Conan Chop Chop Articles RSS Feed | GameSkinny.com Conan Chop Chop RSS Feed on GameSkinny.com https://www.gameskinny.com/ en Launch Media Network Conan Chop Chop Review: An Adventure of Highs and Lows https://www.gameskinny.com/toe0r/conan-chop-chop-review-an-adventure-of-highs-and-lows https://www.gameskinny.com/toe0r/conan-chop-chop-review-an-adventure-of-highs-and-lows Thu, 10 Mar 2022 12:14:07 -0500 Joshua Robin

After the surprise success of Conan Exiles, the Conan the Barbarian series has returned to the realm of video games with Conan Chop Chop. This entry, developed by Mighty Kingdom, is a 2D roguelike with a comedic tone, set up from the beginning by an introductory cutscene with a few charming, if not obvious, jokes.

That lighthearted throughline continues with the art style. It's reminiscent of the same style used by the webcomic Cyanide and Happiness, where each character has stick figure arms and legs but blocky torsos and heads. Playing Conan Chop Chop looks like you’re hacking and slashing your way through a Conan-themed version of the comic strip.

Despite being derivative everything looks nice and is readable. Enemies are always visible, and it’s clear when they’re about to attack. Similar to the visuals, the music is enjoyable as well, fading into the background and swelling when needed to give the sense of adventure through exploration and combat.

Beyond that, Conan Chop Chop is an adventure of highs and lows that feels like a game running in place. Its characters serve it well and combat is fun when it works, but other parts still need some work.

Conan Chop Chop Review: An Adventure of Highs and Lows

The story begins with Thoth-Amon failing to fully revive Xaltotun. Thoth’s ritual only restores half of Xaltotun, so he concocts a plan to start a competition of strength that will lure Conan and friends to their lair. Once the heroes arrive, Thoth-Amon plans to use one of their bodies to completely revive Xaltotun.

To reach Thoth-Amon's lair, you, and potentially up to three co-op partners, travel through the world of Hyboria exploring forests, deserts, tundras, and a volcano. Each area is made up of challenge rooms strung together, where entering one room locks you into that room until all enemies are defeated.

Once the enemies are gone, there are (most likely) multiple routes to choose from. Only one route leads to the area’s dungeon and the boss. Mighty Kingdom graciously marks the dungeon route by highlighting it a different color, so if you want to head straight to the boss, you can.

Hyboria itself is randomly generated. Starting a new run remixes everything from the route to the dungeon, the challenge rooms along the way, and all the loot found in those rooms, though it never truly changes how you play. Each of the enemy rooms never asks you to play differently or looks all that different from other rooms. There are different enemies with mildly different attack patterns, but they can all be finished the same way; whether an enemy attacks once or in a two-hit combo doesn't really matter. So a greater variety in enemy types would have lessened that feeling of familiarity.

The lack of enemy variety is especially disappointing since combat is interesting. Conan Chop Chop plays like a twin-stick brawler where melee attacks are bound on the right analog stick. Holding that stick in any direction has your character attack repeatedly in that direction. The combat is very aggressive with a focus on effective movement. Using your three tools — a shield, a roll, and an i-frame ultimate ability — to dodge enemy attacks while also pumping out constant damage is very satisfying. 

The four playable characters all have unique strengths that rely on their various abilities. Conan and Valeria both favor swords, but Valeria is more focused on moving around the battlefield with a large number of dashes while Conan focuses more on getting close to enemies. Pallantides is the slowest character, who depends more on parrying. Bêlit makes the most use of bows and is focused on constant movement to keep distance.

Each character manages to feel unique despite having the same tools at their disposal. Unfortunately, after multiple runs of the same structure and with the same character abilities, things still feel repetitive.

This feeling of repetition is alleviated somewhat by Conan Chop Chop's loot and progression systems. You can level up your characters with experience points gained in each run. After a run ends, your level increases and earns you points to be spent on intrinsic buffs or new skills.

These change how each character interacts with the battlefield and enemies. Bêlit gains increased movement speed after doing damage with her bow, for example. These buffs are all permanent across every run once unlocked, giving a sense of progress between runs. 

The loot found in chests or purchased in town can be one of four categories: Charms, Weapons, Armor, or Shields. These all have different stats and attributes that change how you might approach combat. A specific shield will spawn fire tornados by parrying or a certain charm can let you spawn allies by using your bow. These have the chance to create micro-adjustments that ask you to try parrying or using the bow more, but the amount these attributes change the flow of combat is pretty low. Generally, success comes from using all the tools at your disposal, not just one.

