2 
0 Empyreal is a single-player, action RPG dungeon crawler by Silent Games. Explore the hidden depths of an ancient monolith while gradually improving your gear and abilities to take on tougher and more challenging areas. With publishing by Secret Mode (Still Wakes the Deep), Empyreal is available now on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
Empyreal is Almost a Roguelite, Light
Even when I’m not trying to play a roguelite I seem to end up with one. At least in a slight fashion. Though Empyreal doesn’t call itself that, I could see some similarity. Besides, you had me at loot and dungeon crawler. Check out my thoughts on this new one below.
Gameplay
Empyreal is a 3rd-person, action RPG dungeon crawler. As a representative mercenary of the Company, you are sent to assist an expedition that has seemingly made no progress other than losing lives. Upon arrival and as you learn more about what the expedition is actually doing there, you begin to explore the various areas within the looming, ancient monolith. Exploring these levels for valuables, resources, and better gear are the key to deeper exploration. Abilities are unlocked by basically crafting them and are tied to each weapon type with the exception of a few.
Core Features
Cartograms are the keys needed to access the various levels in Empyreal. At the very beginning you are restricted to the Cartogram given to you until you are able to beat the boss of that Cartogram. Once you’ve completed the first two, you are then free to explore others you pick up along the way. Cartograms, once identified, provide information prior to entry about what to expect for loot, damage types, difficulty, and other useful info. The difficulty level is dynamic to be a reflection of the level of your gear. I found this to be a great way to inform the player so they can choose the right Cartogram for them at the time or with a certain build.
Of course every good RPG has character customization. Empyreal has that too – though depending on the kind of gear you end up wearing you may not even know it. It is certainly not as in-depth as some these days are but it provides plenty of customization options to suit. I don’t recall any mention of it and don’t think I have seen yet anything that lets you change features later. So choose wisely! You also get to choose a character background. But that one is less important as it just determines what your starting gear and abilities are, which you can change as soon as the first run is complete.
Weaponry
Empyreal has three weapon types – glaive, mace and shield, and cannon. Each of these provides a different playstyle along with different sets of abilities. I initially chose a character background that has a glaive. After struggling with the first Cartogram and collecting some new gear I gave the mace and shield a try and found it much more to my liking. I haven’t tried the cannon yet, but I’m sure I will at some point. As you work on or decide you want to try out different builds, an armory feature allows you to save different loadouts. This is a nice easy way to switch between weapons or damage types given the next Cartogram you want to pursue.
Core Gameplay Loop
I found similarity between the other roguelites I’ve been playing and Empyreal simply due to the “run” nature of the gameplay. Roguelites are variations of “run, loot, die, improve, repeat” and this game also has that feeling in a sense. It’s not quite as harsh in terms of difficulty as some, as you get to keep everything you loot if you can’t complete the run. I was thankful that this was the case too. I know for a fact that those first two Cartograms I spent more time on just trying to loot something better to use since I was struggling with the bosses. Thankfully with repeat runs also comes becoming more comfortable with the game and once that had come to pass, I feel like I started enjoying it more.
Gameplay is somewhat repetitive in Empyreal, but in a good way. Cartograms end up being both different and similar in nature. The basic structure and overall formation of each level is there, but with each run you are dropped into a different area within and different paths appear open to you. There are ways to get to the boss sooner in each Cartogram, but being the loot goblin I am I always found myself exploring every nook and cranny that I could get to. If nothing else it at least gives me things to sell for more money
Graphics & Audio
The graphics in Empyreal are great for the style of gameplay. Things that need to visually pop do so without taking up too much screen real estate. The levels are also fairly detailed and provide an interesting landscape to play on. I especially appreciate that the envir0nment is built to be explored and you are rewarded for doing so. The characters and gear also add to the cool visual style.
Empyreal has an audio track that is overall fairly subtle. The background music changes naturally in and outside of combat. It’s not quite as dramatic as in Clair Obscure: Expedition 33. I mostly listen more for the audio cues relating to things going on around me though. These are present and provide valuable information when necessary. The voice acting for characters thus far have also felt authentic and not forced.
Longevity
Empyreal is another game that you could easily sink hours and hours into. Between variations of potential gear, builds, and Cartograms, there’s a lot to explore not just within the levels alone. As your gear and game progresses, there is also a point where New Game+ becomes available. This brings the gear level cap from 40 to 60 for even more challenging gameplay. There’s also some indirect multiplayer features such as allowing you to mail Cartograms to friends.
Final Thoughts
Empyreal is a solid dungeon crawler with a complex and engaging core gameplay loop. It allows the player to build a character that suits their playstyle and a familiar, visible path for progression. Anyone that enjoys 3rd person ARPGs should really pick this one up.
It would be a shame to award it anything less than the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
If you enjoy this review, check out my other reviews here.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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