Anuchard | PC Preview

After spending countless hours in Undermine (my 2020 Game of the Year), I’ve been chomping at the bit for another dungeon crawler. Indonesia studio StellarNull might be scratching that itch with their upcoming title Anuchard. It’s a fully handcrafted RPG, but unlike Undermine, it has zero procedural generation and is very accessible. It’s also heavily retro-inspired. It’s apparent that Game Designer and Programmer Rico Lembas is a fan of classics like The Legend of Zelda and Chrono Trigger.

A World That Once Was

The setting is a very intriguing one right off the back. The world of Anuchard used to be a flourishing utopian civilization. Its guardians have since disappeared, leaving this place in poverty. Now it’s underdeveloped and a shadow of what it once was.

There is no “big bad” in Anuchard. The developers told us that this is a story more about humanity and its conflict than overcoming evil. Your end goal is to bring this place back to its roots, reinvigorating its technology and restoring civilization to its former glory.

You Mentioned Something About Zelda?

The isometric gameplay revolves around main quests and side quests given to your character in the main village. Most focus on rescuing the souls of villagers that are trapped in dungeons. Again, these areas are methodically constructed and not procedurally generated. I saw a few puzzles involving deflecting a ball of energy to a certain point in a room to open a door. There were even secret passageways and hidden rooms, encouraging exploration.

But the whole point of exploring these dungeons is rescue. Along the way, you’ll find holograms of the character for which you are searching. Here, you’ll learn their tale piece by piece as you progress further and further. There might even be bonus villagers to rescue for side quests or character boosts.

The combat is very action focused. Your weapon is a massive bell that ties into the lore of Anuchard. Those who fight with this bell are called “Bell Wielders”, and each is bestowed upon them “Bell Wielder” powers. You have a heavy attack and a light attack. In the demo I saw, some enemies had armor protecting them from light attacks. In order to damage them, you must hit them against a wall, breaking the armor and making them vulnerable to attack. There are multiple types of armor, each with its own effect upon being destroyed. The one I saw spawned two smaller enemies that needed to be defeated.

But How Does It Look?

What makes Anuchard‘s visuals so appealing is its small attention to details. The game feels fresh and familiar at the same time, which is a difficult task with the amount of retro-inspired titles out there. I loved seeing homages to former games I adored, and it looks genuinely fun to play.

Even the negative spaces within the dungeon get some artistic attention. We noticed animations there that gave an almost smoky atmosphere to the area being explored. The game is full of these tiny nuances that make the game special.

Anuchard shows a lot of promise, and this is one I will definitely have my eye on. It hearkens back to games I loved as a kid while offering modern sensibilities at the same time. Look for this one to release on PC and Xbox in Q1 of 2022.