launches in full sometime this year.
My Friend Pedro
Like Katana Zero, My Friend Pedro is another whimsically violent side-scrolling shooter that’s definitely on-brand for Devolver Digital. Protagonist Pedro and his sentient banana friend are on a mission to gun down an entire army of thugs. Thankfully, Pedro has athleticism and marksmanship skills that even Neo would struggle to pull off in the Matrix. Well, that’s assuming you’re good enough to get the best out of him.
The side-scrolling gunplay is a twin-stick experience, moving left or right with one thumb and aiming up or down with the other, but Pedro is also seriously flexible, jumping and diving, bouncing off walls and gracefully chaining down his enemies with ninja-like precision. The physics are such that bullets can be ricocheted to hit enemies hiding behind tables, and time can be slowed for that sweet Max Payne-like bullet time action as you chase high scores.
During our demo at EGX Rezzed, we also played an awesome motorbike level that had us blowing up chasing cars while balancing on the back wheel amid scenes of total chaos, so My Friend Pedro isn’t afraid to mix things up with different gameplay.
This definitely looks like another big win for Devolver Digital, a publisher that seems to have a knack for finding quality indie talent. We’ll know for sure sometime later this year when My Friend Pedro launches.
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