It's hard not to compare Inkbound to other combat-oriented roguelikes, such as Hades and Dead Cells, but Inkbound throws a twist into the mix by making its combat a turn-based system that feels more like Slay the Spire or Persona 5 Tactica. It is the type of game designed around requiring more forethought and planning than some of the other tactical RPG games currentlly available.
Inkbound's combat system works surprisingly well, but despite its unique feeling, it never manages to stand out among the other roguelikes currently in existence. Developer Shiny Shoe does try hard to make a game about monsters who steal the ink out of stories fun and engrossing, with a lot of unlockables, multiplayer combat, and a plethora of on-the-fly build customizations that do help give the game its own identity. But players still might find themselves a bit ho-hum about the overall fight, die, and repeat cycle despite the game being a better-than-average gaming experience with its 1.0 release out of early access.
Inkbound's turn-based combat style isn't new, but the amount of depth possible with augmenting skills, unlocking new skills during runs, and adding passive abilities called vestiges that change key aspects of the game is actually fairly deep and enjoyable. Most combat is initiated by players entering a combat circle and beginning the fight, triggering the game's roguelike random assortment of enemies to spawn. From there, almost all fights merely require the defeat of every enemy on screen.
Where it gets interesting is in how players will choose to build their fighter as they progress through areas. There are attacks that add poison stacks, actions that add fire attacks, opening actions that damage enemies or buff the player, and a lot more options. The number of choices in the various categories that are upgradable is large to begin with, but more and more open up as players level, discover new items, and complete various quests. It's quite impressive how deep the temporary builds can get even when just starting out.
The game starts with only four playable classes unlocked, with more available when certain quests are completed. The beginning classes are more than capable of being entertaining though. Whether it's with giant hammers, threads, throwable shuriken, or dual shields, each is enjoyable in its own way and diverse in its abilities. Luckily, Inkbound lets you change your class freely from the world hub before going on missions, so players are able to experiment with each of them to find the one or two they like the best. It can be a bit of a grind to unlock the other classes, but those who don't mind a bit of work without having to endure a live-service model or seasonal releases will undoubtedly enjoy laboring toward them. The unlockable classes grow a bit in complexity from the starter choices, so that may also be a drive for players looking for an even more intricate experience.
Bosses are neat in that they break up the monotony of fighting regular baddies by having unique attacks and reactions that can force players to think twice about even attacking in certain situations. These require at least a little bit of planning in order to survive, as they can seem to quickly overwhelm players with additional enemies or area attacks if they aren't careful with their positioning. This goes doubly so when fighting them with friends or other players.
The added difficulty is usually welcome after fighting through waves of the same enemies whose looks are determined by which book players jump into and whose difficulty is usually mediocre. That doesn't mean that some regular fights aren't challenging, but there become moments when users will just want fights to end, so they can progress without having to grind down enemies with basic attacks over and over again, especially when they're just starting out.
Multiplayer is fun even when joining up to three other random players, but users will need to be careful when making choices during engagements. The turn-based combat allows each player to make their decisions independently of each other, but this can cause some havoc if players rush to finish their turns way before their teammates. Since some enemies turn to face their attackers, this can quickly lead to situations where players not paying careful attention can cause a cascade of damage to be inflicted on an unlucky character.
The ebb and flow of fights can feel absolutely fantastic with the right group, though that means the bad groups are really awful. Still, rolling through fights with multiple players attacking at the same time can create a lot of chaotic good moments. Shiny Shoe was nice enough to allow players to play offline as well, so anyone wanting to play alone will have that choice.
Character customization feels basic when compared to many other RPG games, but it still allows users to create a different look every time. Hair parts are all standard, with nothing other than the colors of them allowed to be changed, but there are many, many unlockable pieces available for each player. Weapon skins, different clothing, face paints, back slots, even trailing effects, there are a ton of pieces available to find or unlock. This includes a cosmetic vault where players can spend a specific currency that is earnable in the game, which is a step away from most games' attempts at monetizing every purchasable moment. These are some more of the fantastically designed armor and weapons, and Inkbound takes a step away from what has become the standard monetization practice, a decision that deserves to be noted.
Area environmental designs are neat at first, but after seeing the same themes over and over again, they quickly grow less interesting. Each book has a different theme, and they vary wildly from each other in both tone and design, but after seeing them all once, there isn't much else to be intrigued by. There also isn't any real interaction with the environment short of breaking various objects for in-game money or finding random fishing locations that give a temporary buff upon eating them. The transitioning between fights doesn't feel very interesting either, as bridges are simply created after choosing the path the player wants to take to the next area. It's a simple transition method, but it almost feels like the game would have been better served by making the transition either more interactive, or more entertaining somehow. Waiting for other players can also be a pain when trying to roll through the various books quickly.
Players will need to get used to a weird feeling when running through the game's main hub and between fights. It feels and looks like characters are moving faster than their running animations would allow them and ends up looking like they are ice skating around the map. It is more of a nitpick issue, and one that doesn't affect gameplay at all, but was still jarring enough to take note of.
Despite it never really standing out from the crowd, Inkbound does a decent job of creating a fight, die, and repeat cycle that is equal parts entertaining and challenging. Running the gauntlets of the various books with friends or strangers is an undoubtedly fun experience, and since unlockables can be earned in-game, it will perhaps drive a lot of players to keep at the grind a bit longer than they normally would. Those looking for something familiar but with a new twist should keep their eyes on Inkbound, and be ready to dive into the books and write their own adventures.
Inkbound
Reviewed on PC
Shiny Shoe's Inkbound is a roguelike RPG with turn-based tactical combat. Set in Atheneum, a world containing every story ever written, the indie game offers build variety, 4-player co-op, and a flexible battle system.
- Excellent turn-based combat
- Tons of unlockables
- Fun boss designs
- Uninteresting environment designs
- Multiplayer experience is hit or miss
Inkbound is out now on PC. Game ZXC was provided a PC code for this review.
