Circus Electrique Preview: An Electrifying Take on Darkest Dungeon- In this Circus Electrique Preview, we are going to dive into the nuances and features of the upcoming steampunk turn-based RPG developed by Zen Studios and published by Saber Interactive. If you are searching for a comprehensive article about this tactical game, then we have got you covered! Circus Electrique will be released on August 01, 2025, via PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
Circus Electrique Preview: An Electrifying Take on Darkest Dungeon
Circus Electrique Preview - Story and Origin
Circus Electriquetakes place in an alternate version of Steampunk London in the late 1800s. It is known as the greatest show featuring unforgettable performances from the likes of Strongmen, Clowns, and Escape Artists. All is well and good until one night, the citizens of London became struck by the Maddening, suddenly transforming them into hostile and aggressive killers out for blood. What makes this circumstance even more mysterious is that the circus performers themselves seem completely unaffected, pushing them to become the heroes to determine how it all started and to ultimately save the day.
According to Zen Studios’ Creative Director and Circus Electrique Lead Writer Chris Baker, the idea behind this charming Victorian RPG started back in 2019 when a pitch about a bunch of performers set in steampunk London made the team consider the core direction behind the game. This eventually led to one idea after the other in terms of creating a product that Zen Studios themselves would like to play. One such roguelite RPG, which has made a huge impact on the team is Darkest Dungeon, leading them to plan and build Circus Electrique’s central gameplay elements around the title.
What has made Darkest Dungeon such a huge sidescroller hit years after its release is the punishing difficulty and random encounters together with hero and insanity management as you delve deeper into the haunting dungeons within. Every decision can make or break your heroes, which can result in their permanent demise. Contrary to the high difficulty spikes, Circus Electrique will not be as harsh to the players but it promises to deliver a challenging and strategic gameplay system, which we will talk about next.
Circus Electrique Preview - Gameplay Features
Revealed Classes and Skills
The unique talents of the circus heroes are what will save the city. Examples include jumping on top of enemies to reduce their movement speed, throwing a ball to reduce morale, or even playing the trumpet to improve the group’s performance in combat. There are a total of 15 classes to choose from where you can only pick 4, every time you go out on an adventure. Some of them are the Human Cannonball, Strongman, Clown, Robot Bear, Escape Artist, Balancer, Illusionist, and Fakir, to name a few.
Every class has its own Attributes, Skills, Gadgets, and Circus Act. The latter illustrates their capabilities when it comes to circus events. For instance, the Human Cannonball shoots stuffed bears rather than herself with the cannon. There is also a card indicating the happiness meter of the audience concerning the Human Cannonball’s talent as well as the other individuals in the group that she prefers to be around such as the Knife Thrower. Pairing them with someone they dislike will probably lower their morale.
Devotion System
Next is the Devotion System, which pertains to every hero’s morale. This means that if their Devotion is quite high, the chances to hit the enemy and deal significant damage will be greater. The more electrified their mana is, the higher their morale. If the character’s Devotion is low, they won’t be as effective in combat, and it can ultimately bring down the group. This is where it gets interesting. Maybe it is possible to see something similar to Darkest Dungeon’s Stress Mechanic where the morale of one circus hero can affect the morale of another, posing an added challenge in fights.
In instances when they are feeling down, buffs such as Fakir’s Meditation will help to boost Devotion by a certain percentage. Alternatively, you can craft Cola and give it to the affected character to cheer them up. Perhaps rest points will also act as a way to fully cure them, which means that someone else will be taking their place in the meantime. If the performers become too dissatisfied, however, they will leave the group. This is not as punishing compared to Darkest Dungeon in which your heroes would outright succumb to death but it is definitely something you need to keep in mind, especially if you are rooting for the survival and sanity of particular characters.
The Exploration Team
In terms of exploration, the city of London is ripe for the taking as you continue to seek out places to showcase your talents despite the Maddening. you’re able to go wherever you want but remember that you will clash against the infected Vicious such as the British Officials or Bobbies. These Londoners travel in fours, much like your group.
