by theygamesI love being surprised. Not in an April Fools way or someone jumping out at me, but in the way of having my expectations pleasantly surpassed. One game that’s doing exactly that is Wardens Rising. It’s a mix of several different ideas and genres all mushed up into one gaming concoction. Alone none of them would particularly appeal to me – yet by putting them all together, it’s made something wholly intriguing.
You see Wardens Rising is a MOBA. Actually, it’s an action RPG. No, it’s a co-op top down shooter like the original Helldivers. It’s all of these things, with its own ideas sprinkled on top, all combined with the bold comic book stylings of League of Legends or World of Warcraft.
This is how it all works. You choose one of five Wardens to play, each with their own playstyle and unique abilities. Then you’re off to the endless war, facing down a threat from another dimension that’s intent on humanity’s destruction. By yourself or with friends, you’ll build up defenses in between battles, dropping lasers and turrets to aid you when the tide comes. Then the wave hits, with colossal armies of invaders who threaten to overwhelm you and your pals as you frantically – yet tactically – fend them off.
So on one hand you have the building defense and lane style of play from a MOBA like League of Legends, and on the other you’re playing an action RPG like Diablo 4 as you take the fight to the enemy personally. If you’d like to know more about how it all fits together and what the plans are for Wardens Rising, we got to speak to the team behind it to get the full lowdown.
One thing that really appeals in Wardens Rising is how it caters to both the co-op and single-player crowd. There are 24 campaign maps to hit up either alone or with friends, along with an endless mode and 12 mission modes which provide fresh challenges every time. It helps it feel like a game I can play happily by myself, and if friends are around they can hop in without having to start over or begin a new session.
If all of that sounds interesting to you, you’ll be glad to know you’ll be able to play a slice of it for free soon. Wardens Rising will have a demo you can play that’s coming to Steam on Monday July 29. You’ll be able to grab it from the Steam page, where you can also add the game to your wishlist.
While you wait, why not take a look at our recommendations for the best tower defense games you can play, as well as our guide to the very best multiplayer games out there in 2024.
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