Kristala Preview: Dark pspspSouls
Kristala is a dark fantasy action-role playing game where you play within an ominous world full of dangerous creatures, magical spells, and trouble around every corner. You’re also a cat.
Categorically Ominous
Within the world of Kristala, you play as a feline warrior, charged to traverse through the various clans, complete challenges, and become worthy to defeat the enemies ahead. Though there was a brief expositional moment right from the start, I was curious how this world and the characters presented all weave together. The actual story was minimal within the preview, but between the six clans of feline-people, a variety of biomes mentioned, and an ominous stream of evil - there’s no doubt that a robust world is taking form.
Curiosity of a Cat
The real star of the preview though was the gameplay mechanics. As an action-role playing game, you’re able to traverse the world as your feline warrior, but within various limitations within the game. Several areas halted my progression and mentioned that they would be available in the full game, while other moments felt much more reminiscent of the genre. These latter examples included notices, for instance, of gates that can only be opened from the other side. At first, I was a bit dumbfounded - exploring the area in front of me without any clear strategy on how to progress. Happily though, I opted to “think like a cat” and noticed my character could jump up and over (albeit with specific instances and space) to unlock the gate. This first true environmental puzzle made me not only appreciate the game Kristala, but also got me very excited to see how many more and creative puzzles lay ahead.
Sharpen Those Claws
In addition to the environmental puzzles, Kristala places strong emphasis on the battle mechanics and character build options. Similar to any Souls inspired game, Kristala allows the player to block, attack, and utilize various items and abilities to thwart your enemies. Within seconds, I was able to pick up the control scheme, time my attacks and blocks, and furiously beat down any enemy in my way. It was great to see Kristala take the mantle of making a strong indie game with such big paws to fill. The game was responsive, meticulous, and very clear with the rules of engagement. For new players, this can be a wonderful entry into the genre, as well as an opportunity to experiment with strategies and timing in the early bouts of the preview. Additionally, once you find a spot to save and regain health, all the enemies respawn and can be used as further practice, grinding spots, or just something to eviscerate while you progress. For me, it was easy to get sucked into fighting various enemies and assessing options with attacks and magic combinations - something that I’m sure will be vital in the full version.
Kristala also boats a multitude of attributes, statuses, and upgradable weapons that I briefly looked into. Since this is still an early build of the game, I didn’t take too much stock in those options as they will likely be adjusted and modified before launch, tentatively for Q4 2024.
With what we’ve seen the past few years, paired with what I played during my 2+ hour preview, I am absolutely psyched to see the final outcome of Kristala. The gameplay is on point, the lore is intriguing, and, most of all - you play as a cat. I may be a bit biased in that final point, but regardless, the team at Astral Clocktower Studios has something here and I’m excited for more people to enjoy the game - and purr its praise!
Preview by Harry Loizides