In the Gameplay Overview Trailer, the time of day changes the special conditions in battle except when it is daytime and the weather is beautifully sunny. I would imagine that encounters would be tougher at night when a storm is brewing. Moreover, different icons on the map indicate locations corresponding to points of interest, places for rest and recovery, and combat encounters.
Circus Management
Consistently performing in different parts of London will increase your circus’ level. You are able to choose from several events such as the House of Horror, London City Circus, or Village Roadshow. Completing them will reward you with gifts to upgrade buildings, craft more items, acquire actual consumables, and earn wages to pay your circus heroes.
When you plan an event, you need to determine who among your party of 4 will be the Main Event, Supporting Act, or Opening Act. As such, you have to carefully manage the performers you will bring along since some, like the Human Cannonball, are more capable of taking the center stage and breezing through as the Main Event than others.
In terms of upgrading the Circus Electrique, no additional details have been provided just yet. It could follow a similar path such as the ones inExpeditions: RomeorKing Arthur: Knight’s Talewhere specific resources are required to build a structure, which will then provide perks for the characters. These perks will probably elevate their circus performance and prowess in combat.
Circus Electrique Preview - Combat
Circus Electrique’s combat is tactical turn-based and from what we have seen so far, the character’s position is a strategic element for survival. Take for instance the Strongman who ideally prefers to stay in front. This allows him to execute four of his skills, one of which is the Spinebreaker to deal devastating damage. However, it is also worth considering putting him in positions 3 or 4 to use his Boomerang Skill. Just remember that moving him to the back will cost turns since changing places is not instant.
Going back, Boomerang allows the Strongman to attack multiple enemies with one hit to lower their resistance to water. The damage is not as huge as Spinebreaker but in some cases, this is better if you follow through with another skill that complements it. Conversely, in the Escape Artist’s case, she has a skill called Chain Grab that lets her move both herself and the target forward by 2 slots. This is valuable, especially if your enemy does not have decent abilities in the first two positions, preventing them from remaining effective in combat.
If you may have noticed, you may retreat from encounters but we are uncertain whether or not this will significantly lower the morale of your group similar to Darkest Dungeon. It also isn’t clear if this action is chance-based or if you can trigger it for free.
Another combat mechanic that has not yet been touched upon is permadeath. We know that our heroes can leave us, however, we don’t know what will happen to them when their HP reaches 0. Will they die or will their Devotion become so low, forcing them to run away from the party? And if so, can we still recruit the same class while exploring the streets of London? These are some of the things that we are eager to find out in less than 2 months!
Audio and Visuals
Circus Electrique features a delightfully colorful take on steampunk London with its old-school design, deceptively magical feel, as well as darker Victorian color tones, reminding us of the thematic blending in We Happy Few. It was Zen Studios' insatiable vision to create something unique rather than going for a fantasy-like theme, which led them to come up with the idea of utilizing circus performers for their next RPG. These characters have special abilities that could probably trample the Vicious with ease, provided that the right combination comes together as a cohesive group.
In terms of the audio, it has not been confirmed whether or not we will hear someone as intense as Wayne June as in Darkest Dungeon who adds to the charm, intensity, and dark ambiance of the game. Perhaps we will listen to the whimsically talented narrator from the Announce Date Trailer or from the main character, Amelia, as we piece together the puzzle behind the Maddening.
Final Thoughts
Zen Studios is aiming to forge a path of intrigue and strategy with their upcoming story-driven RPG, which is a refreshing surprise. Ever since Circus Electrique was revealed a month ago, I could not stop thinking about where the game will take me. Will it be as charming and immersive as Darkest Dungeon but with a unique twist? Will it be as nuanced in the combat department? Will the game offer a narrative that will entice players to keep on digging about the truth? Will overconfidence be a slow and insidious killer in Circus Electrique? These are just some of the burning questions that will be answered when the tactical turn-based RPG launches on June 17, 2025.
What are your thoughts on Circus Electrique so far? What other gameplay systems are you hoping to see? Let us know in the comments below! If you enjoyed thispreview, be sure to check out theSoulframe PreviewandWarhammer 40000: Rogue Trader Preview.
