Dark Scrolls - Hands-On Preview
As a fan of the “Soulsbourne” genre as well as Roguelike games, the name ‘Dark Scrolls’ instantly grabbed my attention. This week, I had the opportunity to go hands-on with its Co-op version thanks to Devolver Digital and PowerUp PR, and Dark Scrolls is a 2d side scrolling, procedurally generated platformer with a roguelike twist.
Throwing back to classic era games akin to Castlevania or Super Ghouls and Ghosts. The aim is to be constantly moving forward as you traverse the levels, as swarms of enemies invade the screen to stop you, though those enemies are not always the most dangerous thing on the screen. The levels themselves come with their own hazards and pitfalls, as well as elements that not only change the way you interact with that level, for example, a rising waterfall will allow you to ride it up to reach a higher platform, but it also changes the trajectory of the enemy’s ranged attacks to shoot in an upwards motion as it too is taken by the waterfall.
Your Biggest Threat? Your Ally
The biggest danger I found during my hands on time was my Ally. There is no “friendly fire” however you can’t freely move through each other. Not only can you stop your team mate from being able to move through enclosed spaces, but you can jump on top of them to give yourself a boost at the expense of them falling faster than usual. This is when my partner and I died the most; jumping into or on top of each other to avoid enemy bullets or level hazards. Co-operation is key.
Plenty of blood will be spilled, and upon enemy deathm coins will spawn to be spent at the in game shop to buy perks for your characters. Each character had some unique perks to purchase others, while the ability to shoot both forwards and backwards simultaneously seemed to be universal. Coins are not shared between the group, so if your partner is greedy, you won’t be able to upgrade your own character. Good luck sorting through those arguments.
The only time the screen stops moving is for “kill rooms” where a set number of enemies will spawn in an enclosed location which you have to conquer before moving on. If you’re able to clear the enemies before the time limit is up you will receive a bonus in the form of a cannon, which grants you a “Shortcut” to the shop. This shortcut is offered by jumping into the cannon and having it blast you unimpeded through the following portion of the level until you reach the shop area.
Death Isn’t The End
Your own failures do not spell the end. When you or your ally dies, they turn into a ghost that can still interact with the world in their own way. They have an attack and the ability to freely move through the level, although collision still exists between the human and spectral players. You can use your spectral friend to reach higher platforms by bouncing off their head, but they can also get you killed by blocking your path if they are so inclined.
At the end of each level (I only managed to explore the first two), there is a boss encounter. Once the boss has been defeated, there is a short “rest” point that heals you and increases your max HP before launching you headlong into the next level.
Four characters were on offer during the hands on event, a Barbarian, Rogue, Wizard and a Dog. Each character played vastly differently in their ability to attack and to move about the levels. Each character has a ranged attack that will either shoot left or right depending on which way you’re facing, the wizards bullets however would bounce off solid objects and bounce back. I’ll admit, I’m as intrigued by the dog class as you likely are
Overall Dark Scrolls was a challenging but fun co-op experience. You can play the game solo or with a partner as I did and it launches May 29th on PC and Nintendo Switch.
