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The success and acclaim of Vampire Survivors have led to a whole host of games in the bullet heaven subgenre of roguelikes, with each of them hoping to cash in on the addictive “just one more run” nature of Poncle’s breakout hit. Canadian developer Lioncode Games’ newest title, Wildkeepers Rising, looks to bring something new to the bullet heaven genre through its incorporation of Pokemon-style monster collecting and taming elements, and it’s a mix that is showing quite a bit of promise even in its early state. Game Rant recently had the opportunity to attend a hands-off preview of Wildkeepers Rising, and there’s a lot to dig into to make fans of both Vampire Survivors and Pokemon take notice.
While the general gameplay loop of Wildkeepers Rising will be familiar to anyone who has played Vampire Survivors or any other similar bullet heaven/survivor-like, the collectible Guardians that serve as the foundation of the title’s monster-collecting elements immediately set the title apart from the rest of the genre. In addition to assisting the player character through valuable buffs, debuffs, and support abilities, the Guardians play an important role in the title’s meta progression and story elements, which skew closer to RPG territory than one might typically find within a survivor-like.
Wildkeepers Rising is a Bullet Heaven Game With a Monster-Collecting Twist
Similar to Vampire Survivors and other like-minded games, Wildkeepers Rising pits a single player against seemingly never-ending waves of enemies. As players defeat these enemies, they collect experience that culminates in leveling up and selecting from a random assortment of helpful upgrades. Where Wildkeepers Rising differentiates itself, though, is in its monster-collecting elements, with the game’s collectible Guardians playing an important role in both gameplay and progression.
Players can essentially track their progress through the game and meta progression from run to run by filling out the roster of Guardians, as collecting new Guardians effectively opens up the potential for more variations in player strategy and provides a satisfying sense of power creep (not dissimilar from collecting new characters in Vampire Survivors). While Lioncode Games couldn’t reveal exactly how many Guardians players can expect to collect throughout their time in Wildkeepers Rising, the ones on display in the hands-off preview displayed some powerful, run-changing special moves that can turn the tide of battle.
How the Team at Lioncode Games Is Aiming to Make Wildkeepers Rising a Unique Experience
Wildkeepers Rising will mark the second game from Lioncode Games, who previously released the turn-based tactics title Mech Armada on Steam in 2022. Not unlike Mech Armada, which played to the strengths of what fans love about turn-based tactics games while providing its own unique flair, Lioncode Games is aiming to make Wildkeepers Rising a title that encapsulates what players love about the bullet heaven subgenre while bringing new ideas to the table.
One of the more surprising elements is a greater emphasis on story and RPG elements, which comes about courtesy of the developers’ influences from various games. Wildkeepers Rising places a strong emphasis on creative builds and a satisfying power curve in its survivor-like gameplay, and the upcoming arrival of a Steam page for the game means interested players can wishlist it soon.
Wildkeepers Rising is currently in development for PC.
