God of Weapons by Archmage Labs and published by Archmage Games Studio
Xbox review written by David with a copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure
Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this product from https://www.keymailer.co #keymailer #godofweaponsxbox
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
God of Weapons is a fantasy themed auto-shooter roguelike. Another entry in an increasingly common style that’s probably its own genre by now but nobody can agree on what to call it beyond “Survivors-Like” which I think is as lazy-but-accurate as calling an ARPG with strict animation-timing based combat and rest-to-reset-the-map mechanics with a typically dark theme as “Souls-Like.” It’s correct, but are we out of ways to describe these things? Probably, I’m not smart enough to figure that one out, so I’m just gonna use ‘em. The lovely part about language is that the only thing that matters is understanding, and the moment someone says “Soulslike” and “Survivorslike” we have a fair starting assumption of how the game works.
(Writer’s note: Yes, Roguelike started this way, but how many Roguelikes actually resemble Rogue beyond dying as a mechanic?)
Highest victory at the time of writing: Merchant aspect of the King
God of Weapons has twelve characters to pick from, and each character has three aspects. You start off with three characters unlocked, one aspect open on each: The Knight (Aspect: Knight), The Hunter (Aspect: Hunter), and The Raven (Aspect: Rogue). I like Rogue type characters, so I started here, and didn’t get particularly far. Dying is part of the point though, and doing so the first time is an achievement with a currency reward. I actually ended up completing my first successful run as The Hunter, going full autoshooter with it. Completing that run unlocked the Eldritch Knight aspect for The Knight, along with the ability to obtain permanent bonuses to everything from damage type to loot to starting gold just like you’d expect with a roguelike.
My favorite thing that separates this game from others like it though is the inventory management. Every level-up allows you to add additional inventory squares between completed floors. Items, both offensive, defensive, and utility, take up space in the form of those squares to match the shapes appropriate for the item itself. In general the more powerful weapons take up more, or weirder, combinations of squares. Along with the default pool available, one of the achievement/quest rewards in the game is the ability to unlock more items for that pool, of which five options pop up to buy between levels. You have to both complete the related quest and have the required currencies for these unlocks though, and roll them in the pool to use them.
Even the location of the squares on level-up is RNG with a reroll cost
My least favorite thing about the game is the total lack of context given. You start the game the first time and it just drops you in with the assumption you’ll just get it. Two options to enter a run, a door for the interior of the tower and a portal for the exterior. There’s no explanation that I’ve found for what the difference is, if any. There’s also no explanation that I’ve found for what this tower even is, or world information at all. The King is another character you can play, with its own additional aspects, as is The Warlock. There’s a tiny scrap of information in the difficulty menu, with a few named bosses, but nothing outside of that, including a readable bestiary that I’ve found.
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| That glowing red guy totally isn’t a Beholder |
Speaking of bestiaries, as much as there isn’t a list, I do absolutely appreciate the enemy variety and the fantasy it draws from. Enemy attacks vary quite well too, with higher floors including enemies that have a rush attack, or ranged. You absolutely cannot just Poe up on some proverbial garlic and AOE your way through most floors by standing still. You’ve gotta move, and you have a move speed. Enemies vary in their own move speed as well so without buffs, some of them are faster than you by default depending on character selection. A Dash mechanic is present, and careful use of it is highly recommended. Some floors include traps, and triggering them only to dash away and leave the following horde in your place to take the damage is a great tactical choice.
Maybe you can Poe a little bit as a treat
Overall, while I’m mostly a gamer for the story or worldbuilding of a piece I put my time into, I appreciate the pure value of fun and this game has it in spades. A fantastic suvivorslike with no context and all of the entertainment to make up for it.
Score: 8 / 10
