Sometimes when a company tries their hand at something new, things go badly. There’s lots of horror stories out there, but thankfully I don’t think this game will be one of them. No, Dragon Marked for Death has the very real potential to be a success story. Inti Creates has done so much with robots and dark dystopian futures that I was a bit shocked when I heard they were trying their hands at a dark fantasy set in medieval times. What shocked me more though was learning Dragon Marked for Death is a game that’s meant to be played with friends. Every game of theirs I’ve played has been single player only, which is what makes this a big change.
At PAX West 2018, I got the chance to demo the game. I was set to play the single player mode (yes, it still has one), but thankfully I was able to try out co-op with one of the Inti staff. There were only 2 of the total 4 characters able to be tried, so I chose the Warrior and my partner chose the Empress. The Warrior is a walking tank, with brutal axe swings and shoulder charges that can break blocks. The Empress is more nimble, able to swing from grappling points and breath fire. Both are great classes in their own right, but when working together they can be a truly formidable force. We were able to team up and blast flames at foes while the Warrior shielded the fiery Empress.
Though this game is set in a fantasy world, there are recognizable nods to other games from Inti’s past. Though there are no robots per se, the unmistakable art style will make you believe that mechs could live in medieval times. But that’s really not a complaint, since the game looks utterly beautiful, dripping with pixelated style. In the demo I got to try a couple of different missions, one culminating in a massive boss fight against some hideous ogre-looking creatures. The monsters in the game have a lot of distinct flair, and they are just as pretty to look at as they are challenging to fight.
Best of all, Dragon Marked for Death is going to support local as well as online co-op, meaning you’ll be able to experience the game at its best even if you can’t invite friends over to play with you. I had my doubts about this game when it was first announced, but after demoing it, I’m very much looking forward to the release on December 13th. If you love co-op or are just a fan of Inti Creates, you owe it to yourself to check out Dragon Marked for Death on Switch.
