Wartorn Preview: A complex strategy RPG with a roguelite twist

I really commend developers who look to take risks and try something different and unique. It doesn't always work, and typically these ideas can lead to a loss of the wider appeal for the game in question - something that will no doubt be present with today's point of conversation - but I do really respect the choice to pursue something a bit unusual and push creative boundaries.

The folk over at Stray Kite Studios are soon set to debut their ambitious fantasy strategy RPG Wartorn, with this being a slightly unorthodox game because of how it combines detailed storytelling, real-time and challenging tactical combat, and roguelite systems that can take you back to square one. Again, it's not your traditional RPG where you steadily improve and unravel a linear story, taking on increasingly demanding tasks as the hours roll on. Wartorn is hard and tough to crack from the get-go, and that's by design.

Essentially, you play as two sisters, Yara and Elani, commander-type units that lead a pack of NPCs in a journey across a ruthless fantasy world. You have to steadily work through this land in search of a safe haven after being driven from your ancestral homeland, protecting and improving a wagon convoy along the journey. This design is effectively the same setup as the pathway in Slay the Spire and other roguelikes, where you move through a world overcoming challenges that are put in front of you, except the main catch is that it uses a more linear and more unexpected style where you really struggle to prepare for what's to come. But again, this is by design, because Wartorn is a roguelite game and you are meant to struggle and fail.

Along the journey you will be forced to undertake and survive encounters. Sometimes these will be things you can talk your way out of, perhaps persuading a goblin mercenary crew to join your ranks and help protect your convoy. Other times there will be less room for discussion and you'll be forced into combat encounters of a real-time strategy design where you need to command and lead a group of units against a batch of enemies. For the most part, the aim is to survive by reaching an exit point or by defeating all of the enemies in the encounter, and the only thing you mustn't do is lose all of your units in the battle. NPCs and other recruited units will die permanently when they fall in combat, but Yara and Elani will return if they are knocked out and be ready for the next bit of action down the road. If you do fail in battle and find yourself without a warrior to fight on your behalf, it's game over and you're sent back to square one... well, square two considering this is a roguelite game where you do steadily improve with each failed "run".

When you restart a run, you find yourself back in Elani and Yara's home where you can interact with the Community Tree to spend gathered resources like Strands to permanently improve your heroes and convoy. This could be better damage or more resistance and protection, all the typical attributes that make you more effective in battle. The idea is that you frequently have to return to this tree to improve and therefore make it further in your next run. It's a neat idea but it's perhaps also one that struggles in the same way as Blue Prince does, in that runs are not snappy and fast like most roguelikes. Runs take a considerable amount of time to complete, meaning when you are forced to return to the start, it can feel like a massive kick in the teeth to have to begin from scratch. Yes, you will be slightly stronger, but the disappointment of losing so much progress continues to ring throughout.

Regardless of whether Wartorn's design will capture and hold the attention of fans is up for question because this is without a doubt not an easy game to master and overcome. It's meant to be hard and challenging and I can see that being a problem for a large portion of players. In many ways that's also quite a sad thing to realise as there are many other parts of this game that I find truly commendable too, elements that make me look at this game and see that it has real potential.

The art direction and style is lovely and vibrant, and paints a charming fantasy world you want to become wrapped up in. There's a core story that has plenty of intricacies and mysteries that you want to unravel and witness for yourself. There are loads of encounters to face and attempt to navigate, with complex and deep combat that includes a plethora of ally and enemy units plus countless ways to combine attacks and elements to create devastating effects. The voice acting is fantastic and really charismatic, to the point where you won't want to just skip through the dialogue as the performers put in plenty of noticeable effort. Plus, and bringing it back to the combat, Stray Kite has even introduced an hourglass system where you can slow down the action meaning while it's still real-time it's not nearly as quick and hard to follow, which is especially helpful during boss fights. It's a brilliant idea.

But again, this is all well and good assuming you can keep players engaged and wanting to grind away at the immense challenge and the soul-crushing nature that comes hand-in-hand with every "rogue" game. Wartorn has my interest, and to the strategy RPG fans out there I would implore you to keep a keen eye on it too when it arrives in Early Access on June 17. Just know, it might not be the game for you when all is said and done.