Conan Chop Chop already has playerbase problems. It heavily emphasizes its co-op nature from the character selection screen, from always showing slots for other players to a few charms only being viable in a party. Unfortunately, multiplayer isn't really an option. People aren’t using online matchmaking.

Even in what should be peak hours, there were too many times I went online trying to find another player and just found nothing. When I did find someone to actually test the online multiplayer, it worked well. Performance was solid. Gold picked up by one player earns gold for the whole party. Enemy health is scaled to the number of players. Players can still start Chop Chop solo; however, playing it that way feels like a four-course meal missing a course.

Conan Chop Chop Review — The Bottom Line

Pros:

  • Each character feels unique.
  • Combat is satisfying when everything clicks.
  • Art style and writing work well together to create a lighthearted tone.

Cons:

  • Online matchmaking playerbase is low.
  • Loot doesn’t affect gameplay enough
  • Fighting the same enemies becomes repetitive.

Conan Chop Chop is a conflicting game to play. For every clever or charming idea, there’s another idea that doesn't pan out or isn't implemented ideally, making the whole experience uneven. That, combined with multiplayer mostly being an option only if you know people already playing, makes Conan Chop Chop more disappointing than fun.

[Note: Mighty Kingdom provided the copy of Conan Chop Chop used for this review.]

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Conan Chop Chop Sheaths Its Sword for a Little While Longer https://www.gameskinny.com/4jrbs/conan-chop-chop-sheaths-its-sword-for-a-little-while-longer https://www.gameskinny.com/4jrbs/conan-chop-chop-sheaths-its-sword-for-a-little-while-longer Wed, 12 Feb 2020 16:00:26 -0500 GS_Staff

What began as an April Fool's joke satirizing roguelikes and the universe of Conan: The Barbarian became an honest-to-goodness game from Mighty Kingdom and Funcom. But what was once funny is slowly turning into a shaggy-dog story for those patiently awaiting Conan Chop Chop's release. 

According to Funcom, the game has been delayed. Again. This time without a firm release date.

Conan Chop Chop was originally slated to release in September 2019 for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, but it was delayed to February 25 of this year. Now it seems Conan Chop Chop won't release until the nebulous "Q2 2020." 

Mighty Kingdom CEO, Philip Mayes, says that the delay is meant to help the development team put the finishing touches on the game's multiplayer. Since Conan Chop Chop is a game for one to four players, and Mayes says online multiplayer needs to be just right. 

We are almost at the finish line. The additional time is to ensure that the game is optimized for online multiplayer, and to give us a chance to add some polish here and there. It’s basically all about getting that final Chop in place. This isn’t merely a one-chop game. This is Conan Chop Chop, and that necessitates extra attention to detail.

Conan Chop Chop joins a growing laundry list of games seeing delays in 2020. Earlier this year, CD Projekt Red delayed Cyberpunk 2077 for further playtesting and polishing, and just before that the Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Marvel's Avengers were delayed by Square-Enix. 

In January, we were lucky enough to get our hands on a preview build of Conan Chop Chop, and while it might not live forever, it is a fun co-op experience. Our full impressions can be seen here, where we said: 

It's a goofy little couch co-op game that will definitely provide you and your friends with some mindless entertainment. If developer Mighty Kingdom is able to provide some support for the game and help beef up how much the player can do, then Conan Chop Chop has the chance to become something special.

Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more on Conan Chop Chop as it develops. Hopefully, it won't be news of further delays. 

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Conan Chop Chop Early Access Impressions: See Them Driven Before You https://www.gameskinny.com/ay6tg/conan-chop-chop-early-access-impressions-see-them-driven-before-you https://www.gameskinny.com/ay6tg/conan-chop-chop-early-access-impressions-see-them-driven-before-you Fri, 10 Jan 2020 14:09:00 -0500 Jordan Baranowski

Conan Chop Chop is a quirky, odd beast. It's a roguelite that plays like a combination of Castle Crashers and the original Legend of Zelda, but it has an art style reminiscent of the webcomic Cyanide and Happiness. Despite its cute aesthetic, Conan Chop Chop is also set in the world of Conan the Barbarian. Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, etc., etc.

Conan Chop Chop started out as an April Fool's joke and eventually evolved into a full-blown game. It sets out to press all of the same buttons as your favorite arcade brawlers. Here's what we think of the game as it moves toward its late-February release.

