I never played the original Elona so when I look at its sequel, Elin, there are two things that jump immediately to mind. The first is Project Zomboid, despite the lack of oppressive waves of the walking dead, and the other is Tibia, a classic MMO. Elin offers a similar in-depth permadeath experience such as that found in the former, while giving you the kind of huge, chaotic world to live in and explore as in the latter. If that sounds like something you might want to hop into, it’s out now in early access and it’s already making waves on Steam.
If you’ve hopped into roguelike games before then you might think you know what to expect in Elin, but while it’s got some of the same structure it’s a much larger, stranger experience. While you may die, restart, and try again armed with extra knowledge, it’s more like a colorful Kenshi – a game where you have the world at your fingertips, but you only get one shot at it.
There’s a truly staggering amount you’ll be able to do in Elin. This isn’t just a game about killing monsters and leveling up, there’s a whole life you can lead. Depending on the direction you choose with your adventurer, you’ll be building bases, managing towns, fishing, becoming a thief, cooking stuff, farming, and much more. It’s more akin to a life sim, albeit one where you can lose everything at a moment’s notice.
For those looking for something more adventurous, similar to the previous title there’ll be plenty of quests to get stuck into, helping you to explore a storyline that deals with the interplay between humans and the fae-like Elea. In addition, for those familiar with its 2007 predecessor, Elona, you’ll be glad to know that the development team for this sequel includes the original developer, noa.
After smashing its goals on Kickstarter, Elin has just launched into Steam Early Access. At the time of writing a staggering 94% of reviews for it are positive, so it’s definitely already landing well with fans. If you’d like to take a closer look, head over to the game’s store page to learn more.
Should you need something else in your life, our guides to the best survival games and the best RPGs will be sure to scratch that itch with some gaming goodness.
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