I’m incredibly impressed by how much Katanaut has to offer, especially for a solo developer project. It’s an easy tagline to call it Dead Cells meets Dead Space, but it’s so much more than that. Katanaut is a fantastic action-roguelike that elegantly uses cosmic horror to intensify combat and amplify the emotions felt while playing. I hope it gets attention amidst a crowded September. It absolutely deserves it.
I really enjoyed my time with Off. The narrative design is excellent, with intriguing characters, a unique world, a great sense of humor, and dramatic twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. As a fan of Undertale, it’s amazing to see how much DNA it shares with Off, especially knowing Off’s original release happened six years prior. It certainly shows its age, especially with random encounters and dated RPG combat and systems, but interesting boss fights do just enough to keep the moments between story beats entertaining. It’s a unique RPG that I think all fans of the genre will find something in it to appreciate, and if you’re a fan of Toby Fox’s work, you absolutely owe it to yourself to check out such a vital piece of his inspiration.
Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson is far from perfect. The story is clichéd and one-note, and the combat lacks the necessary balance and depth to remain enjoyable, which is massively disappointing considering the core premise carries so much potential. That said, I still recommend giving [Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson] a try. The way it leverages music in its RPG and deckbuilder mechanics is so clever, and the environments are literally singing with charm. Ritual Studio’s inexperience may have been what holds this back from being a must-play title, but their dedication to creating a world bursting at the seams with the positive energy of music shines through, making Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson an enjoyable and worthwhile experience.
Dragon is Dead surprised me. It took the mechanics of Diablo and masterfully applied them to the action roguelike formula. The beautiful pixel art, excellent enemy designs, and the fun, frenetic combat make playing Dragon is Dead a blast. And the loot and buildcrafting kept me hooked, consistently drawing me in for one more run. I’m concerned about what the launch state might be, especially since bugs should have been ironed out during the Early Access period. I wouldn’t blame anyone for wanting to wait a bit to give PM Studios time to smooth things out. However, I’ve seen how they’ve responded to feedback during that time, and I trust that they will refine Dragon is Dead into a polished experience that I will continue to come back to for a long time.