Don't let Lunarium get lost in the sheer volume of games releasing on Steam. This action RPG, featuring two girls trained in Sekiro-style combat and a visual aesthetic reminiscent of Nier or Final Fantasy, stands out with its art style and compelling gameplay. The crumbling ruins and overgrown forests are rendered in a muted, hand-drawn style that evokes a sense of melancholy, as if the dark monsters plaguing the world are literally draining its life.
Lunarium's combat mechanics lean towards the soulslike genre, but its pacing is closer to Sekiro. While dying respawns enemies, the ability to quickly dispatch or even skip them allows players to return to their objective without significant delay. The main character, Ave, initially feels a bit sluggish, requiring some adjustment, particularly in early boss fights. However, as players acquire upgrades, she becomes notably more agile. Ave is joined by Lune, a mysterious floating archer who assists in battles. While Ave focuses on deflecting and parrying enemy attacks to create openings, Lune acts as a ruthless combatant, capable of exploiting these opportunities.
The parry system functions similarly to Sekiro's, where precise timing builds an enemy's stagger meter. Once sufficiently staggered, players can command Lune to break an enemy's posture with an arrow, setting them up for Ave's subsequent attacks. Tactical coordination between both characters is essential, even though only Ave is directly controlled. For instance, a skill that buffs Ave's final combo attack introduces a strategic decision: is the slight delay worth the potential for a more powerful strike?
Progression in Lunarium involves more than just combat. The skill tree offers various ways to enhance gameplay, such as chaining Ave's dashes together, reminiscent of mechanics in other action RPGs. The game also features craftable cloaks and embroidery that modify Ave's abilities, offering diverse combat approaches. The Steam page hints at skills that increase damage with consecutive attacks or make enemies vulnerable to backstabs, suggesting a variety of build combinations to explore.
Despite some localization quirks, the banter between Ave and Lune adds charm and drives the narrative forward. Ave is portrayed as headstrong but receptive to Lune's warnings about the encroaching darkness. The narrative hints at a larger world with a history, featuring ruined kingdoms and temples that, even without complete text entries in the preview build, suggest a thoughtful environmental design. The developers have paid attention to the connections between areas, making exploration memorable, and even hidden shortcuts feel rewarding to discover.
Lunarium is slated for release on Steam on July 28.