Patch Quest review: roguelikes, Metroidvanias, and Pokémon-likes converge

world at a glance patch quest Charming, colorful, and warm. However, you soon encounter a giant spider web and suddenly the world looks more dangerous.

of patch questIn , you play as an explorer trying to stitch together the quilted world of Patchlantis with the help of his fellow monsters. The first few hours are an amalgamation of the many previous games. You can tame monsters like Pokemon and collect items. Isaac’s bondageand dodge for your life enter the GungeonBut despite its obvious inspiration, developer Lychee Game Labs has created something unique. Monster taming roguelike all unique.

Each time you embark on a quest, use your monster-taming lasso and trusty blaster to get lost in the labyrinths of the world of Patch Lantis, conquering the world one patch at a time with one goal in mind. Undo. First, I stepped into Patchlantis and met my first enemy: the moth. Frail Bugs seemed like a weak partner, but after taming Hypnos, it turned out to be the dominant ally.

Ride on the back of your new colleague and travel through a maze of quilts, defeating enemy animals and powering up with fruit ammo and charms. Clash with bosses, unlock shortcuts, and collect plants to reach your final demise, at which point you return to base his camp. Before you set off on another quest, earn perks to strengthen your explorer, scatter plants around your camp to strengthen your beloved pet, and be ready for your next journey.

Now you’re ready to unpatch the world — wait, is that an armadillo with a hat? That’s what I’m talking about!animals and creatures in patch quest Their cute demeanor (even creepy crawlies) seduced me, but many of them have no interest in being my friend.Some are simply wild beasts looking for their next meal. the animals of patch quest But these animals must be eliminated rather than tamed and collected.

Image: Lychee Game Labs/Curve Games via Polygon

Their projectiles clutter my screen and I do my best to dodge in the least amount of space. should do it You can take damage or even die, patch quest Forgiving in its toolset. Projectiles can be destroyed or deflected rather than dodged. You may also have a high enough “evasion level” that gives you a chance to take no damage when hit, allowing you to dodge all but the messiest bursts.

After several hours, patch quest I started to feel a little that too Forgive me, I checked my difficulty settings and realized I was playing on the lowest possible difficulty. Oh, did you quickly realize you’re not the gamer you thought you were? patch questdifficulty settings range from charming and friendly to punishing and chaotic.much of the joy patch quest It comes from revisiting higher difficulties once you’ve unlocked perks and leveled up your newfound companions.

After some experimentation and trial and error (also called dying over and over), I was happy with my understanding patch questcore gameplay loop. The maze itself is fixed, but the enemies and patches themselves are different every time, so you can have a fresh experience every time you run.

Image: Lychee Game Labs/Curve Games via Polygon

the beginning of patch quest It can take time to fully flesh out, but each quilt starts with a single thread and needle. Quickly weave in new gameplay elements to keep them from dusting and matting. That forces players to diversify their playstyles, and it doesn’t just feel like a random gimmick in and of itself. A quest system gives you a sense of direction through a winding labyrinth. Shortcuts also eliminate the need to endlessly navigate the maze to reach your objective. Combat pulls you back in, tying you into a satisfying roguelike he loops that upgrades your gear and improves the final quest.

That’s impressive — especially for a game developed by Single person — Number of different genres and number of different gameplay loops patch quest I manage to juggle without dropping a single one. Pokemon, Castlevania, Isaac’s bondage, enter the Gungeon A smoothie, but one I plan to order again and again.

patch quest It was released on March 2nd on Windows PC. This game was reviewed using a pre-release download code provided by Curve Games. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not affect editorial content, but Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased via affiliate links.discoverable Additional information on Polygon’s Ethics Policy can be found here.