Rogue Spirit - Feature Image

Rogue Spirit: Innovation & A Lot Of Spirit – Demo Preview

I’ve been excited for Rogue Spirit ever since we covered it way back when. On paper, it sounded like an incredibly innovative and exciting roguelike. But until now I never got the chance to try it. Now that the Steam Next Fest has rolled around I finally got an opportunity to give it a shot. While on paper Rogue Spirit may have seemed like the next greatest innovation in the roguelike genre, in reality, it is so so much more.

In-game Screenshot

“The setting of Rogue Spirit has been taken full advantage of.”

Rogue Spirit is an absolutely stunning title, from head to toe. Its gorgeous setting oozes a delectable sense of wonder and fancy. Exploring even its small hub world can lead to the discovery of minute details that bring to life such a vividly beautiful world. From a glistening cascading waterfall tucked away behind an endlessly vibrant cherry blossom tree, to the swinging lanterns of a rain-soaked fortress casting a bright flickering light as the rain tumbles from the rooftops, the setting of Rogue Spirit has been taken full advantage of.

In-game Screenshot

Exploration is a lot of fun too as each time you enter a dungeon it is randomly generated. They’re sprawling, with winding corridors and back-alleyways making up the majority of the map I got to explore. The level of detail that accompanies each map is impressive too. It makes each run feel that much more immersive.

“The ability to literally become your enemy feels like the ultimate reward.”

The main innovation that Rogue Spirit brings to the roguelike genre is the ability to transform into your enemies. Your base form is that of a ghost. While in that form you can sneak around and prepare your ambushes. Your other form is a physical one and can be practically any enemy you see. There’s a huge variety to the enemy design and play styles, with each one bringing its own unique set of stats. Being able to pick and choose on the fly makes not only for great emergent gameplay, but allows for an experience-based entirely on player choice.

The designs of these creatures, as with all of Rogue Spirit, are impressive. Each enemy feels distinctly unique, and it’s not long until you’re salivating at the chance to take over their body. It adds an additional layer of reward on top of the miscellaneous items you get from dead enemies. The ability to literally become them feels like the ultimate reward.

Rogue Spirit - Gameplay
In-game Screenshot

It is a really great mechanic that’s been pulled off expertly here. This makes an otherwise outstanding game that much more unique and adds a much-needed layer of depth to an oversaturated genre. It helps too that the combat in Rogue Spirit is excellent. Each and every attack feels responsive and the corresponding animations incredibly fluid. While the ability to dash didn’t always work for whatever reason, for the most part, each combat engagement was wildly exciting.

“I am incredibly excited to play the full release of Rogue Spirit.”

Rogue Spirit is definitely one to keep your eye out for, especially if the aesthetic, setting and core concept intrigues you. Everything that they’ve promised works exactly as you’d hope, and the attention to detail in the visuals and gameplay make for an incredibly rewarding and satisfying experience. I am incredibly excited to play the full release.

Be sure to head on over to Rogue Spirit’s Steam store page to try the demo out for yourself. You can also wishlist it on Steam to be notified of any future updates.