Many players are currently waiting for Hades 2. But a new game on Steam is also inspired by the indie hit and might be worth a look for fans. Realm of Ink has a detailed demo that allows you to check out some mechanics.
What is Realm of Ink? The game is a roguelite in the style of the indie hit Hades. Like the original, you will meet characters presented in small dialogues with character portraits. Additionally, you will receive support from gods during combat – unlike Hades, they come from Chinese mythology instead of Greek.
As in classic roguelites, each run is different. In Realm of Ink, there are various weapons, abilities, and buffs that provide variety.
The game has, as the name suggests, an ink style. Everything has black outlines, and even the characters are designed in this style.
You can take a first look at the demo trailer:
Hades, but with pets
How does the game work? Anyone who has played a lot of Hades will feel at home in Realm of Ink. The combat feels good and smooth.
Unlike Hades, you will find buffs in a run that not only affect your melee combat but also give you active abilities. You can equip up to 2 of these.
The abilities are associated with an element and influence a new mechanic that sets itself apart from Hades. You have a companion with you, which changes depending on the element combination.
The companion has a passive ability that you can play around with, but also an active one that he uses now and then. This way, you can build a strategy around your combat during a run, and you can also include the pet in your build creation.
The effects and boss abilities are simple, but nicely staged, and the pretty environment provides a pleasant look that also distinguishes itself from models like Hades.
What is known about the release? When the game will be released is still unclear, but you can currently play the demo on Steam. This offers several extended features during the Steam Next Fest:
- High-tier gems with strong skills
- High-tier pets with different abilities
- The introduction of meta-progression
- 2 difficulty levels
- A new map and an endless mode
MeinMMO author Nikolas Hernes checked out the demo of Realm of Ink and finds what he played very promising.
Perfect for the wait for Hades 2
Who should try the demo? Anyone waiting for Hades 2 should definitely check out the Steam demo of Realm of Ink. You will feel right at home. The gameplay is very similar to the game, but that is fundamentally not a bad thing. I was thrilled by the first hours and look forward to the release.
With the pets and the 3 weapons, you can already experiment with different builds in the demo. However, the dialogues between the characters do not yet convince in the demo and are hardly on par with the quality of Hades.
For a demo, the game already feels really good, and if you miss the gameplay of Hades, you can bridge the time until the sequel with Realm of Ink. How well the full game can hold up against the indie hit will be shown with the still unknown release. If you are a fan of shooters, you can also check out Project Quarantine during the Steam Next Week: New shooter on Steam is like Escape from Tarkov, with a special difference
