Welcome to GTOGG’s February 2022 edition of Promising Indie Game Releases, where we highlight indie and non-mainstream titles that we believe deserve your attention – in other words, “look at all this potentially cool stuff you might’ve missed otherwise”. That would’ve been too long for a title, though.
In any case, let’s get right down to it.
Martha Is Dead
Taking place in 1944, psychological thriller Martha is Dead begins with the death of the titular Martha, whose mutilated body is left near a lake located deep in the Italian countryside of Tuscany. The game follows Martha’s twin sister as she attempts to shed light on the truth behind the gruesome murder, and will combine real-world historical events and locations with elements of folklore and superstition.
Rise of the Third Power
The Ara Fell developer’s latest project is another ambitious roleplaying game described as a love letter to the genre – large-scale adventures, political intrigue, a cast of diverse characters and strategic battles await those who decide to plunge into its tale. Based loosely on “the political climate of Europe in the late 1930s”, the game tells the story of a band of heroes on a seemingly doomed quest to oppose a fearsome emperor and prevent another massive war from breaking out.
Sifu
A game chronicling the story of a determined kung fu warrior on a journey to avenge the death of his family, Sifu makes kung fu an integral part of its themes; mastery comes through practice and endless self-improvement, it tells us, and the gameplay reflects this as well. Death isn’t necessarily final, as every time the main character is downed, players are given the opportunity to rise up, spend their experience points on new skills, and try again. Resurrection comes at the cost of your own life span, however: each new death ages the protagonist, until eventually, his death becomes final. So, as previously implied, practice and continuous self-improvement become your key to success.
Infernax
Sporting nostalgic pixel art in the vein of NES classics, Infernax tells the story of a knight who returns to his homeland and must save it from the forces of evil. Prepare to traverse murky dungeons and monster-infested castles as you face off against an entire host of hulking bosses, all the while unlocking new skills, side quests and weapons to make yourself even stronger. Interestingly enough, the game will also offer player decisions with consequences that lead into multiple potential endings, so maybe don’t be mean to that one NPC because he might come back to kick you in the shin? Who knows.
Heroine Anthem Zero 2 : Scalescars Oath
A charming, anime-style action-RPG with some truly impressive visuals, Heroine Anthem Zero 2 promises fast-paced side-scrolling action and plenty of storytelling – and while the plot synopsis on the project’s Steam page has me scratching my head in confusion, I can only hope it’ll make more sense once you actually play the game.
KungFu Kickball
If you ever thought to yourself, “what would happen if we crossed kung fu with soccer?”, well… I suppose now you have your answer. This game is what would happen. KungFu Kickball doesn’t pull its punches, if you’ll excuse the pun; you’re very much expected to soar through the skies and throw out all kinds of martial arts moves while also trying to kick the ball into the enemy’s bell to score points. And before you ask – yes, there is an online multiplayer mode. Of course there’s an online multiplayer mode.
Diplomacy is Not an Option
Make war, not love is probably the motto of the battle-hungry king whose questionable exploits force you, a minor lord, to protect your castle against hordes upon hordes of rebellious peasants out for blood – your blood. And if you think the enemy army is the only thing trying to kill you, worry not – hunger, starvation and devastating plagues can also ravage your troops, making your feudal life harsher than ever before.
And that’s our list for now! Did you discover a new indie game to look forward to? Well, we hope you did. In any case, don’t forget to check back in about a month for our next episode, where we’ll be taking a look at the indie games of March 2022!
