Ahead of the Game - Shadowborn is Diablo-esque dungeon-looting fun with highly customisable builds
Some shadowy shenanigans indeed
- Fight your way through the darkness of the dungeons
- Loot, die, upgrade, then loot some more
- Plenty of build freedom and weapon customisations
It's all about saving the realm in style in this week's Ahead of the Game series, where we tell you all about a new mobile endeavour that's playable in one form or another despite its unofficial launch.
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, which is probably why it's okay that Shadowborn looks and feels shamelessly Diablo-esque. Everything from the isometric view to the old-timey font seems to pay homage to one of Blizzard's flagship franchises, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
There's no shortage of these kinds of dungeon-crawling RPGs on mobile, and that's likely because the appeal is just too great to resist. I suppose we humans have an insatiable desire to torture ourselves by taking on challenging dungeons and then having a go over and over again despite failure, all so we can grab the coveted loot at the proverbial end of the tunnel.
It's a fantastic loop that I feel Shadowborn executes really well - and what I appreciate about it more is that while you can pick a class from the get-go, you're not bound by that build forever. I mean, I myself picked up a katana and a throwing axe for my assassin-slash-archer just because it's fun to chuck my axe at unwitting foes willy-nilly.
My favourite loot definitely was the books of spells I just happened to stumble upon though, which gave me the unholy ability to possess enemies for a limited time, as well as raise the dead for some extra chaos on the battlefield.
I can't tell you how enjoyable it is to wander around and snipe demons from afar with my trusty bow, all while my undead skeleton warrior (whom I've lovingly and unoriginally named Skelly) charges headfirst (or skull-first) into battle as my tank.
Yes, this little indie gem lets you do that, and all for the low, low price of free.
So, how do you play Shadowborn?
It's currently in early access with the latter half of the RPG coming soon, but to be honest, everything feels incredibly polished as it is, down to the lovely art style. It's safe to say you'll find plenty to immerse yourself in despite its seemingly "early stage" - but in-app purchases abound, though, so if you ever find yourself in too deep, you might have to start prepping your wallet for those special booster packs soon.
