As Hades 2 early access rolls on, we’re seeing several other studios put their own spin on its particular brand of top-down roguelike action. Studio Fizbin, previously known for games with simple, satisfying gameplay and socially relevant narratives – I particularly enjoyed the fulfilling Say No More – has brought that design ethos to bear alongside a deeper gameplay focus in the ‘medievalpunk’ world of Reignbreaker. I sat down to try it at Gamescom 2024, and came away ready to play more.
Studio Fizbin describes Reignbreaker as an “anarchist power fantasy” led by its rebellious protagonist, Clef. A former child soldier, Clef has rebelled against the system and now fights to infiltrate the Queen’s Bastion, a stronghold guarded by a machine army where locks control everything, in order to reclaim the power held by its nefarious ruler. To do so, you’ll wield Javelins, a blend of weapon and lockpick that holds the key to unlocking the Bastion’s secrets – and lays the basis for the roguelike‘s combat.
Each Javelin brings a different set of skills to the battlefield, and you’ll take two of them with you that you can swap between on the fly. The final number isn’t yet set in stone, although Fizbin is aiming for “at least ten.” For my run, I pick up the Gatling Javelin and the Laser Javelin. Clef uses her fists for the basic attack combo, but then you can use the Javelins’ unique skills for more powerful maneuvers. Each of them has an overheat meter that fills as you attack – it’ll constantly drop back down over time, but if you cap it out you’ll be unable to use the Javelin until it cools completely.
Each Javelin has a standard skill, a placed skill, and can be thrown. The Laser Javelin has a nice circular spin attack on it, or you can stick it in the ground and it will deliver consistent pulses of damage in an area around it (helpfully, using this doesn’t prevent you from continuing to attack normally). The Gatling Javelin, meanwhile, fires off a round of shots with its normal attack or sends out longer-ranged, turret-style bursts when placed down.
Each also has a unique effect after you hurl it at a target, and these various skills are of course amplified as you unlock additional modifiers. From the design of the area I’m exploring, I can tell it’s the territory of a particular warden known as the Spearmaster. The rewards for succeeding against her are typically attuned to throwing your Javelin – I take an upgrade that gives me a bonus for perfectly timed throws, but could instead have snagged one that gave me an invincible dash during the toss.
That knowledge can help you shape your build as you progress. Once I’m aware that I have throwing-based upgrades in my future, perhaps I’ll opt to take bonuses that benefit this skill specifically. Of course, you can also expect to grow acquainted with the Queen’s wardens and loyalists much more closely as you progress – while some will be firm foes, others might soften to you over time, and perhaps you’ll even sneak in a little friendship or flirtation.
While I only got a brief hands-on, combat feels robust and the ability to carry two weapons at once is a nice trick that allows you to really consider how to best handle each situation. There’s a good variety of enemies at play here, and some can pose particular problems – for example, a series of bell-shaped foes with locks in their bodies will only stay down if you run up to them after dealing enough damage and use your Javelin to pop the lock. You’ll also encounter plenty of traps, both during the arena fights and while exploring side areas in search of upgrades, new Javelin unlocks, and shops selling temporary buffs that last for a certain number of combat encounters.
With an increasing number of games leaping into the action roguelike space, especially ones that adopt the core tenets of Hades, we’ll have to wait for the full launch of Reignbreaker to see whether it does enough to stand out from the pack. With that said, I’m always open to new contenders, and my short time with Reignbreaker certainly left me wanting to see more. For now, you can wishlist it on Steam so you’re notified when it arrives.
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