Going one-on-one with a legitimate space-like
Souls-like games are everywhere these days, as the genre has become the de facto way of explaining any challenging action adventure RPG hybrid. The absolute overwhelming majority of these games fit within the sword & sorcery realm, usually with a bit of the arcane to add some dark spices. So, it takes something different to stand out, and REALLY different to be memorable.
Like, how about a game in this genre set in space? How about a SPACE-LIKE? (I just made that up, feel free to use it). Massive Work’s Dolmen is that kind of game, mixing elements of challenging gameplay, cool sci-fi, and a lot of death — something I’m really, really good at during my demo at PAX East.
The game has been in development for a while and is finally nearing release, arriving next month to consoles and PC. PAX East is possibly the last chance to try it out before then, so my time with the demo is instrumental in formulating an early opinion. Dolmen takes place in the terrors of space, with factions battling over the namesake energy supply. The energy allows humans to play with time, adding to the erasure and re-establishment of timelines, which give a game in this genre its typical death & rebirth loop. That means that we’re meant to learn from our mistakes when we meet doom, but also to be very wary of losing the items and abilities we accumulate until we can get that loot back.
The vertical slice of the demo drops us on a ship, intent on exploring while we search for the Dolmen crystals. The game definitely leans into space horror, as creatures will jump out at us from behind crates or walls, or will suddenly attack and shift shape. As I explore the environment I meet several of them, from humanoid to beast-like, and can either take them on or try and run away as fast as possible. This particular environment is more tunnel-like than open world, so if I do run away from a battle the alien creatures will chase me for a long time until I can find a more open area to lose them in.
If I do choose to battle, I can select between a cadre of melee and range weapons, with abilities tacked on. The ranged weapons are a great addition, to be honest. Aiming and shooting a gun in this type of game feels way more familiar than something like magic in others in this genre, and actually provides an interesting bit of accessibility for someone like me who likes to cherry pick enemies if they’re giving me trouble. I switch to my melee loadout only if my ranged fire has run out, or if I need to swing away madly because I’ve added a modifier like ice or acid to the attack. Certain enemies have weaknesses to these, so playing my cards right can let the battles be a little easier.
The first enemy I come across is more or less just standing there until I attack, and the dev staff on site reiterates that the monster is meant for me to sort of practice against. I do so, learning how to dodge and strike from up close or long distance, until I finally clobber it in the end. “Straightforward and easy to digest,” I tell myself, until I open the door behind it and head to the next corridor where I get mauled by an enemy that leaps out from behind a wall of crates. Death means I restart at the beginning of the trek, and need to make it to my previous swag so that I don’t lose it. I get further and further each time, baby step by baby step, mixing attacks that are close up and far away, and learning when to use the modifier abilities. I quickly learn that tripping the ice ability gets me out of situations when an enemy has grabbed me, and the stun it leaves can almost be used to my advantage if I time it right.
And then I die, again. And again.
Each time, I again go for my loot and try to upgrade my skills, hoping to eke out just a little more exploration.
I finally make it to a boss fight in a room full of what look like cryo chambers, but only after running as fast as possible past several of the enemies that I had been spending time trying to take down. (At some point you just have to tell yourself that you’ve got what you wanted out of battling them and anything more just isn’t worth it.) The boss is a giant, because of course he is, and he manages to absolutely pulverize me. It’s a cool fight, with me trying to get up close and the dev staff yelling at me to keep my distance or else, and it ends VERY quickly, but it’s enjoyable. Especially if you like challenge and ratcheted difficulty. There’s definitely a way to beat him, but with only a half hour in a demo it’s probably going to be difficult to get the hook in that short amount of time. But that’s also why games like this are so appreciated; players love to savor the loop of death and return, loot and advancement. And we love to test ourselves, to pick at the game’s iron-like backbone until we find a loose vertebrae and can take advantage.
Going into sci-fi may very well be enough of a change to get me interested in another entry in the genre, and the additions of horror elements and a fairly straightforward and pliable weapons system manage to pique my interest far more than I had anticipated. “Space-like.” Use it. It’s free. You’re welcome.
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