Let's Try LUCAH (Alpha Demo)
1Here's my Let's Try of the Alpha Demo of LUCAH, a 2D dark atmospheric action RPG with Soulsborne-like combat, in development by Colin Horgan and Nicolo Telesca. This title will be coming to Windows, Mac, and Linux around Late 2017 to Early 2018.
In this game, you take on the role of "Lucah", a person traversing through a esoteric and nightmarish worlds on a quest "to find themselves". This world is rather dark and atmospheric, with most of the inhabitants appearing to be insane, and desiring "cleansing" or "rebirth" through rather extreme fashions. Even the monsters appear to be rather non-traditional or eldritch. All of this combined with the religious texts combine to make the world appear to be deranged and off-putting - something one would avoid at all costs.
The gameplay takes heavy inspiration from the Soulsborne games. The combat and movement are tight and responsive. Mistakes are punishing, but if you can master the combat system, you are rewarded greatly. Additionally, thanks to the artstyle, it's really easy to distinguish between enemies and the environment.
In terms of equipables, You have access to several mantras, or main attacks. These determine the damage and range of each attack, and they influence what combos you have available. You can further customize them with sub-mantras for further effects (like increased range or power regeneration). Same with companions. You may also equip several abilities at a time, but the max number is dependent on your virtue stat. You get more of these through leveling the virtue stat, which, along with upgrading the other stats, is done at campfires/crosses. To upgrade a stat, you'll of course need to slay monsters in order to collect and spend souls - the amount of which needed will increase every level.
The main striking thing about this game is its aesthetic and atmosphere. The world, characters, and monsters are drawn so that the basic details can be perceived, but the rest need to be filled in by the player. This combined with the eerie atmosphere, makes the world seem all the more horrifying. In some ways, this feels more offputting than several other horror titles.
Overall, I enjoyed this game primarily due to its tight and responsive combat, and distinct aesthetics.
Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1617962540/lucah-a-nightmare-action-rpg-about-finding-oneself
Itch.io: https://melessthanthree.itch.io/lucah
Developer Twitter: https://twitter.com/melessthanthree
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LUCAH is in development by Colin Horgan and Nicolo Telesca.