The action genre is vast, and I’m all here for it. Whether they are beat-em-ups, hack-and-slash, or action RPGs, count me in. The Team Earthwars- developed Lost Epic recently entered Early Access provides an early look at this action RPG with Metroidvania style exploration similar to games like Odin Sphere.
In Lost Epic, the player controls a knight who is given the role of God Slayer and tasked with slaying the gods of the world known as the Sanctum. Yes, you’re in for a lore dump with this one. After a brief tutorial, the player can select a pre-made avatar and voice for their character before embarking on the adventure. From the Early Access offerings, the narrative is well-written and explains the reason for this god-slaying quest.
Graphically, Lost Epic looks impressive as each location is quite beautiful, only complimented by the character designs with smooth animations. On top of that, the game performs well at 60FPS with no significant dips experienced. The soundtrack is well-done with various ambient tracks and I enjoyed the Japanese voice acting present for each of the characters.
When it comes to gameplay, Lost Epic has the player explore the world of Sanctum while taking on quests. These quests typically have you hunting monsters or performing actions in a dungeon. Taking down monsters and clearing quests nets you Anima that you can use to craft new items and weapons and level up your character with the same currency. If you die during the battle, you will lose your Anima but can reclaim it by going back to the location where you died, similar to a Souls game.
There’s room to experiment with the battle system that features some fluid animations and attack skills. Your basic moves can combo into the various Divine Skills learned from weapons you find or craft. You’ll have to pay attention to your character’s stamina as it depletes by performing attacks and dodging.
Divine Skills are also on a Cooldown timer, but the skills recharge rapidly, so you can easily incorporate those skills into your combos, but these will also take a small bit from the stamina meter. Taking down bosses or enemies with the tools you have at your disposal is enjoyable and cathartic, especially if you juggle them around in the air.
There are a few caveats to note, though, like the Inventory being challenging to navigate. Various items and materials collected can clutter up the inventory, which requires some optimization. There were also moments where some of the text was untranslated, but I’m sure this will be fixed across development.
There some unique action elements about Lost Epic that has me interested in following its development. The game nails the delivery of a Vanillaware-Esque action title, but I’m hoping to see it introduce systems that allow it to stand out on its own. The foundation for an adventure is here, though, so here’s to Lost Epic finding its way.
Lost Epic is available now in Steam Early Access.
