EMPYREAL Gameplay Overview – Sci-Fi Action RPG Roguelike

In this article, we’re going to discuss why now might be a great time to try out Empyreal, an indie action RPG that launches today for PC, Xbox Series X and S, and PlayStation 5. Developed by the British studio Silent Games and published by Secret ModeEmpyreal offers a fresh experience to action RPG fans.

Story and Worldbuilding

In this game, players take on the Monolith using different weapon types, with each run being altered by Cartograms. These items control everything you will experience during your run, from the enemies and bosses you face to how many lives you get and the loot you’ll find. A special shoutout to Silent Games & Secret Mode for sponsoring the video.

Empyreal begins on a stranded planet in a distant future—a future where humans have long been an interplanetary species, busy exploring the far reaches of the galaxy. You play as a mercenary brought in to support an expedition that has already spent several unsuccessful years trying to explore a massive alien structure known as the Monolith.

The expedition members have reached a dead end in their progress and have suffered catastrophic losses during early incursions. Most of the original crew didn’t survive whatever they encountered inside, and those still alive outside are doing what they can—but their prospects look grim.

Beyond this, it’s hard to talk about the story without spoiling things. While the plot may seem simple at first, there’s a lot of exposition and character development to uncover if you’re willing to look deeper and start unraveling the secrets of the Monolith.

Outside of the main quest, Empyreal doesn’t force the narrative onto you. It’s completely up to the player to decide whether to stay focused on combat or to dive into the worldbuilding and lore. But if you choose to explore the story, the game delivers, offering compelling characters who feel grounded thanks to their detailed backgrounds, motivations, and solid voice acting.

Lastly, your choices matter. How you interact with the expedition members—and whether you choose to care about them at all—can lead to branching outcomes that affect the fates of each character in the cast.

Combat and Weapon Archetypes

Now, let’s dive into the gameplay. Weapons are a huge part of Empyreal’s combat-focused gameplay. The game offers three distinct weapon archetypes: Mace & Shield, Swordand Cannon.

The Mace & Shield archetype makes you tanky—a formidable force with high survivability and powerful attacks. Compared to the other two options, this is the safest choice and perfect for players learning the basics of combat.

Next is the Glaivewhich is more dynamic compared to the Mace & Shield. The Glaive allows you to dash around the battlefield, making you feel faster and more agile. Your defense relies on movement, parrying, and dodging. The Glaive’s abilities enhance this concept, allowing you to play on the edge and take risks. While you’re more vulnerable, when everything clicks, the gameplay loop is incredibly smooth and satisfying.

Lastly, we have the Cannon. A ranged weapon with three firing modes, ammunition management, and a constant need to reload during combat. Blocking and parrying evasion mechanics with this weapon are tricky. However, its abilities support various playstyles, such as mid-range and close-range combat. At times, the Cannon can feel overwhelming, especially for new players, but with more experience and reflexes, it becomes a weapon of mass destruction, rewarding players for their dedication and effort.

Abilities and Customization

Let’s now take a look at abilities. The selection of abilities in the game enhances the weapon archetypes, allowing players to explore various facets within the core concepts introduced by those weapon types.

Players start with a few abilities and unlock more over time. Some abilities can be crafted, while others are locked behind quest progression. The most powerful abilities are a result of both crafting and quest completion.

There are two types of abilities: Regular and Ultimate.

• Regular abilities don’t cost anything, but they do have cooldowns and animation times, during which your character is vulnerable to enemy attacks.
• Ultimateson the other hand, feature cutscenes and invulnerability frames. They don’t have cooldowns but instead consume energy to cast, which builds up gradually through regular attacks.

Enemies and Level Design

Empyreal features a large roster of enemies that will test your gear, weapons, and abilities. As you progress, the game gradually introduces new enemy types and more complex combinations. Sometimes, these enemies are introduced with cinematic flair, hinting at their role in the story. Other times, you only understand what you’re dealing with after being overwhelmed—trial by fire.

