When Absolum debuted last year (and this year on Xbox), it quickly emerged as one of the best modern beat 'em ups. A big part of Absolum's appeal is that it was the only roguelike brawler on the market. Well, that has just changed with the arrival of Mad King Redemption from Secret Mission and Pixel Doors. This one is both a beat 'em up and a roguelike, but it looks vastly different from just about any other game in the genre thanks to its bold 2.5D graphics. It also features 4-player local co-op, so it's definitely on our must-play list.
Official description:The Kingdom has fallen to the Mad King, who has used forbidden magic to try to resuscitate the queen. But the powers of life and death were too big to handle for him, and as a consequence, the King lost his sanity.
Drawing inspiration from beloved classics, we've crafted a beat'em'up experience that combines old-school controls and retro feelings with innovative 3D mechanics.
Each of the 4 playable characters comes with their signature combat styles, customizable stats that impact gameplay, and detailed backstories to discover.
Every run is unique, with randomized elements.
The lack of true online play might keep Mad King Redemption from reaching Absolum's heights, but Mad King only costs half as much, so that's not surprising. Steam Remote Play Together allows two online players to team up using only one copy of the game, so it's a good solution while the game remains exclusive to PC. It's also planned for Xbox Series, though, so maybe full online play will come along in the future. We'll be watching this one!
Mad King Redemption currently costs $14.99 on Steam. It will also be released on Xbox Series, Epic, and GOG in the future.