Quick Look: Children of Morta

Looks so awesome, can't wait until it goes on Switch.

I really like the way this game looks.

Children of Morta is probably going to end up among my top 3 games of this year. It plays really well, has gorgeous pixel graphics, intriguing bits of story given out at a good pace.

There are some really good emotional moments also. Rorie mentioned that he rescued a wolf pup. That specific scripted scenario that you just stumble upon in the early caves is very touching by its very nature of rescuing an animal from demons. But what got to me the most was the way it was presented through the incredible animations Children of Morta has all over the game. I might even say it's one of the best moments I've had in games this year.

Later on there are unlocks that affect how the different skills behave. So for Kevin, the rogue character, you can make his throwing knives explosive effects, or change them to be cast in a cone formation in front of him instead of in every direction around him.

This game also has local co-op, as seen on screen when you pick your character.

this reminds me of crawl a bit really looks neat.

I was so happy to see you guys playing this today! Since I am the person who on a whim had to tell Brad and Rorie of my love for this game here and on Uplay it really warms my heart to see you guys listen to suggestions from the community and that is what I like so much about this site. This is a game that needed to be seen and it sounds like people in the office are enjoying it. Thanks so much for making a quick look and I actually didn't know it was coming to Switch so I will be picking that up now too.

Ok, I'm not max level or at the end game yet (there are 3 portals with 3 levels each from what I've heard, and I'm on the second portal 2/3 in) but what I really enjoy about this game is that the progression matters, and the progression feels good. It does feel like a punishing game and I think that is because you can play it coop so it is expected to use the tank and rogue probably together, since I also struggle to be any good with Kevin (he is level 6 whereas most my party is level 10-15).

Every time you WIN or LOSE the game progresses to another part of the story, so you never - ever miss a story beat even if you die 20 times in a row. The story is poignant and actually has heart in a game where it is essentially a Diablo lite but with meaningful progression. Each family member increases the other one's skills as they discussed but it isn't just health and armor type of upgrades - you get things like "a certain char shows up and does an AE at random". The game feels super hard at the beginning but eventually you are just doing runs for money until you are strong enough to defeat a boss and I've never been bored with this game. I have a solid amount of time into it and just absolutely adore the heck out of it.

The classes are all unique and despite only having 3 abilities it doesn't feel like you need much more. The crusader "John" is one of my favorites because he has an active block that uses your stamina and you can just use thorns damage and AE lightning to kill everything. There is a monk, a fire wizard, a rogue, demon hunter, crusader, and barbarian essentially if we are comparing it to Diablo 3.

The Bastion style narration mixed with the art in this game is just phenomenal and I hope more people play it. It really has the same hook that Dead Cells has in me and the art sometimes just makes my jaw drop. It just feels like an experience, and a game that a lot of people would probably really have a lot of fun with. What is so fun about this game though is that every run feels different and even though your abilities aren't changing the "Divine Graces" (full time buffs), "Divine Relics" (on a cooldown), and "Charms" (strong abilities that can do things like more health, less damage from elite enemies, and things like constant health regeneration but less health when healed) are things that make or break a run.

It can be frustrating to go through 3 levels and get to a boss and have almost no buffs or even health and then get wrecked, but then it can be one of the coolest moments of 2019 when you walk into a boss room with 10 buffs, 2 dps pets and a heal pet following you around and just obliterate them in 3 seconds. Every run matters though and every time you just play for a few minutes, and get smoked - you still get gold. Always progressing, always upgrading.

Can't recommend this game enough! It is sitting next to Control and Outer Worlds right now for game of the year for me.

Looks cool, wish it wasn't a rogue like though as I am found of traditional ARPG's or "diablo-likes" as the kids call them.

I just got it on Steam. :D

This looks really good; also Rorie might be the only GB staffer who plays better when doing a quicklook.

Hah, that's definitely not always true for me! But I was pretty happy with my Spelunky run last night, at least.

Good QL! I usually don't like rogue lites but the stylish art and gameplay here may have sold me. Thanks Rorie and Brad!

Glad you liked it!

I cannot stress enough how good this game is. It's too bad Rorie didn't mention you could play it on local coop, I've been having a blast playing through this game with my girlfirend! Still, good job on this QL Matt, you definitely should do more of these!

Finally! Really glad GB gave this amazing game some love. It's my GOTY, something I was not expecting when I first loaded it up.

As far as roguelikes go, this is probably the least punishing I've played. You keep all the experience and gold you earn during a run, and you're constantly making your characters stronger. Also, unlike a lot of roguelikes, you're progressing through a whole series of dungeons, and once you clear one, you're done with it forever. Not to say the game isn't tough (it is), but I think it avoids a lot of frustrations some people have with the genre.

This looks way better than Diablo 4

Brad, the narrator reminds me of the narrator/voice-over from Dungeon Keeper, is that what you were thinking of?

Brad, that narrator sounds like Keith David!

If that isn't him he's a near-perfect imitation.

I wish I had remembered but we were a little pressed for time in the recording schedule!

I've been hoping for a game like this for awhile. This looks great!

All about this.