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0 Wildkeepers Rising is a horde survivor meets bullet hell, meets creature collector by Lioncode Games. A roguelite set in a hand-drawn world, free Guardians to help fight back against attacking hordes. The game just recently went into early access and is available on Steam.
A Unique Blend of Genres
If it wasn’t obvious by now, I seem to be playing various roguelites often lately. From the most recent bullet hell, Odinfall, to the more survival-like Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel. Each thus far, including Wildkeepers Rising, has thankfully been unique in its own way to keep things interesting. Anyone else play variations on the same genre of games to keep things more interesting? Check out my thoughts on the game’s current build below.
Gameplay
Wildkeepers Rising is a game that combines several different ideas into one roguelite experience. Creature collecting, bullet hell, and survival-like gameplay mechanics are all present. Finding a balance and synergy between your creatures’ special abilities and the sigils you equip will drive your completion of each run. However, specific creatures and sigils aren’t guaranteed from run to run, so strategizing on the spot also becomes important.
There seem to be a couple of discrepancies from what I would describe as a true creature collector and Wildkeepers Rising. First, the number of creatures isn’t as high as what comes to mind. Collecting consists of selecting the specific mission that unlocks a specific guardian rather than discovering them out in the wild. The game also provides guardians per run through randomization of drops on the map. It makes it a little harder to strategize ahead when you aren’t sure what you’ll get.
I also feel the bullet hell or bullet heaven tag may not be quite appropriate for Wildkeepers Rising. Those looking to play the game will be overcome with an expectation of high intensity, chaotic fighting right out of the gate. However, the game only ramps up the number of swarming monsters and movement initially is quite slow, so that it just feels overwhelming rather than exciting. I did find that the longer I spent with the game obtaining upgrades, and the more I understood how experience, sigils, and the creature powers worked in tandem, the more I began enjoying it. But any players coming with that expectation of intensity will be quickly turned off by the initial pacing.
Graphics & Audio
Another unique feature of Wildkeepers Rising is the hand-drawn art style. With many survivors-like games sticking to pixel or 8-bit, this style easily makes the game stand out visually. I especially appreciate the flowing mustache on the Chief Aldric character. These small details bring out that much more of the character through the art. I did play this game on both my PC and my Steam Deck, and both perform well at default settings.
The audio track in Wildkeepers Rising suits the artwork well. The hub village has a calm, soothing music track. Music out in the wilds also fits the Eastern/Oriental theme present in the game. I didn’t note anything specific beyond that, other than the various monster and creature noises are about what you would expect.
Longevity
The different levels to which states enter early access are an interesting study. Wildkeepers Rising has a potent amount of content as it stands now, with the current guardians, missions, and quests, with more already on the roadmap. Not to mention the difficulty levels and achievements, too. Lioncode Games initially expects the game to be in early access for a few months. This depends on how much polish is complete after player feedback. At the end of the day, you’ll sink hours into this that make it well worth your time. It just may take a deeper understanding than you expect.
Final Thoughts
Wildkeepers Rising is a complex variation of the horde survivor and bullet hell genres. I would argue that having the bullet hell tag may bring gamers with different expectations. But it is a fun blend that is easy to pick up and sink some time into. If you’re into collecting critters while unleashing upon hordes of monsters, this may be right up your alley.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this preview.
If you enjoyed this preview, be sure to check out my other reviews here.
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