There are nearly 10 different categories of enemieseach with multiple archetypes that serve different functions in battle. The more dangerous the enemy, the more abilities it typically has, and the more significant its role. However, even the weakest types contribute to the overall combat pace.

• Standard enemies are robotic creatures, and their designs make their roles easy to identify.
• Boss-type enemieson the other hand, look more human and are introduced with dramatic encounters. These battles take place in arenas designed for major fights, with music, visuals, and unique move sets creating a feeling of grandeur.

As for the Monolith itself, this towering alien structure is steeped in mystery, and it’s up to you to uncover its secrets. Each level within the Monolith features distinct visual styles and atmospheres. Some areas are bright and sunlit, while others are dark, eerie, and claustrophobic, which ties into the game’s lore and keeps exploration fresh.

Level design also plays a key role in the mystery. Each area includes verticality, hidden locations, and secret items waiting to be discovered. As you revisit earlier zones, you may find things you missed, either because you were too focused on surviving or didn’t have the necessary tools to access them before.

Back at the expedition base, there are a few surprises in store. It may seem like a typical character hub until day turns to night and things start to shift.

Difficulty and Cartogram System

Empyreal follows a design philosophy that lets players engage with the experience however they want—within the systems of the Monolith and its world. You can see this flexibility in the gear crafting, the expedition members’ story arcs, how the narrative unfolds, and especially in how difficulty is handled.

But don’t expect a traditional difficulty slider. Instead, Empyreal lets you control the challenge of each level through a system tied to Cartograms. These blueprints of the Monolith’s interior determine everything from enemy types to environmental hazards. You need one to teleport into a level using the expedition’s device.

You’ll occasionally get those from NPCs, but most of the time, you find them as loot drops from defeated enemies. Each Card varies in difficulty, and when you’re preparing to enter the Monolith, you can choose from a range of blueprints, ranging from easier paths to brutally tough ones.

Other factors that affect difficulty include your current gear setup, elemental resistances, and the synergies between your abilities and loadout. At its core, this system gives you the power to control your own experience.

You can jump between difficulties freely—starting on easy to learn the ropes, then gradually testing yourself with harder blueprints as you grow more confident. This creates a welcoming on-ramp for new players while still offering a challenge for veterans.

If you thrive on challenge, this system offers tons of replayability. It encourages you to perfect your cannon gameplay, experiment with underused abilities, discover new enemy counters, or explore previously ignored side paths—all at your own pace.

Online Features

Even though Empyreal is a single-player action RPG, it includes asynchronous online features that add extra depth. Players can trade level blueprints—those Cartograms—with one another after reaching a certain point in the main story. There’s also a mail system that lets you send loot to friends, providing a subtle sense of community.

Inside the Monolithyou’ll find two additional interesting mechanics. First, you can send items into the Aether—a dimensional rift. Once dropped in, your item may be delivered to another player who defeats a boss. It’s not guaranteed, but it’s a neat system that makes the world feel more connected.

Second, you’ll occasionally come across glowing spirits—remnants of fallen players. These warrior ghosts mark the spots where someone else died. When you interact with them, you can choose to aid them or leave them to their fate. It’s a small feature, but it’s a reminder that others are out there, battling the same Monolith in their own way.

Final Thoughts

Empyreal is a labor of love from a small studio, and it shows. From the opening minutes, you can feel the care poured into its world, systems, and presentation. The game isn’t flawless, but the polish, atmosphere, and depth speak for themselves.

There’s enough complexity here to justify a New Game Plus run, with some playthroughs stretching to 60 hours or more. But if you’re not into the story and just want combat, it’s entirely possible to speed through the game faster. That flexibility—how freely it lets you approach its world—is part of what makes the game stand out.

With nearly 200 unique enemy abilities, a wide variety of foes, skill-based combat, branching narrative paths, and impressive visuals, Empyreal might just be one of this year’s most overlooked RPG gems.

This wraps up the overview. Hopefully, you got something useful out of it. Now I want to know: based on what you’ve seen, is Empyreal something that’s on your radar? if you have any more tricks that can help when starting out or any questions, feel free to share them in the comments below.