Steam Next Fest (SNF) fell on my birthday this year, so I took a few hours to try some new titles to celebrate. SNF is a celebration of upcoming games, many of which are indie titles. There were seven days packed with hundreds of demos and “oodles of live streams,” Steam’s words, not mine. However, I found many games interesting, such as Voidtrain, Sons of Valhalla, Pixelshire, and RAIDBORN. Today, we will be talking about RAIDBORN!
The Story
The creator, Markus Failer of Phodex Games, described RAIDBORN as a “straightforward first-person fantasy action RPG featuring procedurally generated dungeons and quests.” Players will find loot throughout the world to level up their gear and skills while engaging in intense combat. I will be the first to admit they are correct with their description, but it is more than that.
Our player begins as a humble member of the City Guard. We hope to join the Royal Guard and shed our wooden swords and leather armor. Unfortunately, a battle ensues, and we must defend ourselves. This leads our character to be dishonorably discharged from the City Guard. However, there is an upside. We get to become an adventurer.
Thoughts
RAIDBORN reminded me of one of my favorite up-and-coming titles, The Bloodline. This is what sparked a conversation between Failer and me. Some days, I want a game where I can whack things. I do not necessarily care about a complex storyline or an open world. Fortunately, RAIDBORN aims to be that title.
Additionally, I love a game that is fast pace. I want to get in and out of a dungeon to look at my loot. This is a game for those days. I also appreciate the game’s graphics and animations. They were well-coded and pleasant to look at. There were two downsides to this title that I do not think were game-breaking by any means.
First, the combat is a little Skyrim-esk. It feels a little slow and clunky. However, I do not necessarily mind that. It was just something that I noticed while playing. Finally, I did not see a way to track how many arrows I used on my HUD. This kept me from engaging in ranged combat out of fear of running out of arrows. Overall, I enjoyed playing RAIDBORN and would recommend others give it a shot.
Odds and Ends
To try out RAIDBORN, head on over to the Steam page. Phodex Games also has social media that can be followed for more updates pending the release. These include YouTube, Twitter, and Discord. The planned release date for this title is March 29, 2023. In the end, I look forward to the upcoming release of RAIDBORN.
