I've had experiences with games that feature an on-screen aim, and I wasn't particularly fond of them because they felt awkward (and wonky gets annoying after awhile). I mention this to express my satisfaction in giving the Rose and Locket Demo a chance, as it is one of those titles that gets it right.
It serves as a reminder from the ole SDGT playbook to never make assumptions. If it weren't for the captivating art style, it might have taken me longer to try out this game (another reason why demos can help a game). The art style has a Southwestern Aztec vibe with a hint of Day of the Dead. Additionally, the slanted images and graphics remind me of what we'll do here at SDGT (I likes).
This game also incorporates comic style elements, creating a feeling of playing through a graphic novel, reminiscent of Comix Zone to some extent. However, it's important to note that observing gameplay and actually playing the game are two different experiences. I encourage you to check it out for yourself and see if the gameplay entices you to add it to your wish list. Let the games begin!
Come August 23-27 for hands-on demos from a variety of the publisher’s upcoming games, including Altered Alma, Freaked Fleapit, Outcast Tales, Rose and Locket, and more!
NICOSIA, Cyprus – Aug. 10, 2023 – CRITICAL REFLEX is coming to Gamescom later this month, and today the publisher revealed the full list of titles it’ll be showcasing to the press and public at the event. From August 23-27, you can experience hands-on demos for a number of great games in CRITICAL REFLEX’s upcoming line-up, including:
ALTERED ALMA
Set in Neo-Barcelona, Altered Alma is a space opera Metroidvania featuring RPG and dating sim elements, a slick pixel-art presentation, and a gripping, non-linear story from award-winning writer Antony Johnston (Resident Evil Village, Dead Space). As a young mercenary named Jack, you’ll carve your way through ruthless gangsters in fast-paced combat while working for some of the city’s most dangerous people. Upgrade your hero with unique abilities, customize your ship, recruit and forge bonds with new crew members, and make difficult moral choices while trying to protect the ones you love.
Gamescom attendees can check out the first playable demo of Altered Alma featuring the beginning area of the game (the Spaceport), plus a boss fight.
To save her daughter’s spirit from malevolent forces, gunslinger Rose must journey through the realms of the Underwest. Along her path, she’ll recover long-forgotten skills and abilities, wield awesome powers, and face countless foes. Rose and Locket is a lighting-fast action-adventure game featuring a grand story about loss and devotion in a breathtaking, cinematic, hand-painted world.
Experience Rose and Locket’s new playable demo at Gamescom featuring previously unseen gameplay, including a fully finished biome and the Wrath boss fight.
Hell never looked this good! Save your soul in Freaked Fleapit, a wild cocktail of rhythm-based dungeon crawling and date sims that’ll have you dancing your way through nine circles of Hell to heart-pumping music. When the Reaper herself offers you a way to get out of the run-down fleapit that is Purgatory, you’ll have to go through each of the nine circles of Hell, beating any demons along the way to free your soul! Sounds easy enough...
Visitors can go hands-on with two circles of Hell, three dates, and two boss fights!
Outcast Tales (previously titled Ragtag Crew) is a turn-based tactical roguelite drawing inspiration from Darkest Dungeon with a delightful twist of humor, set in a post-apocalyptic desert where your party members can bicker or forge bonds together. Each character has a unique combination of class and personality, which can drastically change the outcomes of the journey. Outcast Tales heads to Gamescom with new elements like enhanced visuals and the voice of Samuel Barnett (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency) as its charismatic narrator.
Visitors can check out a new hands-on demo with all gameplay systems implemented.
In addition, visitors to CRITICAL REFLEX’s public booth at Gamescom can play the atmospheric deck-building strategy game IRONHIVE, the futuristic city-building game Complex SKY, and the pixel-art roguelite-auto-battler Deadlock Station.
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