5 Upcoming Indies Definitely Worth Keeping on Your Radar

Shadow Warrior 2

Shadow Warrior 2 is doubling down on what made the first game a fan-favorite by adding on a bunch of new features to the fast-paced ninja gore fest.  Like the recently released Doom, it is a game that seems to seek to reinvent old-school gameplay with a light modern touch.

You’ll be running around at high speeds slicing, dicing, and shooting. New to Shadow Warrior 2 for returning players is a world that is much more open than the previous entry, and includes more fluid movement to get you there.  The demo we played at PAX East 2016 featured an open level that had no restrictions on how you could get from objective to objective. There is a ton of space in every direction, and areas are now randomly generated to keep things fresh.

Shadow Warrior was brutal, and the sequel definitely continues the gruesome tradition. You can humiliate enemies by blasting or slicing off their limbs with a ton of new weapons. I personally went with a combo that included some kind of freeze gun, followed up with a tried and true Katana to slice them up after they were slowed down.

If you’re a fan of the first, you’re probably keeping an eye on Shadow Warrior 2, but if you’re a newcomer keep this one on your radar if a gun-gameplay focused cross between Doom and PS2-era Shinobi sounds appealing to you.

Seven: The Days Long Gone

When Witcher developers get together good things have to happen right? It did get us, well, erm, The Witcher, and now newly formed studio Fool’s Theory is bringing an Assassin’s Creed gameplay inspired action RPG called Seven: The Days Long Gone. It sounds like a weird combination, but it has promise to work out really well.

Instead of traditional isometric RPG that’s rooted on the ground, Seven aims to make heavy use of vertical space as well. You’re a thief, and you’ll be able to parkour up buildings to get a bird’s eye view of areas and to lose angry targets. You see, people in general, don’t like having their stuff stolen from them.

Seven isn’t just about being a criminal though, as you’ll also be rebelling against an oppressive advanced civilization that seems intent on keeping subjects in darker ages. Seven is a RPG and you can expect to complete lots of quests (making use of the stealth and general thievery) that reveal the world’s lore and backstory. If an iso ARPG with a stealth/AC twist sounds up your alley, be sure to keep tabs on what Seven is up to this year.

Ruiner

Cyberpunk Hotline Miami. That’s the quick and easy way to describe Ruiner’s gameplay. However, it stands out on its own with its own brand of fast-paced, strategic, and punishing action.

Accurately self described as a “story-driven game created in the spirit of a cult cyberpunk anime”, Ruiner has a memorable aesthetic that is unique. At PAX East 2016, we got a small taste of its stylish dystopian lore and loved every minute of it.

The only issue for some will be that you’ll have to earn your way through Ruiner’s story because it is difficult as hell. Even the seemingly simplest of encounters requires sound strategy to get through as unscathed as possible to make future, more difficult engagements less stressful for you.

Quarters aren’t as tight as say, Hotline Miami, but it is still just as fast-paced thanks to an important dash mechanic that lets you go slo-mo to line up a perfect string of quick movements towards your foes. Slowing time isn’t so much a feature to dumb things down as it is more of a survival technique you’ll need to master to make it through difficult fights.

Ammo for your weapons is sometimes low, so you’ll have to make use of anything you can find to stay alive.  It may be super difficult at times, but Ruiner nails that addictive “one last try” gameplay.

Mirage

Remember Chivalry: Medieval Warfare? The popular medieval combat game that was most recently seen being released on PS4 and Xbox One late last year is getting a follow up of sorts, but this time, it’s ditching the middle ages in favor of fantasy rooted with an Arabian Nights aesthetic.

Melee combat is still very much an important part of Mirage, but it’s expanded on through the addition of magic. Different in-game classes can make use of various spell/weapon combinations to fill different roles throughout battle. Mirage will feature classes ranging from the heavily armored defender Vigilist class to the staff wielding, magic carpet riding mage the Entropist.

You’ll need to make use of every ability and weapon at your disposal because, as of our hands-on with Mirage back at PAX East 2016, the game’s combat is just as strategic and punishing as Chivalry. Oh, and it’s just as gory too. Expect to frequently lose limbs.

While fans of Chivalry will feel right at home with Mirage, anyone that enjoys tactical, competitive class-based games such as the currently mega-popular Overwatch, should keep Mirage on their radar.

ROKH

Mars, so hot right now. Mars. It seems like everyone from the United States government to bored billionaires such as Elon Musk are all hot and bothered about Mars these days. It won’t be long before Mars becomes an even more popular setting in video games too. Developers Nvizzio Creations is getting the jump with their Martian survival game, ROKH.

While it will probably be a while before we ever see a permanent Martian colony (unless Tony Stark–err, I mean Elon Musk–gets his way), ROKH attempts to imagine what that would be like down to even the finest details such as pressurizing rooms, making due with natural resources, and managing oxygen levels.

ROKH merges the survival and world building elements of games like Minecraft and Ark: Survival Evolved with a sci-fi setting that tries to incorporate as much realism as possible while still staying fun. We got to try ROKH recently at PAX East, and even at an early stage the gameplay is fun, and thrilling when you factor in the threat of running out of oxygen. When you land, you need to get a base up and running quick or you won’t last long. You can cooperate with other players to make it through or screw with their vital resources, and take what you need from them to survive.

Over time, developers are hoping that players will use their world to create massive Martian civilizations.  If ROKH can deliver a platform for that, it could be the yet another hit survival game. The ROKH team is currently planning for a September Early Access release.