Shame on me for not bringing up Children of Morta sooner. I get strong Hyper Light Drifter vibes from this action-adventure RPG, and it's not just from the top-down views and hand-painted pixel art. Children of Morta stands out because, amidst the hacking and slashing and roguelike dungeon remixing, this game has heart. That heart translates into its story, the story of a family that has, for generations, guarded against the Corruption caged within Mount Morta. But that Corruption has leaked out. And the family that slays together, stays together.
Most adventure games figure out a way to isolate the main character away from family. It's that rugged individualism that so much of American folklore idealizes. But Children of Morta goes the opposite direction. These aren't random or unrelated individuals being thrown at an enemy force, death after death. This is family yo. Mom and dad are out there. Brother and sister are out there. Uncle and grandma are the lore keepers, dispensing knowledge and wisdom. This is a very good setup.
The Corruption, appropriately oily looking, is summoned from the pentagram-glowing trunk of an obviously flesh-rotten tree. It swirls and gloops around in unidentifiable shapes and electrical-looking waves. The family strides forth from its ancestral mansion, with vine-y decor that has a Byzantine futurism to it. I'm falling more and more in love with this art style every minute. I'm downloading the demo as we speak.
Children of Morta launches this summer on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. You can play a demo on Steam from now until the morning of June 22. You have three days—which started at 8am this morning on the West Coast.
Children of Morta's Steam Free Preview Event is Live NOW
Join the family and pre-order Children of Morta with 10% off today
Warsaw, June 19, 2019 - 11 bit studios is proud to announce a Steam free preview event for Children of Morta starting on June 19th at 5pm CEST/8am PDT running until June 22. For a limited time, lasting only 72 hours, players will be able to experience this highly anticipated, story-driven, action RPG from developer Dead Mage and publisher 11 bit studios as they get a taste of things to come.
Running concurrently with the start of the free preview, pre-order sales begin on Steam with a 10% discount in addition to access to the soundtrack at launch. Children of Morta is set to release this summer for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC.
“We’re excited to give the community a taste of Children of Morta. We’re confident about the game’s development and are certain that, once people try it during the free weekend, they’ll be hooked. Even though it’s still in development, it already looks fantastic and is a title we’re proud of. With the additional time until launch for polish, we’re confident that this is going to leave an impact on everyone that gives it a shot,” says Marek Ziemak, Executive Producer at 11 bit studios.
Join an extraordinary family as they battle a mysterious and deadly corruption that threatens to engulf their homeland - the guardians of Mount Morta must stand firm against an ancient evil or lose all they hold dear.
In the preview demo, players will uncover the first chapter of the game’s story and be introduced to two of the family members - father, John, and his eldest daughter, Linda. The pre-release demo covers the story’s introduction, gives insight on gameplay, and hits its climax that sees players take on the first boss of the game.
The digital version of Children of Morta will be available on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC for 21.99 USD/EUR. The retail edition from Merge Games will be released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC (in Europe and Australia) alongside the digital release.
