Realm of Ink - Early Access [Impressions]
Captivating roguelite adventure Realm of Ink invites players to journey through a stunning world inspired by Chinese art and folklore.
Realm of Ink. Credit: Leap Studio
Realm of Ink is an action roguelite from Leap Studio, now in Early Access on Steam. The game is similar to Hades, which is now a model for many similar games. Realm of Ink is thematically and visually inspired by Chinese art and literature. Red wants to assert her own agency and escape the power of the storyteller to tell her own story. She battles through beautifully illustrated worlds, and the inked, painterly graphics are a highlight of the game.
From Steam:
Realm of Ink is an Ink-style action Roguelite game. While pursuing the Fox Demon, the swordswoman Red, unexpectedly finds that her life is dictated by the 'destiny' within the world of the book. Only by breaking free can she unveil the truth of her existence and challenge the constraints of fate.
Realm of Ink. Credit: Leap Studio
Gameplay consists of progressing through a series of biomes, fighting a miniboss and guardian in each one before moving on to the next. After each room, you’ll usually choose between two types of rooms and reward types for the next challenge. You’ll find a shop in each zone, and encounter NPCs based on Chinese folklore that sell items or provide services; they’ll usually have new dialogue for you on each meeting, too. I wasn’t exaggerating in my comparison to Hades.
The similarities extend to combat. Attack, dodge, and use specials in an isometric perspective. You have two specials at your disposal, based on the inks that you pick up and can upgrade, providing different kinds of attacks and elemental influence. Various types of perks modify your stats, power, and combat style, allowing you to create a broad variety of builds.
Realm of Ink. Credit: Leap Studio
In a departure from Hades, Red has a pet that aids her in combat. Once you equip two inks, the pet will shapeshift based on the combination and attack your enemies in battle. Eventually, each pet gets a special attack you can execute at will.
Rather than choosing between weapons, Red gets access to different forms. Each one has different battle mechanics based on its theme, providing great variety to gameplay. This is the most interesting part of the game for me, and I look forward to unlocking the rest of the forms and seeing what else Leap Studio has in store after Early Access.
Realm of Ink. Credit: Leap Studio
Though incomplete, Realm of Ink is worth picking up in Early Access. There’s already plenty here that’s a well-polished, fun experience. A major update dropped a few days ago, with two more large updates planned over the two months ahead before hitting 1.0 in January 2025.
Realm of Ink is available now for PC in Early Access on Steam.
Played on: Steam Deck