Slice and Dice

Here's how Conan Chop Chop plays out so far: the evil wizard Thoth-Amon summons a demon, and Conan (and friends!) have to stop it. You and up to three friends take control of these characters and run around an overhead map. You kill enemies with swords, axes, and spears, collecting treasure, and eventually make your way through some bosses before squaring off against the big bad.

If you die, you restart, possibly unlocking new weapons, armor, and skills that you'll be able to pick up in your next run. It's fast and breezy. It's also surprisingly difficult, at least on single-player.

In multiplayer, when someone's health hits zero, they drop all of their treasure and lie there until another player revives them. This can bring about a pretty fun metagame of trying to halfheartedly screw over your teammates so they get knocked out, allowing you to pick up their treasure before resuscitating them. Just know they'll be looking to do the same thing before long.

In single-player, you're done when your health hits zero. Some enemies have lightning-fast attacks and, if you get swarmed, death can come swiftly. Once you've figured out the game's combat a bit (and lucked into a decent starting weapon), things will start to fall into place.

The Art of Combat

For as simple as it looks, there's some pretty solid nuance to the combat in Conan Chop Chop. You have an overhead view of each screen, and you move between screens like you would in Legend of Zelda. You can only attack to the left or right, but you can angle your attacks up or down. Doing so essentially gives you six different attack angles. It is frustrating not being able to attack directly up or down, but them's the breaks.

You also have some sub-weapons at your disposal, like bows and bombs, and you can learn a few special moves and combos. Finally, you can also equip a few charms to give your character special abilities. You can set enemies on fire, resist poison, increase how much treasure you earn, and so forth.

Essentially, there are a lot of small ways to customize how you play Conan Chop Chop, adding up to big changes in style. This makes the multiplayer even more interesting  when these choices get multiplied across several players.

Running the Gauntlet

In order to get the chance to take down Thoth-Amon, you first have to set out across several different zones and defeat the bosses there first. You'll traverse through procedurally generated maps, searching for different dungeons. Each dungeon houses a giant, dangerous foe and a special artifact to collect that will help you advance through the next area.

You'll be able to fast travel between the central hub town and all of these dungeons, so you can always equip yourself with new gear and get more potions, for example, before delving in.

In general, bosses aren't terribly difficult. They hit hard and take up a lot of real estate, but a little bit of sitting back and playing defense will usually give you all the info you need to take them down. Block and dodge until you figure out how they move, then go in for the kill.

Bosses are even easier if you manage to find — or luck into starting with — a strong weapon. Every time you die, you start the next run with a random piece of upgraded equipment. On one run, I started with an incredibly powerful sword that killed almost every enemy I encountered in a single hit. Bosses were shredded almost instantly, and I had no need to play defense at all.

Conan Chop Chop is still in early access, but it seems likely that some of these balance issues will get ironed out before the game's full release. They certainly need to, because that's where its biggest problems are.

Hear the Lamentation of the Women

When a game features "die and go back to the beginning" as one of its primary elements, it's going to have a tough tightrope to walk. Since you'll be playing through the beginning a lot, it needs to be challenging, fun, and interesting right off the bat. Conan Chop Chop doesn't quite walk that tightrope gracefully.

The difficulty varies wildly depending on the type of weapons available to you at the beginning of each run. Starting with the sword that obliterates everything in a single hit makes the start of the run boring, but starting with a weapon that requires five or more hits just to destroy an inanimate object leads to tedium.

As it stands, this is really only an issue you face in single-player, but Conan Chop Chop also isn't really optimized yet for multiplayer.

The game is definitely designed to be a couch co-op game, which is perfectly fine. Gathering a group of friends to sit around and bash enemies into pulp is always a blast, but it's also not always feasible. The game was delayed to allow for full online cooperative play, but that option is not available at this point in time. On Steam, you can use the Remote Play option, but that comes with its own set of technical hangups.

If online multiplayer is a must, you may want to wait a bit to pick this one up. It is something the developers have said is on the way, however.

Slap Chop

There's a lot of charm to Conan Chop Chop, but I'm not sure that charm can carry over in the long term. It's a fun little diversion, watching these cute little figures lay waste to hordes of monsters. Venturing through the wilderness with a powerful weapon to collect treasure is a tried and true video game staple for a reason. But the game's world randomization just rearranges where objects are placed; the game itself rarely changes, and there doesn't appear to be a huge push to alter that aspect.

