Disclaimer

I was sent the Talaka demo to review for my blog. I understand the game is not finished yet and will be a bit more lenient with my review. That said, this will be my honest review of the game.

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Table of Contents

What is Talaka?

Talaka is a dynamic action roguelike based on Brazilian folklore coming soon to a PC near you. The game features beautiful hand-drawn art and the ability to cater your gameplay to your skill level. Most importantly, there is a demo available that should be in your library. Don’t forget to wishlist!

Hook

Your Grandmother has gone missing, and it is up to you to find her. Your search sends you the mysterious and magical land of the Orishas, creatures of folklore. Orishas find themselves slowly fading from memory. As a result, many of them have gone rogue, causing chaos and destruction. Luckily, you have been blessed by the gods and with one of the over 150 weapons to fight them off. Build your character with unique skills and abilities (some RNG based and others you buy along the way) and travel through this new surreal landscape. This won’t be an easy task. Platforms will test your patience, bosses will test your skills, and you die a lot in between. Do you have what it takes to get your grandmother back?

Gameplay

Talaka is an action-packed action platformer that should familiar to the fans of the genre. In typical roguelike fashion, all adventures start at a central hub. This is where the player can important permanent skills and abilities that will help them achieve a longer run, and one step closer to getting grandma. During a run, players will choose from one of two unique weapons. The game will have over 150 weapons to choose from, and it offers you a chance to test out the weapons before you officially start the run. The demo allows players to give feedback on each weapon they use, so make sure you share your thoughts to make the game even better than it already is.

Once a weapon is chosen, players will get to choose a room where they can earn important buffs. In typical rogulike fashion, players get to build their character in a way that fits their playstyle, so long as the RNG is in their favor. The demo doesn’t have all skills and abilities available yet, so the RNG is a little more limiting. That said, no two runs will ever be the same.

Combat in this game is your typical hack and slash. Players get a strike they can combo, a dodge they can use, and a powerful parry skill they can customize. The parry skill recharges over time through combat. Players will need to learn and memorize each creature’s attack patterns, and use their skillset to overcome them. What makes combat dynamic is that every weapon offers a new type of hit pattern that players also need to master. For example, Pele’s ball shoots at an arch, and the player must learn to take advantage of the arch to deal effective damage.

Impressions

On my initial boot of the game, I was blown away by how beautiful the game looks. The game has beautiful art and animation inspired by a rich culture. The Talaka demo may be limited, but it offers a solid roguelike within a vibrant dreamlike world. It has the performance you need from a fast-paced, action-packed game with the gameplay that will have you obsessing until the demo’s completion. I know I am ready for more, but unfortunately we have to wait for a full release. If you are a fan of the genre or want to experience a beautiful world, check out the Takala demo.

Aesthetic

It was the artstyle that first drew my to Talaka. I am here to tell you that the demo does not do this game justice. This game has such a beautiful and vibrant world that I had to stop to admire every detail. Each character is iconic, not just for its importance in the folklore, but because of how beautifully they are represented on the screen. The creatures that fill the world are terrifying, but fill build this unique and surreal world. The animations are exciting, and it makes it look like a painting that has come to life. I would urge you to check out the demo just to appreciate the game’s art.

Gameplay

The gameplay is fine if you enjoy action roguelikes. The game is marketed as having Dead Cells-like combat, and I have to agree. Combat is pretty tight, and without any noticeable bugs. The game features a wide selection of weapons, but there are some weapons that are better than others. I like how imaginative some of these weapons are, but not all of them worked with my playstyle. There were runs that were absolutely ruined by the RNG, but this might be a skill issue. Luckily, the game let you vote on the weapons as you use them, so make sure you play the demo to help make the full game even better.

The RNG for the roguelike portion of the game seemed pretty fair, but the choices were limited. A lot of the time, there wasn’t really a choice because the skill wasn’t available for the demo. This is only an issue for min-maxing, but there isn’t enough content for that to be worth it. There was enough customization available to make an impact, and that is what matters for the demo.

I like that the game allows players to build around the RNG. At death, players can adjust the difficulty of a run with a slider for a custom experience. You can either choose to enjoy the lore and story as you fight your way with an easy difficulty, or you can go all out and test your skill as the action roguelike master you are. At the hub, players can purchase permanent buffs that builds your character for a more tuned experience. The game also charges players for each reattempt if they have any currency remaining. This incentivizes players to always spend their points, and it is too early to tell if this is a good thing.

Ultimately, I appreciated the challenge and found the repetition soothing. While I may not vibe with each weapon, I found the overall gameplay enjoyable.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a new action roguelike, Takala does some interesting things that are worth looking into. The game features interesting lore and a beautifully drawn world. The gameplay leans a bit too heavy on the RNG, but it helps with the repetition. There is a grind, but there is lore and story to help dull some it. It did not feel too bad in the demo, especially since you can adjust the difficulty. To be fair, if you’re playing a roguelike, you should be expecting some type of repetition. The best part about the demo is that you can submit feedback to the devs. This is your chance to influence a game that is already in a solid place be even better. Make sure you check out the demo, and don’t forget to wishlist!

If you’re still looking for a new action roguelike, check out Nocturnal.

Trailer