"Parry. Strike. Absorb. Defeat." is the tagline publisher Akupara Games has attached to the upcoming 2D action-RPG Grime. The words imply both a Dark Souls influence and a depth of combat beyond hack and slash. But as Grime's new release date trailer confirms, it's a tagline that doesn't fully capture what's likely to draw attention to Grime. To say that Grime is bizarre would be an understatement. Interested gamers will be able to see for themselves starting August 2 on PC and Stadia.
Grime's developers, Clover Bite, describe a world "alien in its own familiarity," filled with surreal environments and terrors around every corner. A fitting description would be Blasphemous meeds Zeno Clash, or Salt and Sanctuary meets Oddworld. There's something unsettling about Grime and it isn't just that the game's protagonist looks like the main character of Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy escaped from his cauldron.
The gameplay for Grime is much more of a straightforward experience, though. Grime is clearly trying to deliver a 2D Dark Souls style of combat and overall experience. Expect harsh, punishing action that requires the player to be both precise and patient. Giant enemies and bosses await to teach players that they've only just begun to master Grime's mechanics. And each step forward will only further the mystery of Grime's world and story.Naturally, a 2D game can't fully deliver a Dark Souls experience. 3D environments deliver an entirely different type of exploration, after all. As such, Grime appears to have different inspirations for its 2D worldbuilding. There's a fair amount of challenging platforming, so Grime goes further than a typical Metroidvania. At first glance, Grime could be somewhere between a Hollow Knight and Ori and the Blind Forest in terms of exploration and platforming.
Suffice to say, Grime has taken influence from some of the best games in the genre. Whether or not it delivers an experience worthy of being compared to those games is another matter entirely, of course. For an indie team like Clover Bite, however, it's a great approach. It's a high-demand genre of game, but with plenty of bizarre personality that should make Grime stand out from the competition.
Grime's new release date trailer, released through IGN, confirms that the 2D action-RPG will be arriving soon. That's a pretty good turnaround for a game first revealed just this past month as part of the Guerrilla Collective Summer of Gaming presentation.
Grime releases August 2 on PC and Stadia.