Asmodee Digital and Doom Turtle have released their four-player cooperative rogue-lite Ember Knights! Ember Knights puts players in control of awakened heroes on a journey to stop the despotic sorcerer Praxis from destroying the universe. 

Gameplay 

Ember Knights was a breeze to pick up and play. The controls are buttery-smooth, and the game is a fine example of the “easy to play, hard to master” gameplay that the genre is known for. Throughout your time exploring the Prime Worlds, your Ember Knight will gain access to a rotating cache of relics and skills that fundamentally change the way you play the game. Playing Ember Knights can at times feel chaotic, as there is so much happening on the screen at once. I am sure it would feel even more so in multiplayer, but we will get to that later.  

The game structure is based on clearing enemies in various linear rooms you progress through. Rewards are commonplace, giving you incremental upgrades or currency as you clear each room. Occasionally you will reach a fork in the road where you will have to choose between two room rewards. Some of these items you can use immediately, like relics, provide passive bonuses such as creating a lightning strike whenever you land a critical hit and dealing more damage.  

One of the more unique aspects of the game is the skill system. As you make your way through the Prime Worlds killing enemies, you will be granted powerful skills. Skills are activated abilities that recharge as you attack enemies with either your default sword or the unlockable bow. Skills have their own charge and release mechanic where if the player times it properly, they will score a ‘Perfect’ hit for increased damage and effect. 

Ember Knights is not the most difficult rogue-lite game I have ever played, nor is it the easiest. In the absence of making direct comparisons, I will tell you that Ember Knights will test your reflexes and timing if you want to make it through the game. The upgrades in the game are fun additions, but there are certainly more useful ones than others. The most useful relic I found in my time playing the game thus far was one that created a poison cloud on every Perfect skill hit. 

What works very well in Ember Knights’ favor is the quickness with which you can pick up and play the game. Following the intro, the game loads incredibly quickly, and the time between death and a new run is noticeably short. This rolls together into a game that delivers on the rogue-lite conventions and presents a balanced hard-but-fair challenge. 

Expectations 

I had no issues playing Ember Knights on my own. There were no graphical hiccups or stuttering frame rate issues. In all, the product Doom Turtle brings to the table is incredibly well made. The art was enjoyable, I particularly enjoyed the highly detailed pixel art and design of the titular Ember Knights. 

The only problem I have with the game is that not enough people are playing it. Any attempt at matchmaking was impossible. I would sit in a lobby, waiting twenty minutes or more before finally giving up and going back to play solo. As the game continues after its launch on Early Access, I hope that more people pick up the game to make online matchmaking more populated. 

Verdict 

I very much enjoyed my time playing Ember Knights. I wish I had gotten to play via online matchmaking, but that is hopefully an issue that will be abated as more people hear about the game. Ember Knights is still a solid solitary experience, but the promise of a four-player cooperative rogue-lite has not been, in my experience of playing the game, delivered on. 

Ember Knights is available now on Steam Early Access.