Fairytales have changed quite a bit since the versions most people grew up with, or to put it another way, the origins of Disney fairytales are not innocent like some fans may assume. The original Brothers Grimm versions, in particular, are considerably darker (and often much stranger), which makes them a pretty fitting foundation for a character-action game on Steam where the princesses are less interested in being rescued and more interested in cutting their way through anything standing between them and revenge.
It is a crude comparison, but if Stellar Blade or Final Fantasy 16‘s gameplay paired with Disney Princesses (and roguelike structure) sounds interesting, that’s exactly what this upcoming Steam game from indie developer Mass Creation is. It essentially imagines a world where the Brothers Grimm versions of these princesses sought revenge against their stepmothers who usurped their thrones, and as such, it’s worth highlighting that these are NOT Disney’s versions of Snow White, Rapunzel, or Red Hood.
Pick Up Your Swords and Slippers, and Fight For Your Happily Ever After
“Come for the Curves, Stay for the Combos”
The Steam game in question, Swords & Slippers, reimagines the classic fairytale heroines as warriors leading a rebellion against the evil stepmothers who stole their happily ever afters. Snow White fights with a dwarven pickaxe, Red Hood has embraced the wolf side of her own story, and Rapunzel turns her magical hair into something considerably more dangerous. Each heroine has her own combat style, giving the game the kind of character variety associated with character-action games while letting players build a squad and switch between them during combos. It is uncertain if these are the only three combat characters, but each roguelike run limits how many characters can be chosen.
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
The Final Fantasy 16 and Stellar Blade combat comparison becomes especially apparent once the fighting starts. Attacks branch into different combo routes, defense can keep the action moving, elemental powers give the heroines additional tools, and a style meter rewards players for fighting creatively. Every run begins at dawn, with new abilities and upgrades becoming available as the hours pass. By midnight, enemies become more dangerous and rewards become richer, creating a roguelike progression loop around the flashy action. There are also bosses built around twisted versions of familiar storybook figures, meaning the fairytales themselves become part of the game’s combat roster.
Between runs, the focus shifts back toward the heroines and their stories. In the castle, players take on the role of Prince Charming, it seems, as they are able to build relationships with each princess, uncover their secrets, and make choices that determine key storylines. What’s incredibly cool is how, depending on these relationship developments and which princess(es) are chosen for a run, unique story cutscenes can or cannot appear, allowing for unique developments in every playthrough. In other words, Swords & Slippers is not a half-baked “throw fairytale characters into an action game” title, but one with real depth.
Again, the most important distinction is that Swords & Slippers is drawn from Brothers Grimm fairytales, not Disney’s versions of these characters. While games like Final Fantasy 16 with Disney Princesses is an easy comparison to understand the game’s fast-paced spectacle and recognizable characters, Swords & Slippers is ultimately doing something closer to Stellar Blade meets the Brothers Grimm (with a roguelike game structure, a squad of weaponized heroines, and a whole lot of fairytale revenge).
