Prelude Dark Pain is a tactical role-playing game with

This past weekend I spent a lot less time than I thought I would at Guadalindie 2024, a small but impactful event in Malaga, Europe, and if more editions happen in the future, I Heartily recommend it. In this celebration of indie games and developers, Prelude Dark Pain is by far the coolest and most impressive game I’ve ever played.

At first glance, Seville-based Quickfire Games’ debut might look like a direct take on Darkest Dungeon and its sequel, an influence they’re more than willing to acknowledge, but there’s a lot more creativity packed into the game as a whole, and is closer to classic tactical RPGs, such as Final Fantasy Tactics. Beyond the playable core, there’s a more ambitious structure tying it all together.

The preview version I was able to play had two different missions, one designed as a tutorial of sorts, and the other was wave-based and took place on top of two moving carriages pulled by armored tusked beasts. Prelude knows how to make a first impression, that’s for sure; the art style is familiar, but also contains a lot of graphical character that works well with the isometric view and overall design of the levels I was able to conquer.

The fact that this is a dark fantasy game through and through doesn’t mean it’s depressing to watch. Like Dark Dungeon, Prelude Dark Pain is full of saturated colors and hard lines. A common mistake in indie games aiming for a cold aesthetic is to turn the entire screen into a gray or brown sludge with little spark of visual interest, but that’s not the case here. Personally, I’m also curious to see how the visuals in the demo translate to the larger, non-linear open world that serves as Prelude’s overarching structure, but I wasn’t able to experience this layer of the game.

talking Nacho Requena — the game’s lead writer, designer, and project manager, as well as a games media veteran — Before I played the demo, Quickfire’s ambitions were clear when it came to the game: The studio’s goal wasn’t to reinvent tactics The role-playing game wheel genre rather chooses to pay homage to the historic ones, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to give it a unique voice. The bread and butter of it all, tactical combat, didn’t disappoint me and handled well on the controller. I also appreciate that it’s easy to pick up and play, just like FF Tactics. While the system has some advanced tactical elements, Prelude seems more focused on guiding new players and reminding veteran players of simpler times… but on a much larger scale.

According to the game’s Steam page, the game will include “30 playable heroes,” with “each hero having two talent branches and 24 optional skills.” Additionally, characters are not limited to player-controlled squads, as they must also be sent on errands or assigned tasks that have nothing to do with the battles in the Experience Center. In the demo, I was able to discern a tank character with healing abilities that seemed very useful in most situations, coupled with a rogue capable of dealing serious damage with deception, backstabs, and flanking bonuses. In addition to these two familiar archetypes, an archer who can hit multiple enemies in a straight line and a gunner who can create automatic turrets and shotguns add to the overall interest. Also: As far as I know, there is no mana system!

What about the story? It’s being kept under wraps during the demo, but the official synopsis reads: “In a world devastated by war, plagued by disease, and torn apart by reality, you take on the role of a local blacksmith named Sauron, on the brink of revolution , you’ll lead an uprising against the Ashen Crusaders.” The trailer also promises decision-making, with a focus on non-linear progression, which recently brought huge rewards to Unicorn Overlord in the same realm.

All in all, I came away from the Prelude Dark Pain booth impressed, but more importantly, eager to learn more about the bigger picture and play an in-depth preview to answer the question of whether the rest of the game is working in sync. There are some graphical glitches and minor control issues that dampen the demo’s compelling presentation, but otherwise it’s a strong playable build that does a great job of setting the mood and capturing the attention of most onlookers. Well done. We will be watching closely.

A release date for Prelude Dark Pain has not yet been announced, but it is confirmed to be available on Steam, EGS, GOG, Nintendo Switch, PS4/5, and Xbox consoles.