Steam’s Early Access library has just welcomed a fresh addition: Guidus Zero. This intriguing top-down dungeon crawler, crafted by the indie minds at Izzle from South Korea, dives into the roguelike genre with flair.
Set in a world ravaged by a seemingly endless war with no clear victor, the game centers around a neutral zone formed on a continent left scarred by conflict. Here, a massive sinkhole, ominously named The Scar, has emerged. From its depths, a peculiar substance known as Black Blood seeps out, tainting creatures into corrupted monstrosities. The origins of this chasm and the Black Blood remain a mystery, as does whatever lurks in the deepest parts of The Scar. This is where your adventure begins.
Guidus Zero invites players to assemble a diverse team of characters to delve into The Scar’s depths, confronting a host of enemies twisted by the Black Blood’s influence. You’ll have the luxury of choosing from a range of characters, each specializing in different skills and strengths, allowing for varied gameplay. The combat, while real-time and action-packed, introduces a unique twist: both you and the foes move along a grid, restricted to just the four cardinal directions.
When an enemy prepares to strike, a timely exclamation mark signals their intent, while the ground highlights the attack’s reach. The attack styles vary—some enemies strike straightforward, others lash out across a line, and some target broader areas. Given the multiple adversaries you’ll battle at once, quick reflexes and strategic movement are crucial to evade incoming blows.
Dodging is not simply about nimble feet, though. You can roll to momentarily gain invincibility, but each roll drains stamina. And since diagonal moves are off-limits, careful planning of your moves and rolls can mean the difference between survival and being trapped in a barrage of attacks.
But, combating isn’t just about dodging. Delivering damage is essential too, and this is where your character choice changes the game. Before each run, you’ll pick a character equipped with a starting trait. In traditional RPG style, defeating foes grants experience, enabling you to level up.
Leveling up presents options for skill improvements tailored to the trait you selected at the run’s start, meaning even the same character can bring about a fresh gaming experience depending on your choices. Note that your levels and picked skills apply only to that current run—they reset upon defeat.
Not everything gets wiped clean, though. Within a run, you’ll stumble upon ore veins to shatter, collecting stones that bolster your stats. These stones, when combined, unlock stat boosts and can be slotted, keeping them safe beyond the end of your run. Stones not slotted convert into fragments upon run conclusion, which can be used as currency or reforged into new stones by an NPC blacksmith.
During your endeavors, you might encounter special rooms housing treasure chests filled with artifacts. These artifacts offer unique buffs and enhance abilities, accumulating elemental effects over time. Once an artifact amasses five stacks, it bonds with an elemental spirit, unlocking powerful attacks and effects.
Binding with Ignis, the fire spirit, grants a burning debuff that persists damage over time. Atlen, the water spirit, slows foes and can freeze those afflicted with a wet debuff. Rathorus, the lightning spirit, delivers a shocking debuff for added damage. Enryl, the wind spirit, boosts movement speed and strengthens multi-strike attacks with a dashing buff. Terrania, the earth spirit, casts a petrifying debuff which triggers additional fragments when attacking the petrified.
These components combine to create a roguelike experience that perpetuates the “just one more run” sensation. With the enduring prowess provided by stones and the variance in characters, traits, and skill departures, every venture feels distinct. Guidus Zero is now up for exploration in its Early Access phase on Steam.
To mark the launch, they’re offering a tempting 10% discount until December 9. Though an exact release for Xbox and Nintendo Switch isn’t set in stone yet, these platforms see strong consideration for the game’s future.
