Lunacid

Lunacid is the new gold standard for an indie homage. Kira shows how intimately familiar they are with the RPG legacy of FromSoftware by picking out what worked best in their classic dungeon crawlers and incorporating the strongest elements of their modern action RPGs. Despite how referential the game feels at times, it still manages to establish its own identity through the metanarrative and inclusion of horror elements. If you’ve never experienced FromSoftware’s first-person RPGs, Lunacid is a great starting point.

Lunacid felt like a revalation of what sort of games we could receive if developers opted to borrow from more than just Dark Souls, by looking back at some of From Software's earlier titles. It's proof that games like King's Field can and should be lauded just as much as the games that came after; and, indeed, that these esoteric experiences still have a place in today's gaming landscape. Lunacid was one of my best surprises of the year, and it gives me hope that others might follow in its footsteps. While not without its faults, Lunacid is an RPG well worth setting aside time for.

Lunacid is certainly an intriguing action RPG with plenty of old-school charm, but audiences more used to modern games might find some of its quirks – and its balance that heavily favors magic builds – a bit annoying.