That said, Conan Chop Chop still has about a month and a half to go until its full release. It's a goofy little couch co-op game that will definitely provide you and your friends with some mindless entertainment. If developer Mighty Kingdom is able to provide some support for the game and help beef up how much the player can do, then Conan Chop Chop has the chance to become something special.

[Note: Mighty Kingdom provided a preview copy of Conan Chop Chop for the purpose of this early impressions article.]

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E3 2019: Highlights From the PC Gaming Show https://www.gameskinny.com/z5tcg/e3-2019-highlights-from-the-pc-gaming-show https://www.gameskinny.com/z5tcg/e3-2019-highlights-from-the-pc-gaming-show Mon, 10 Jun 2019 16:48:47 -0400 GS_Staff

As expected, the PC Gaming Show at E3 2019 showed some truly fantastic upcoming games. From Evil Genius 2 to Conan Chop Chop (yeah, it's not fake), to Vampire the Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, Shenmue 3, and Auto Chess, there was a little bit for everyone. 

While we don't cover every single announcement below, you'll find the highlights from the show. 

Evil Genius 2


Those well-versed in Steam sales are more than familiar with at least the name Evil Genius, since it's been a staple of Steam sales for over a decade and has been tasking players with running an evil empire since 2004. The game is finally getting a sequel from developer Rebellion, which served as the publisher for the first title.

Payers have until sometime in 2020 until Evil Genius 2 makes its way to PC; that's plenty of time to learn how to be properly diabolical.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2


One of the most hotly-anticipated games of 2020 got even more screentime during the PC gaming conference this E3, further emphasizing that yes, it's back and better than ever.

You're going to play Malkavian, aren't you? Yeah, you know you are. Look for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 in March of 2020.

Starmancer


If you say a game is like Dwarf Fortress is space, it better actually be like Dwarf Fortress in space, and not akin to the already established and amazing Rimworld.

From publisher Chucklefish comes a fresh spin on the management and strategy genre in Starmancer, featuring an isometric view and what appears to be a vast amount of customization for player bases. Those interested can pre-order to get into the upcoming beta now.

Planet Zoo


If you thought the folks over at Frontier Developments did the classic RollerCoaster Tycoon legacy justice, you may be elated to find the developer is returning to another familiar setting: zoo management.

Zoo Tycoon may be pretty much dead, but Planet Zoo is coming to fill that gap in your strategy-searching heart. The animals simply look fantastic, and if Planet Coaster is any indication of the quality here, we're in for a great time.

Look for Planet Zoo on PC on November 5 of this year.

Auto Chess


In a move that surprised many and... I'll keep it to myself...

Yes, Auto Chess is that Auto Chess, the custom mode in Dota 2 that's been taking the game by storm and has now spawned a League knockoff.

This Auto Chess is by the very same developers who made Dota Auto Chess, officially separating the franchise from DotA and even moving over to the Epic Game Store. It's also a mobile port. It smarts a bit, not even going to lie.

Terraria: Journey's End


Did you think Terraria was dead? Haha, silly mortal! Terraria will never die!

Okay, it will die eventually. But that day is not this day, and it's not this year, either. The next update for the game, titled Journey's End, isn't the game's last update, but it does promise to be one of the biggest it's seen yet and that's really saying something.

Journey's End will be bringing tons of new items, weather conditions, a new super hardcore Master difficulty level, and even more to the classic sandbox that should definitely be in your Steam library by now.

Chivalry 2

Chivalry: Medieval Warfare released in 2012 on the PC, before making its way to consoles in 2014 with the Xbox 360 and 2015 with the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Fans of the series have been awaiting a sequel to the first-person medieval melee for some time. 

Now we know that Chivalry 2 is in the works. It is set for release in "early" 2020 for the PC. It is being developed by Torn Banner Studios in conjunction with Tripwire Interactive. It was not announced if the game would be making its way to console. 

The trailer above is all about beheadings, limb-severing, and body maiming. The developers mentioned that the game would have the iconic Battle of the Bastards, first seen in Season 6, episode 9 of Game of Thrones. However, they did not provide further details. 

Zombie Army 4: Dead War 

Rebellion's Zombie Army subseries began in 2013 as a spinoff of the niche but popular Sniper Elite series. Each of the Zombie games provides an alternate World War II timeline, one where the Third Reich raises an army of the dead to lay waste to The Allies, and all of Europe. 

