Guidus Zero: Top-Down Roguelike Debuts in Early Access

A new title has just hit Steam’s Early Access: Guidus Zero, a captivating top-down dungeon crawler from the inventive minds at indie South Korean studio Izzle.

Imagine a world scarred by a seemingly endless war that finally concluded without a definitive winner. This central continent is now a neutral zone, but it’s also home to a colossal chasm known as The Scar. Emerging from its depths is the enigmatic Black Blood, a substance spawning corrupted creatures. The origins of The Scar and the source of Black Blood remain shrouded in mystery. And that’s where your adventure begins.

As a player, you’ll dive into The Scar alongside a diverse group of characters, confronting foes tainted by Black Blood as you journey ever deeper. You’ll have a roster of characters to command, each bringing unique abilities to the table. The game offers real-time action combat with a twist: both you and your adversaries navigate a grid, moving strictly in the four cardinal directions.

You’ll need to keep a sharp eye on your opponents. When they prepare to strike, an exclamation mark tips you off, and the ground flashes to reveal the attack’s reach. Each enemy presents distinct patterns—some might attack directly ahead, others sweep in long lines or cover broad areas. Often, you’ll face multiple foes at once, keeping you on your toes and demanding quick reflexes to dodge their attacks.

Movement strategy is key too. You can perform a roll for temporary invincibility, but watch your stamina—it depletes with every roll. And since diagonal moves are off the table, planning your direction and timing is crucial to avoid getting cornered by unavoidable attacks.

Dodging isn’t your only concern, though; you’ve got to hit back. Your mode of attack varies based on your character, each with a starting trait chosen at the outset of each dungeon delve. As you take out enemies, your character levels up, in true RPG style.

Levelling up offers a chance to select skill upgrades tailored to your chosen trait, shaping your playstyle for that run. Every journey is different since your experience and upgrade choices don’t carry over after each run—you reset to zero, making each venture unique and challenging.

But don’t worry; not everything vanishes when you fall. Along your journey, you’ll encounter ore veins that yield stones, each with various stats. As you gather them, your collective stone count can trigger stat bonuses. Stones slotted for active use are retained after a run, while those unequipped transform into stone fragments, which double as currency or can be reforged by the NPC blacksmith into brand-new stones.

As you delve deeper, you’ll also stumble upon hidden rooms housing treasure chests packed with artifacts. These treasures grant one-of-a-kind buffs and power up your abilities, eventually stacking elemental effects. Once an artifact hits five stacks, it bonds with an elemental spirit, unlocking unique attacks and powers.

Aligning with Ignis means accessing a burn debuff for continuous damage. Atlen allows you to slow enemies down and freeze the already drenched foes. Rathorus delivers a shock debuff with extra damage, while Enryl boosts your speed and enhances multi-hits with a sprint bonus. Lastly, Terrania petrifies enemies, letting fragments fly off with each hit.

All these elements come together to create that quintessential “one more run” feel that roguelike enthusiasts adore. Permanent upgrades via stones meld with fresh character and ability choices to make each playthrough a new adventure. Tempted to try Guidus Zero? It’s currently available on Steam in Early Access.

Celebrating its launch, Guidus Zero is offering a 10% discount until December 9. The developers are also eyeing potential releases on Xbox and Nintendo Switch, although there’s no official word on console availability just yet.