Essencelord is a brand-new retro-style title coming to the Game Boy Color, thanks to the hard work of a solo developer and his team of freelancers. In Essencelord, players take on the role of a Wizard or Warrior and begin a journey inspired by classic action role-playing games on the Game Boy Color.
Tyler Lombard is the person behind this project, and he is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to secure the funds he needs to finish the project. That said, Essencelord already has a playable demo on itch.io that showcases its early gameplay and performance capabilities.
Essencelord Is Coming to Game Boy Color
Developer Lombard describes Essencelord as a loot-based action RPG designed for the Game Boy Color. Players will have no inventory and can carry only five pieces of gear. This is why the game is called “loot-based,” as players must constantly decide what gear to equip and what to leave behind. No release date has been confirmed at the time of writing. However, it appears that if the Kickstarter campaign succeeds, backers will receive a limited-edition physical Game Boy Color cartridge of Essencelord, along with a bunch of other goodies.
Essencelord Gameplay Features
- Two classes
- Skill customization
- Gear enhancement
- Boss fights
- Multiple explorable regions
- Puzzles
- Secret areas
- Items with different rarities
- Reputation system
- Side quests
- Endgame content
One interesting feature in Essencelord is its duo of protagonists. Players can decide at the start of each playthrough whether they want to play as the Warrior or the Wizard. Each protagonist, or class as the game calls them, comes with unique abilities and a distinct combat style. As their titles imply, the Wizard focuses on long-range attacks while the Warrior is more defense-oriented, tanky, and specializes in close-range combat. The developer hopes the distinction between these two classes will also make Essencelord one of those tiny games with high replay value.
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Image via Tyler Lombard -
Image via Tyler Lombard -
Image via Tyler Lombard
The gameplay loop in Essencelord is straightforward. It involves solving puzzles, discovering secret areas and loot, and fighting hostile creatures. Essencelord will feature three regions and more than seven zones, with plenty of areas to explore. Fans of modern retro-style games might also be interested to know that Essencelord features plenty of boss fights. The developer also plans to add endgame content for players who want to stick around after beating the campaign.
Fans of Game Boy Color games who are thirsty for something new can check out Essencelord‘s free demo on itch.io. The good news is that the demo runs in a web browser and requires no download. According to the developer, the demo includes nearly 70% of the content planned for the game’s first region at launch. Those who want to support the project can become Kickstarter backers and help developer Tyler Lombard reach his $4,500 goal to complete the game.
Essencelord is still in development, and although all the features mentioned come from the game’s official press releases, some of them may change in the final product.