Dead War is set to release on the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2020. It will be an Epic Games exclusive when it launches. There was no confirmation if such exclusivity would be timed or not. Rebellion said actual gameplay would be shown at E3 on June 11. 

Zombie Army 4 looks to carry the torch from previous games in the subseries. Featuring frenetic online co-op gameplay for up to four players, there will be plenty of hordes to eviscerate, plenty of traps to lay, and flamethrower zombies to outsmart. Rebellion said there will be ways to enhance weaponry, dozens of skills, special attacks, cosmetic items, and more. 

Of course, the series' beloved X-ray kill cam will make a return as players travel "across Italy and beyond."

Shenmue 3

We already knew Shenmue 3 would be releasing later this year, although it would be later than expected because of yet another delay. During the PC Gamer Show, the long-awaited game was confirmed for a November 19 release (unless there's another delay). 

In a trailer all about glorious kung-fu training and beating up bad guys, it was also confirmed that the game would be exclusive to the Epic Games Store when it releases. 

Thankfully, the game looks like a proper sequel to Shenmue and Shenmue 2, even down to the crappy (yet endearing) voice acting and classic Shenmue style. Unfortunately, no forklifts are shown in the trailer. 

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Versus

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is one of the best first-person melee games currently on the PC, standing tall alongside Chivalry and Mordhau. Slicing and dicing Skaven and members of the Chaos army with pals is a joyous experience. The game does well to capture the Warhammer universe and has received overall positive reviews since releasing on PC in 2018. 

Now those that want to slice and dice each other will get the chance. Vermintide 2: Versus will be a 4v4 asymmetric PvP mode for Vermintide 2. It currently does not have a release date, but we can't wait to play a Skaven wielding a mini-gun. 

In a release about the mode, Martin Wahlund, CEO of Fatshark said: 

The player has always been the hero of the game, but in the Versus mode, players will now be able to play as the enemy factions. Versus is a competitive game mode where two separate teams of four players take turns playing as the enemies and heroes.

Maneater

Coming from Tripwire Interactive, Maneater might be the "shaRkPG" you didn't know you always wanted. While this isn't the first time we've seen footage of the game, the trailer is some of the first footage we've seen of the game's villain, Scaly Pete. 

Full of completely insane sharkery, the game's PC Gaming Show trailer featured lots of explosions, lots of fast swimming, and lots of maneating. Taking place of the Gulf Coast of the United States, Maneater follows a shark growing from baby to beast on a journey of revenge. Just so happens Scaly Pete is also on a reality television show called Shark Hunters vs. Maneaters

Tripwire Interactive will show more gameplay behind closed doors at E3. However, TI President and Co-Owner John Gibson did provide some details about the game. He said that Maneater is like "GTA if you were a shark."

The game will feature progression systems and life phase evolutions. Players will gain XP to level up and grow more powerful, they will increase their power and capability, and they will unlock evolutions like "metallic teeth to shred boats" or mutated lungs. 

The game does not currently have a release date, but it appears it will also be exclusive to the Epic Games Store at launch. 

Conan Chop Chop

What began as an April Fool's joke has, as in the past, now become a reality. Roguelike Conan Chop Chop is currently (for real) in development by Mighty Kingdom and published by Funcom. 

It will release on September 3 for the PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Set in the world of Conan: The Barbarian, Conan Chop Chop can be played alone or with up to three friends. 

The developer calls say that it is "the most epic and realistic stick figure game ever to be set in the world of Conan the Barbarian, thus there will be an excessive amount of gore and flying limbs."

Although characters aside from Conan were not confirmed, the developers also said that there would be "a diverse case of badass warrior gods" players would be able to use. 

Mosaic

What initially looked like a commercial for a mobile game turned out to be a trailer for the upcoming adventure game Mosaic. Although the BlipBlop game played by a character in the trailer above is currently out on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, Mosaic itself doesn't currently have a firm release date.

All we know is that it will release sometime in 2019, and that it will be available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. 

Mosaic is a surreal adventure game set in a dark, "cold" city. Aesthetically, it resembles games like Limbo and Orwell. It is developed by Krillbite, the same studio behind Among the Sleep. It also looks to take inspiration from certain episodes of Black Mirror, such as Season 1, Episode 3's Nosedive. 

Midnight Ghost Hunt

Coming from Vaulted Sky Games and Coffee Stain Studios, Midnight Ghost Hunt is a 4v4 ghost hunting game featuring ghosts and ghostbusters.

