ScourgeBringer

There seems to have been a number of brilliant Rogue-likes released in the last few months, and ScourgeBringer is among the best of them. Its retro-styled visuals may not be to everyone’s tastes, but everything moves at such a quick pace that you hardly have time to fixate on them. Besides, I think they have character. The game’s soundtrack certainly does, moving between airy, atmospheric melodies when you’re exploring, to full-on metal that will make you want to bang your head as you obliterate any enemies that stand in your way. This is a must-play for fans of the genre.

A well-crafted arcade slash 'n' dash that throws the player fewer bones than its roguelite contemporaries, with plenty of wall-running and double-jumping thrown in

Take the future of Earth into your own hands and venture into the ScourgeBringer, a mysterious floating tower full of fast-paced hack-and-slash action and enigmatic secrets. The fate of the world hangs in the balance, and not even death will stop you.

Do you ever idly put on a TV show you’ve never heard of, only to discover it’s your new favorite? And this of course, sends you into a spiral of existential dread- there’s so much stuff out there, more than you could ever experience, and some of it is inevitably going to be lost to the passing of time. That’s what playing ScourgeBringer made me feel. I’ve never heard of this platformer but playing it, I was blown away with how fluid and stylish it was.

ScourgeBringer is a roguelike platformer developed by Flying Oak Games and published by Dear Villagers. It follows a warrior girl named Kyhra as she tries to defeat the mysterious ancient machines that have driven humans from the world and tries to save humanity in the process.

ScourgeBringer has strong pixel visuals, extremely tight gameplay, and a high level of challenge. But a lack of variety limits its appeal.

All that being said, Flying Oak Games has expressed its intent to add content going forward, which may fix some of the repetitiveness. The jump in content between the Early Access version and the final release was strikingly positive. Yet even if these changes do not broaden the game's niche appeal, there is something special here for those who want a mechanical experience that can bring about a fluid, satisfying flow state. For everyone else, the game should be a blast to watch at GDQ.

ScourgeBringer manages to work on the strength of its controls and the overall smoothness of its combat. While its visual presentation can be bland when put against its contemporaries and the secluded room design of its worlds is disappointingly confining, it can scratch the itch of side-scrolling roguelike fans. The unfulfilled promise of compelling platforming hurts but leaves room to grow in the future. ScourgeBringer started life in Steam Early Access and Flying Oak Games claims that community feedback drives development, so there is a chance the game’s foundation can be expanded in the fu...

Many will argue that the roguelike genre is becoming a little bit over-saturated. As a regular player of the genre, I have to agree that it’s true. Every week it feels like a new roguelike is coming out and it can be overwhelming to keep track of. Most end up fading into the background, whilst games like Hades shine through for an incredible experience. This begs the question of where ScourgeBringer sits, and can it possibly standout in this overly-tapped genre?

ScourgeBringer is an action-packed roguelike with fast-paced high-stakes combat. It also has awesome rock music so what's not to like?

Unfortunately, that great first impression wears thin sooner than one would expect. ScourgeBringer’s scant post-apocalyptic lore feeds into its main hub area The Chiming Tree, which also functions as a list of unlockable upgrades; a “skill tree,” so to speak. These upgrades are sourced from Judge’s Blood, a premium currency accrued over each run regardless of failure. The unlocks range from the significantly impactful - say, a late-stage upgrade which starts players off with a complimentary boon selected from the previous attempt - to the mundane, like the ability to quickly teleport to comple...