There’s an allure to the old fantasy staples of a knight, ranger, and mage. The upcoming roguelite Astebros puts players in the retro-inspired pixel-graphic boots of one of those three archetypes and sets them out to take on the puzzles and dangers of a wild land, either alone or with a friend.
A prequel to 2019’s Demons of Asteborg, Astebros sees its three characters arriving on the continent of Asteborg in search of lavish resources Taking inspiration from games like Binding of Isaac and more surprising fare like Mickey Mania, Astebros pushes the limits of the Sega Genesis to provide a rich, exciting gameplay experience. And each of the protagonists is suited to different kinds of players, as father-and-son duo Simon and Christopher Reboul explained in a recent interview with Game ZXC.
The playable characters of Astebros each have a unique playstyle, according to the devs. The Knight, a favorite of game director Simon, is a straight-forward heavy-hitter, able to progress through content with high damage output. The Ranger, a favorite of studio founder Christophe, can use the recoil from firing an arrow to launch themselves into the air a la Squirrel With a Gun as well as call on animal companions. The Mage, a favorite of chief developer Christopher Rolin, has a wide range of utility from support to offensive magic gathered from scrolls during play. “There’s a character for everyone,” Simon said.
Those protagonists will have to take on a variety of levels and challenges, and not all of those challenges will be straightforward, explained Simon. That’s where inspirations like Mickey Mania enter the picture. For instance, Simon’s favorite fight is against the first boss of a circus-inspired segment of the game, Stromboli, who poses an unexpected challenge. Simon said,
“It's a bit particular because we didn't have to go beat some knight. It's happening in the circus in a big center ring, and you have to accomplish some little trials. It's not a regular, classic combat approach where we get our classic fighting, it’s more like mini-games.”
Players can get help from a friend against the challenges Astebros throws their way using a retro-styled drop-in drop-out cooperative multiplayer system, and the game will automatically adjust the difficulty settings to account for the additional player, the developers explained. The difficulty will also adjust to returning to solo play, allowing for a smooth transition between modes.
As for what brought Neofid to roguelites as a genre, Simon said it was his doing. “That's a bit my fault because I know Christophe is not really fond of Roguelikes,” he joked.
"I discovered Binding of Isaac , maybe like 10 years ago. That was a game I had a big crush on. It's an amazing game, like you can play over and over again, and it’s never the same game. It’s never boring. That's why we wanted to do something like that on the Sega Genesis. Because there is nothing on this console that does that kind of gameplay.”
Astebros will release the week of May 15, 2023, on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Sega Genesis.
