Warden's Will Review: Quick 4-Min Guide + Full 30-Min Gameplay!
0Warden’s Will is a promising new released movement shooter roguelite that takes heavy inspiration from Risk of Rain 2, one of my favorite games—a connection that had me immediately excited. Its core gameplay loop will feel familiar to fans of Risk of Rain: you spawn into a stage, eliminate waves of enemies for currency, and scavenge for resources while the difficulty steadily ramps up over time. However, Warden’s Will introduces some unique twists, particularly in its progression and pickup systems.
Augments and Unique Currency
Unlike Risk of Rain 2, where items provide a wide variety of effects, Warden’s Will restricts your choices primarily to Augments and a secondary currency. Augments boost stats or grant special effects, while the secondary currency is used for permanent progression upgrades—like increasing your starting Shield, Health, or Flux. This system forces players to choose between improving their current run or investing in long-term upgrades.
While this decision-making adds depth, I often found myself prioritizing the current run. The secondary currency is expensive, often costing as much as an impactful Augment, and investing in it can leave you underpowered for the increasingly overwhelming enemy waves. Augments are essential for survival, as their stat boosts and effects are necessary to keep pace with the escalating challenges.
Gameplay Dynamics and Time Pressure
The strict time-based escalation creates dynamic runs, encouraging players to abandon the instinct to fully clear a stage and instead prioritize survival. As the difficulty indicator turns purple, it’s often better to move on rather than risk being overwhelmed. This adds tension and urgency, which pairs well with the game’s slick movement system. Dodging and weaving through attacks while collecting Augments feels engaging, especially with the freedom offered by the diverse character roster.
Progression: A Missed Opportunity
One area where Warden’s Will stumbles is in its progression system. Roguelites thrive on the allure of permanent upgrades, but here, the stat increases feel unremarkable and often skew multiplayer balance. Players who have invested the most time and accumulated the most upgrades tend to dominate, which can overshadow team contributions.
The stages themselves lack variety, mostly growing larger with minimal gameplay innovations. The process of charging four transmitters in every stage—an obvious nod to the Pillars from Risk of Rain 2—feels repetitive and uninspired. Augments, while vital, rarely feel exciting. Most offer incremental stat boosts or modest effects, like spawning missiles, but none deliver the satisfying, game-changing impact that defines the best roguelites.
Visuals and Style
Warden’s Will embraces a bold, comic book-inspired aesthetic, complete with high-contrast outlines and Ben-Day dot shading. This gives the game a distinctive and eye-catching look. However, the visual disparity between the detailed character models and the simplistic, flat-colored environments creates a jarring contrast. While the UI is clean and functional, Augment icons lack clarity, forcing players to recheck their effects frequently.
On a positive note, the character animations are fluid and stylish, adding flair to each hero's personality. With some additional polish, the visuals could truly shine as one of the game’s standout features.
Sound Design and Music
The music in Warden’s Will is a highlight, shifting from atmospheric tracks to adrenaline-pumping Rock and EDM as runs progress. This dynamic score enhances the intensity of boss fights and action sequences. While the tracks blend together in memory, they serve their purpose well during gameplay. The general sound design is serviceable but relies heavily on stock effects, which, while functional, occasionally feel out of place.
Despite its flaws, Warden’s Will shows clear potential. Its smooth movement, engaging combat, and unique visual style demonstrate the passion of its small development team. However, the game needs more time and refinement to reach its full potential. Greater variety in items, more dynamic stages, and a stronger sense of progression would significantly enhance the experience.
If you’re a fan of indie roguelites and enjoy supporting promising projects in their early stages, Warden’s Will is worth keeping on your radar. With further updates and improvements, it could evolve into something truly special. For now, it’s a game with flashes of brilliance and plenty of room to grow.
#gamereview #gameplay
WARDEN'S WILL - 1.0 Launched on January 8, 2024!
Platform: PC (Steam) Price: $14.99 USD
Link:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1689640/Wardens_Will/
Warden’s Will is a fast-paced movement shooter roguelite, playable solo or in up-to 3-player co-op. Choose your Warden, master unique movements and abilities, and overpower hordes of robots in intense battles. Fly, dash, smash, and turn bullet-hell into bullet-heaven!