2 minute read

Reviews of some demos I played during Next Fest: October 2024, including ANTHEM#9, Tingus Goose, Goblin Sushi, Tears of Metal and Wretch: Divine Ascent.

ANTHEM#9

The UI style of the game immediately caught my eye. I really like how the developers try to capture the vibe of the Persona series, and I think it’s a solid attempt. The game also tries to set itself apart from typical roguelike deck builders. Your deck is simple (only 3–4 cards), and your main task is to execute synergies by using gems correctly. On top of that, the visual feedback when you pull off a crazy combo is very satisfying. Overall, the game is interesting, and I’ll definitely find some time in the future to dive deeper into it.

Tingus Goose

The weirdest game I played this year—seriously weird as hell. The game is an incremental game with Factorio-like elements, which is an interesting approach. However, I don’t think it fully captures the spirit of either incremental games or Factorio-likes. It’s not incremental enough to feel satisfying, and the Factorio-style strategy isn’t deep enough to feel challenging. On top of that, the game has some performance issues, which makes rearranging everything a pain. Still, I appreciate the game’s style and theme, and I’m looking forward to seeing further iterations.

Goblin Sushi

Interesting! The game itself is relatively simple—you make sushi. I’d describe it as Balatro-like, since the game requires you to choose combinations and uses an A-multiplied-by-B scoring system. The synergies are really engaging, as you have to use ingredients under certain rules. I really enjoyed developing my ultimate salmon build and extracting money from my customers. However, the late game feels a bit flat. Eventually, all I did was keep making salmon sushi until the game ended, with very little room for new strategies.

Tears of Metal

I never thought I’d get to play an indie 無双-style game, let alone one set in a Scottish background with roguelike elements. 無双 is a subgenre of hack-and-slash games, mostly popular in Japan, where the player fights on a battlefield and clears enemies like mowing grass. This game definitely captures the 無双 vibe, which makes it really exciting. I also tried the multiplayer mode, which was quite fun. However, the roguelike aspects still need improvement—the synergies between different elements feel underdeveloped, and the available strategies are fairly shallow. Since the massive enemy scale in the late game is wild and I didn’t beat it, and the game is still very much worth trying.

Wretch: Divine Ascent

This demo was recommended to me many times, and I finally got a chance to try it. Basically, it’s an alternative take on Backpack Hero mixed with an auto battler. As a fighting game fan, watching two characters battle on screen is extremely satisfying. The backpack-arranging mechanic is surprisingly fun, and there are many strategies and builds you can experiment with. Creating different combos, setting up equipment, and arranging positions for bonus effects all feel very solid. The demo also features a large roster of playable characters, which is impressive. I’m really looking forward to the full release.

Updated:

Comments