Approachable ARPG Fusion of Gauntlet and old school Diablo! – Hammerwatch II Demo – 01
9Hammerwatch II is a Hack and Slash Action RPG that feels like a fusion of an RPG Gauntlet and a more approachable, old school Diablo; it’s really good.
Gameplay:
Much like the original Hammerwatch, and the Roguelite Heroes of Hammerwatch, Hammerwatch II is very pickup and play.
Right at the start, there are four different difficulties to select, letting the players choose the kind of experience they want; I’m rolling hard here.
You can customize the look and colors of your character, which is handy, in case more than one player wants to be the Wizard or the Ranger, allowing players to mark themselves as visually distinct from each other.
The Online Co-op multiplayer is completely optional, but it is a nice option for those who prefer to roll in a pack.
The World:
The world of Hammerwatch II looks incredible; really showing a masterful use of Pixel Graphics.
Unlike the original Hammerwatch, Hammerwatch II has a wide open world to explore, and the world environments are very interactable.
There are brittle walls you can blast open to explore.
There are crates and barrels that can be busted up for wood scrap, with the occasional other loot like ore and coins hiding inside.
It feels really good to be able to pick apples off the trees; making the world feel more alive.
These apples restore health, while carrots restore stamina; guess what mana shards restore.
So feel free to pick flowers, mushrooms, and carrots for crafting and cooking just by running over them; fun and handy!
The Combat:
In Hammerwatch II, there is no bump damage present; by default enemies have to land a hit to hurt you; good.
There is a Stamina system present, the big green bar on the right, drained by dashing.
Firing slows down your movement speed; as the wizard has to stop, at least for a moment, to fire off their spell; good; as this makes movement matter more, as not stopping to fire makes the character faster.
In the Hammerwatch II demo, there are 2 characters to select from: the Wizard and the Ranger.
As the Wizard; you have a wand spell, a grimoire spell, a dash, and a utility.
While the Ranger has a sword slash, a bow attack, a dash, and a handy entangle spell to help lockdown and debuff enemies.
Whichever character you choose, as you adventure, you can find different abilities, as well as learn new powers as you grow stronger; fun.
RPG Character Customization:
Hammerwatch II uses a three main Attribute system:
Strength: HP and hp regen; Intelligence: mana and mp regen; Dexterity: Stamina and Stamina regen.
When you lvl, you get 5 Attribute points to put in, like good old Diablo 1 and 2, as well as some skill points to put into your powers.
Hp, Stamina, and Mana recover over time, while mana recovers more quickly for the Wizard, due to their increased intelligence.
These attributes help make the characters feel even more distinct from each other, as well as allowing the possibility of two rangers or two wizards feeling different to play.
Controller support is present, as is good old mouse and keyboard.
Note: This is an early look at the demo for Hammerwatch II, so any bugs or other oddness is not representative of the final product.
Still, Hammerwatch II is an Approachable and fun ARPG fusion of Gauntlet and old school Diablo, and is easily worth a wishlist and a watch.
Watch?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1538970/Hammerwatch_II/
#HammerWatch2 #HackandSlash #Action