This text is a part of Run, Die, Repeat, Polygon’s week-long sequence exploring roguelikes.
The movement of time lies on the coronary heart of Panta Rhei, the debut mission from Reignite Video games and one of many summer season’s underrated indie gems. It’s a roguelike that has gamers taking management of Phi, a younger Guardian of Time, after their realm is threatened by correct noun Chaos. They wield a sword, positive, however their capacity to control the world round them by pausing and rewinding time is their strongest weapon.
Apparently, the degrees in Panta Rhei are very static, or at the very least those I performed via throughout my first few hours with the sport. As an alternative of Phi’s path being randomized each time they set off on a recent run, they tread the identical ranges. It’s an fascinating departure from most roguelikes, through which you typically don’t know what rooms you’re about to step into, and helped me higher monitor my progress every run. Nevertheless, I may see how preventing via the identical stage layouts each run may get a tad uninteresting over time, though there are a couple of off-the-beaten-paths to discover.
Panta Rhei’s fight is so partaking, nevertheless, that the moment-to-moment gameplay by no means bores. Phi has gentle and heavy assaults, and combos that blend the 2. All effectively and good there. What units Panta Rhei aside is how rewinding Phi via time provides an thrilling layer to fight. I actually like utilizing the whirlwind combo, which is 2 gentle assaults adopted up by a heavy assault through which Phi lands a number of hits on foes. As soon as the animation is completed, I can rewind and watch the identical assaults play out in reverse for added harm. That is additionally a nifty technique to get out of hazard, by rewinding Phi sufficient that they’re not on high of any enemy.
Rewinding assaults isn’t only a enjoyable little trick: it’s obligatory to break shielded enemies. An aqua blue barrier encases some foes, and it could possibly solely be damaged by attacking them as Phi rewinds. A few of the more durable enemies will grow to be shielded halfway via encounters, making certain Panta Rhei retains ya in your toes.
Phi additionally has the facility to rewind and pause time round sure objects. That is obligatory in some ranges (like reconstructing a damaged bridge), and really useful throughout sure fight encounters. Traps are sometimes the bane of my existence in roguelikes, however in Panta Rhei, they’re my allies. I take a lot pleasure in luring enemies close to traps, then rewinding time and utilizing them in opposition to unsuspecting foes.
What I respect most about Panta Rhei is how approachable it’s. Phi is healed after clearing an encounter, that means managing HP isn’t as disturbing as in lots of different roguelikes. So long as I maintain the harm to a minimal, Phi will typically be introduced again up at full well being after the encounter ends. Phi can be revived throughout runs by utilizing lifetime capsules, and runs begin with two obtainable. An extra capsule may be added through investing in Phi’s talent tree, that means after only a couple hours of playtime, I’m capable of take pleasure in runs with three revives in my pocket. Saving up my cash over the course of a run may even let me replenish them, if a service provider has one in inventory.
Panta Rhei looks like a roguelike for people who find themselves delay by the everyday problem of the style. After only a few runs, Phi looks like a nimble powerhouse — one who fortunately received’t be derailed by an early or surprising dying.
Panta Rhei is out now on Home windows PC. The sport was reviewed on PC utilizing a prerelease obtain code supplied by Reignite Video games. Valnet Inc. has affiliate partnerships. These don’t affect editorial content material, although Valnet Inc. might earn commissions for merchandise bought through affiliate hyperlinks. Yow will discover further details about Polygon’s ethics coverage right here.
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