Nigate Tale Preview – A Fantasy Roguelike That Understands the Importance of Monster Waifus

It was probably the keyart that got me to try out Nigate Tale’s demo, but it definitely doesn’t reflect the actual gameplay. After an hour of playtime, I had a good idea of the gameloop and unique systems this dungeon-crawling roguelike offers. Still, if you’re anything like me, you’ll probably begin your journey for the monster girls and stay for the challenging action.

Nigate Tale’s demo doesn’t waste too much time explaining what is going on before you’re thrown into the action. However, it clarifies that you are an adventurer who doesn’t really know where they are. Oh, and your name is Roy, which for some reason, the localization team felt the need for you to know as the characters will address you as Roy during each text box. Yes, for the most part, the story is hard to follow because of some bad localization, but there’s plenty of time to fix that.

What’s most impressive is that the gameloop and roguelike mechanics are pretty unique offer a range of ways to fight your way through the dungeons. Players can equip long-range and short-range weapons, with the option to construct other weapons using materials. However, I found the simple bow to be a powerhouse of damage. This is because, as you clear rooms, you can meet monster girls who offer you elemental upgrades to your melee or long-ranged weapons. It’s possible to mix-and-match, but some upgrades don’t stack if you change elements. Furthermore, your dash can become an attack or a way to gain invisibility with the right upgrades.

The depth of this system was awesome, and there were times that I felt exceptionally overpowered. For example, I had the ability where I would freeze if my HP was low and regain some health, which saved me from death several times. It comes down to how you want to build your character; you can balance your upgrades between actions or stack them all in one area.

The dungeon theme itself didn’t get too creative, and I encountered the same layouts several times, but it was fun to navigate. The last boss was challenging as well, which only excites me about what’s to come. Still, I would like to see more interaction between the monster girls in the base; as of right now, it’s pretty limited to only talking, and with the bad localization, I still have no idea what’s going on.

Nigate Tale is a pretty interesting roguelike that borrows many systems from others in the genre and manages to offer some unique elements using upgrade stacking. I’d like to see how this changes throughout the course of the game’s development and how this character with the not so heroic name of Roy takes on the narrative. For now, you got me with the monster girls Nigate Tale, but I’m looking forward to experiencing more of the gameplay.