The game features what appears to be fast-paced first-person action, where those playing as ghosts seem to be able to enter a third-person perspective and traverse the environment. 

Ghost hunters have until midnight to "find and destroy" all of the ghosts lest those ghosts return as vengeful spirits and attack them. 

The game does not currently have a release date, although those interested can sign up for the alpha here

Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer's Legacy

The original Unexplored released in 2017. The indie RPG roguelite has garnered very positive overall reviews on Steam in that time. In 2018, the game released on the Nintendo Switch. 

Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer's Legacy takes what players loved in the original and increases it across the board. Instead of slinking through dungeons and the underground, Unexplored 2 takes things to the surface. The art style has also changed to implement more 3D elements, as seen in the trailer above. 

The game's new Legacy system also means more progression this time around as worlds can be begun anew after dying, or players can choose to keep exploring previously explored worlds. 

It is set to launch in 2020. 

The Lost Oasis

The Lost Oasis is an upcoming MMO developed and published by Donkey Crew. Set in the post, post-apocalypse, players find themselves vying for control of an arid landscape. 

In the game, players build walking, mobile bases, which allow them to battle other players and clans, lay siege to encampments, harvest resources, and much more. It features hefty building mechanics and myriad ways to initiate combat, from close-quarters melee to long-distance barrages. 

The Lost Oasis is set to release into Early Access on July 15 on PC. It plans to fully launch on the platform on September 3. 

Age of Wonders: Planetfall

It's likely that strategy and 4X players already know about Age of Wonders: Planetfall. Developed by Paradox Interactive, the game was first revealed some time ago. It was originally set for release in 2017. 

While previous Age of Wonders titles are exclusively set in a fantasy world, Planetfall features a sci-fi setting. The game will reportedly feature six factions when it launches on August 6 of this year for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. 

Players will scavenge for resources on procedurally generated maps, all while battling hostile factions and vying for land. 

Remnant: From the Ashes

Battling an ancient, multi-dimensional evil, Remnant: From the Ashes is a post-apocalyptic third-person shooter from the same developers behind Darksiders 3. From the looks of it, players are poised to go up against some truly ghastly beasts and Lovecraftian horrors. 

Remnant: From the Ashes is set to release on August 20 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

It can be played solo or with two other players. The game's worlds are "dynamically generated," according to the developers. It will also feature "heavy replayability," with the game scaling to match player progress over time. 

Griftlands

As noted during the PC Gaming Show, Griftlands has undergone some rather significant changes since it was first announced. At one point, some even thought that the game had been canceled, with some even inquiring about the game's state on its official forums as recently as May 30. 

However, the game is still alive. However, the game looks a tad different than it did before. Now, the game revolves around a single-player deck-building experience. According to the Klei, the game's developers, "You play the game as one of three characters, and each decision you make is important — which jobs to take, which side to choose, and which cards to collect."

The game is scheduled to release in alpha on July 11, with an Early Access release in June 2020. 

Songs of Conquest

To some, Songs of Conquest might look like Heroes of Might and Magic. That's because developer Lavapotion was heavily inspired by the franchise while creating Songs of Conquest

Featuring beautiful pixel-art graphics and an old-school aesthetic, SoC presents a fantastically realized fantasy world. 

The turn-based adventure strategy game is set to release on the PC at a currently-unknown date, potentially "late 2020." PLayers can currently sign up for the game's alpha here

Per Aspera

Base-building strategy game Per Aspera is being developed by Tlon Industries. The game tasks players with terraforming Mars, and while we don't know a lot about the game just yet, we do know that it's coming to PC sometime in 2020. 

While the gameplay trailer above starts out with a spacecraft settling on Mars and before a base begins to expand across polygonal "tiles," it ends with a macro view of the planet, with supply lines and paths etching themselves across the planet's surface. 

Not surprisingly, the scale seems quite grand. We'll have to wait for more. 

Valfaris

Valfaris is a 2D side-scrolling action game that looks like it shares way too much in common with Contra, and Axiom Verge — and that's a good thing!

Slated to release on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch sometime in 2020, the game is developed by the same minds behind Slain: Back From Hell. It even features a kick-ass heavy-metal soundtrack and tons of giblets. 

Honestly, it looks pretty badass, and we can't wait to try it out. 

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For more E3 2019 coverage, be sure to check out the articles below: 

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