We tested this video game developed in Spain, which tries to make its way in a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.
Zerouno Games presents a project that qualifies as the spiritual successor to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, the title designed by Mercury Steam. From the Fuenlabrada studio comes part of the staff that participates in the video game, but other of its creators have experience in companies such as Rockstar Games, Electronic Arts, 343 Industries, Tequilla Works or Péndulo Studios, among others. HOLMGANG: Memories of the Forgotten has started a Kickstarter campaign with which they intend to get enough funding to be able to meet the objectives that are set. The publisher has expressed her confidence in the product and has already published a first demo on Steam, which we have tested on FreeGameTips.
This is a third-person hack and slash that mixes the usual ingredients of the genre: combat, exploration, customization and solving small puzzles. Keep in mind that the project has been running for a few months, so this pre-alpha version is nothing more than a small appetizer of what the studio (or the set of developers working on the game, but we will call it study in this article) has in hand.
Battle for power
It all starts with the death of a king. Haziel of Draken succumbs and the issue of succession soon comes to blows. The monarch has a son, Hazulen, who knowing that he is in a position of weakness, rushes and sets the crown for himself. Anointed as king, he summons the demons of the First Hierarchy, which will allow him to protect his position in power. To the sovereign, all the earth under heaven belongs to him. That will initiate a contest in search of the conquest of Dracorum, which will not undertake alone. The shadows, demonic beings of darkness, will face their enemies. On the other side of the war, Princess Hazulka, Haziel's daughter, is kidnapped by the hosts of evil … and is the only survivor.
In this first demo the story unfolds through static images in comic format. At first glance, it does not give the impression that they are going to be interactive, but again, it is an initial version with a long journey ahead. What is evident is the work at an artistic level, which brings a joyful graphic section to the screen. The developers have opted for a watercolor style for the surfaces, culminating in thicker brush strokes on the edges. The intention, they say from the studio, is to reproduce the handmade painting, an objective that they have achieved.
Kandar, Tatsu and Valentia are the three main characters that we can select, although in this build we are only allowed to take control of the latter. She is a woman who wears an animal skull on her face as a mask. He carries a spear, unlike his companion Kandar, who holds an ax, or Tatsu, who is a kind of samurai. Each of the protagonists has their own abilities, but the studio has implemented a combos editor with the aim of giving the player a greater playable fan. We have not been able to test it because it is not active in this version either, so we will have to wait to discover what possibilities it brings to the gameplay.
The battle system
The demo also serves as a small contact with the ideas of these creatives, who according to their Kickstarter page, are shaping the project in their spare time. The Steam version is the first objective, but depending on the support received they will publish it on current and next generation consoles.
In the playable, the title boasts a combat system that combines attack and defense. We can defend ourselves with the spear and attack the enemy with the weapon. Light strikes are mixed with heavier attacks, which are executed by holding down the button. Combos, of course, play an important role, as does life bar management. Throughout the stages we will find chests and basins with potions that will help us cope with the situation. In addition to melee punches, Valentia launches her sharp weapons from afar. And how could it be otherwise, special abilities are also present. Also not lacking are executions, which are performed when the enemy's bar is lowered enough. Like many other video games in the genre, the option of targeting the enemy is implemented.
It is still perceived that HOLMGANG: Memories of the Forgotten lacks cooking time. It is not that it malfunctions at the controls, it is not even a question of performance (it has framerate drops, but nothing serious considering that it is a very premature version). It is reflected, for example, in the artificial intelligence of enemies, which needs more work. Of course, the different types of monsters behave differently, so that each of them has their strengths and weaknesses.
Action, RPG and puzzles. Those are the three pillars on which the video game is based. In this demo, which lasts only a few minutes, some simple puzzles are glimpsed, these consist of moving structures to form a bridge, for example. Being a first contact, a way to show potential patrons a tangible approximation of what they want to do, it is difficult to weigh what has been promised and what is already in the demo. With work, HOLMGANG can chart an upward path, but for that you need Kickstarter support.
