Delverium (PC) Preview

After a tiny character creation sequence, the hero is thrown into the world of Delverium to do… well, whatever really. If the protagonist talks to the first available NPC, they will ask for a house so that they can offer their wares. No one will force you to talk to anyone, though. Pick a direction, and just start exploring, or stay put and start town building. While experiencing this demo this turned out to be a blessing and a curse, as there's nothing to point you to the "right" way. At the same time, this is refreshing to say the least. It's like getting to play the original The Legend of Zelda for the first time. Free on your own to explore, and discover where, what, and why.

In this procedurally generated sandbox/survival action-adventure, there's no typical starter town - you must make one! As of now it's all very simplistic to be perfectly honest. A merchant needs a house with four walls, a floor, a light source and a bed before they start their business. Providing said NPC with all these opens up their store, and one or two (at best) lines of dialogue. Throughout this small preview, NPCs were never that helpful. It's 100 times more enjoyable and rewarding to just chop down trees, collect minerals and crafting materials, and then start exploring the world with the equipment you've build.

Exploration inevitably will lead to a dungeon or cavern, and, of course, combat. Whether it's a zombie, skeleton, ghost, or flying robotic sentry that shoots purple lasers(!?), the technique is pretty much the same: hack 'n' slash until it is dead. Yes, fighting, while pleasantly simple and all-around fun, isn't exactly a special deal. The final release will definitely need something to spice things up a bit - most of all something that will differentiate each foe from the next, because right now they are basically the same thing, just with larger or smaller health pools.

Partly being a survival title, combat skills alone are far from enough. You are meant to push as long as a hostile environment lets you to, before returning to where it's possible to safely craft better equipment, and, most importantly, cook some meals that will help surviving the constant attacks from enemies in the deepest or furthest parts of the world. Cooking (and potion making) can be done by combing ingredients which were found out in the wild (or bought from the stores), but once again it's better to do it all alone. Never forget: our warrior is also a skilled farmer, and can, with a few simple button presses, plough the field, throw the seeds of their choice, use water and maybe a bit of fertiliser, and then gather corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and many more from pixely mother earth.

Delverium is simple, yet also fun, and strangely addicting. Players will constantly think to themselves how more bloody varied this could be, while also being unable to put the controller down. The best thing about it remains the fact that it is what you want it to be. In need for some exploring and swordfights with orcs, or more in the mood for some relaxing base building? Do whatever pleases you. The second best thing about this little indie gem? Co-op! Up to three additional players can join in on the fun via local split screen. Needless to say, this all makes it all much faster (and less lonesome), as some can focus on crafting, while the rest of the team can keep on exploring and gathering resources - or they can enter a dungeon together, and obligate all opposition!

This game's beauty lies in its simplicity, and that applies to the audio-visuals, with its neat, crispy pixel art style, and atmospheric music. What's available right now is not enough, however, both when it comes to its look and sound, but mostly in regards to the gameplay itself. It's in need for more; more crafting recipes, more unique equipment to find, more biomes and underground maps to explore - and maybe a light RPG progression system. All in all, keep an eye on this, as the team behind it has mentioned that the full game will have significantly more content, with quests, deeper NPC interactions, as well as a more intricate lore.

Can't wait!