Long ago, a mysterious object arrived and wreaked havoc upon the planet. No one knows where it came from, but this vessel is called the ScourgeBringer. Its weapons and horrible beasts have wrought death and devastation across the globe. Many have tried to stop it from within and all have failed. Until you arrived.
From Dear Villagers and Flying Oak Games comes their latest creation for PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. ScourgeBringer is an action roguelike that includes platforming and hack ‘n slash mechanics. This follow-up to 2017’s amazing twin-stick roguelike Neurovoider is perhaps one of the best action and roguelike games of the year.
Premise
ScourgeBringer puts players in the shoes of a lone warrior. Your only hope for a better future is to enter the ScourgeBringer, defeat its guardians, and destroy the entire structure. However, the machine reshapes itself, introducing different enemies and layouts every time. Our warrior is skilled in both long and short-range combat and quite swift. Players drive deep into the ScourgeBringer, unlocking its mysteries to rescue what is left of the human race.
ScourgeBringer provides strong feedback and impressive visual construction. Thick, organic enemies are lively against the dark, strange backdrop of caverns and temples. To players, the warrior is a small, yet vicious blur of white and orange that explodes in a flurry of effects. It’s a haunting and mysterious atmosphere, coupled with an equally mysterious soundtrack.
Gameplay
Scourgebringer effectively sets the mood and the gameplay is immeasurably satisfying. The mechanics and controls are tightly knit, with easy and instant input. Players jump, shoot, and slice their way through enemies, but the enemies of course put up a fight. The music amplifies the frantic and chaotic action while the challenges demand that players to think on their feet. A tap of the SMASH attack will block and deflect enemy bullets when upgraded. However, timing is critical, given yours and your enemies’ speed. Players otherwise use ground slams, aerial attacks, machine guns, and special flurry attacks to cleave through the enemy. The best players will use the entire chamber to their advantage, jumping and slicing at enemies while avoiding the traps placed in each level.
Each section of the ScourgeBringer is divided by multiple chambers. The goal is to find the enemy containing the key, which is essentially a mid-boss, then locate the Guardian’s chamber and defeat its occupant. Destroying enemies rewards players with blood cells, the game’s currency. Blood can be used to purchase items from the dealer, who is randomly placed in each section. There is also a vendor willing to trade items for life points and the risk sometimes pays off. Players can make a beeline for the Guardian chamber, but exploration is encouraged to gain more blood, weapons, and items. Furthermore Guardian blood can upgrade your character’s attributes. When players die, they are teleported to a pocket dimension filled with an upgrade tree and an old hermit that has been locked away there. Using the Guardian blood to water the tree, players can level up the character, unlocking new abilities.
What It Does Right As A Roguelike
ScourgeBringer nails one of the more elusive aspects in games: the “one more time” hook. There are plenty of roguelikes like a can of soda once its opened. They’re great at first, but eventually grow flat. Other roguelikes likewise punish the player at the start and it’s through sheer grinding that players gain any sense of progress or accomplishment.
ScourgeBringer recognizes and does away with both issues. This roguelike encourages players to fight their best, yet also encourages them to keep going. I found myself dying often at the beginning, but growing stronger and sharper for it. Before I knew it, I had leveled my character significantly and remarked at how strong they had become. ScourgeBringer is firm, but fair. Challenging, but enjoyable. Things that we need more of in today’s roguelikes. I’d strongly recommend ScourgeBringer to those unfamiliar with the genre who wish to give them a whirl.
Overall
ScourgeBringer‘s combat is exciting, fast-paced, and always leaves you white knuckled. It responds to every input with remarkable speed and accuracy. Each foe is a challenge and each Guardian has their own strategy you must learn and master. Coupled with the strong soundtrack by Joonas Turner, who composed the music for Nuclear Throne, there is a strong sense of urgency and ferocious action, turning each encounter into a true struggle of life and death. It’s remarkable, exciting, and truly distinct from similar titles. This synthesis of style and action is what drew me to ScourgeBringer’s predecessor, Neurovoider in the first place. Neurovoider‘s action and soundtrack were excellent and the entire package was accessible to new players while allowing fine mastery of the controls. ScourgeBringer easily follows suit and delivers on its forefather’s legacy.
ScourgeBringer is a true gem in an ocean. It will be compared to roguelikes such as Hades, and perhaps negatively, but I encourage players to pick up a copy. ScourgeBringer’s lore, combat, immersive atmosphere, and extremely tight controls make this action roguelike a winner. It is only too evident the passion, heart, enthusiasm, and love for the craft that went into this. It is an excellent action experience and those with a Nintendo Switch should not miss it. ScourgeBringer brings a hell of an experience and carves it’s place as one of 2020’s best games.
ScourgeBringer was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch thanks to a key generously supplied to Marooner’s Rock by Dear Villagers
