Over the course of this writer’s time at Hardcore Gamer, there have been a lot of games defining themselves as different “punk” subgenres, fromsteampunktowhalepunkto even stuff like"fungipunk.“Yet, oddly, we can’t really say that we’ve seen any notable games describing themselves as “medievalpunk” yet. Until today, of course. Today, just ahead of Gamescom, Thunderful and developer Studio Fizbin unveiled Reignbreaker, a roguelike action game that as seen inthe announcement trailer at the link here,might definitely give off some vibes of the likes ofHades,but it becomes clear quite soon that the game has its own unique world that blends together a bit of the modern world with the more hardcore, gritty elements of medieval times (the era, not the restaurant).
Rob From the Rich
Reignbreaker is the story of Clef, a former child soldier that now finds herself as a grown-up rebel and anarchist, where she and her fellow rebels try and break into the Bastion, a massive fortress guarded by all sorts of weaponized and contradictory high-tech medieval machines, all guarding the riches of the kingdom’s most elite citizens. While the initial clip doesn’t showcase much of it, there will indeed apparently be a large focus on a story of rebellion in the game, with Studio Fizbin CEO Aleander Pieper saying that “Reignbreaker’s narrative is a reflection of the reemergence of right-wing authoritarianism and extreme class exploitation we see in the world.” Hence a deep focus on the “punk” part of the aesthetics as well, in addition to touches of anime, creating something rather striking.
Review: Phantom Spark
Phantom Spark’s controls and short, easily memorizable courses are a welcoming on-ramp for a beast of a racer.
A focus on narrative isn’t exactly a change of pace for Studio Fizbin, having previously been known for more graphic adventure and puzzle-based games such asMinute of IslandsandThe Inner World.Though this means that yes, a roguelike action game certainly is a notable change of pace for them. It looks like it makes a good first impression in the hack-and-slash combat area, though, especially with the main Javelin weapon, described as a weapon/lockpick combo. Different Javelins will have different abilities, including those that shoot projectlies, because why should swords get to be the only weapons that get blended together with guns? No release window has been announced for Reignbreaker yet, but consider this one to put on your radar, and we’ll keep readers updated on the game, leading up to its eventually PC release (no other platforms having been announced yet).
