Godbreakers is an upcoming action-roguelike with snappy combat, flashy visuals, and one of the weirdest settings I’ve seen in a while - a post-apocalyptic world where the sand has gained sentience and basically won the war against humanity. So yeah... we're off to good start.

Hi there, I'm Ash and I've spent the past few days digging through the freshly released demo, and I think this one really has potential. So let me show you what makes Godbreakers stand out, what still needs work, and why you might want to give it a try.

Video version of this recommendation (~14 minutes)

What makes it special?

Since this is an action-roguelike, let’s start with the obvious: how does the combat feel and and what can you actually do?

At first glance, it’s pretty standard fare. You’re constantly swarmed by enemies with varied attack patterns, and you’ll need to juggle dodges, attacks, and deal with environmental hazards to stay alive. You'll then get new items, become stronger, and move onto even nastier hordes of tunnel-crabs and ball-mouths.

But then your Godbreak ability comes online, and things get a whole lot... weirder. Once your charge meter hits 100%, and you knock an enemy down to a sliver of health, you can literally jump inside them - and then explode out from within like a chestburster! Not only is this an incredibly metal way to show a crab who's boss, it also lets you steal the enemy’s signature ability.

Even better, this works on almost everything: regular enemies, minibosses, and pretty much anything short of the main boss. And since these stolen powers were originally meant to destroy you, a highly mobile player, they're easy to dodge yet pack one hell of a punch. And...well, the monsters aren't quite as good at dodging as you are!

The whole thing adds an intriguing twist to the usual roguelike flow, but without bloating your build with random nonsense. So even in the short demo with only a handful of enemy types, the Godbreak abilities kept combat feeling fresh and exciting.

That said, the system could use a tweak. All of these abilities are one-and-done, which works fine when you’re mowing down hordes and constantly getting new toys to play with. But in a one-on-one boss fight, you really feel the absence. This is especially annoying after taking down a miniboss because unlocking some massive new power feels awesome... but then you just use it once on some random crabs and it's gone... or you sit on it forever and miss the whole point of the game. Not ideal.

So giving us a few more charges would make a big difference - just enough to let us enjoy the power trip without turning it into a crutch. It’s a cool mechanic, and I really do think Godbreakers should go all-in on it.

There's a lot of weird critters out there... and a lot of weird powers to steal off them!

Combat mechanics

Now that you’ve seen the basic gameplay loop, let’s talk about what your character can actually do. It all revolves around four simple moves: light attack, heavy attack, jump, and dodge. By combining these you can string together various combos and dance around the battlefield with surprising agility. Add in a handful of abilities, some of which you start with and some you pick up mid-run, and you’ve got a pretty standard, but very functional, combat system.

It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel. So if you’ve played a fast-paced action roguelike before, you already know what this one feels like. But that’s not a complaint. Quite the contrary. Taking a well established formula and building upon it is just a smart idea. So while I hope to see more complex combos and skill synergies as the game develops, for a demo? I think this a perfectly solid start.

That said, there’s one part of the combat that drives me nuts. A missing feature that I genuinely can’t believe didn’t make it in - There’s no lock-on.

In a game this fast, where you’re constantly darting around your foes or charging straight at ranged enemies, not being able to aim your attacks while maneuvering feels... wrong. It’s especially frustrating during the final boss fight. Squidward over there has massive tentacles you absolutely need to dodge, but without a lock-on you’ll either lunge face-first into them, or risk embarrassing yourself in front of all the crabs by flying straight past your target. So yeah, Godbreakers needs a lock-on mode. No question about it.

Having a bit of precision goes a long way in an action game

About abilities

So what are these abilities I've been talking about, and how do you get them? Well, the main one you pick before each run and tied to the class you choose. There’s a bunch of different classes planned, though only two were available in the demo. Each one has a unique weapon and a small pool of abilities to pick from.

Take the big bonky stick guy, for example. He gets an AOE nuke that grants barriers to nearby allies... and a way cooler ability that turns him into a walking bomb. You pop a shield, taunt all enemies around you, and then once it expires you'll blast all of that absorbed damage right back at them. It's the perfect 'I'll tank an insta-kill attack and spit it right back in their face' kind of power and I love it. Chef’s kiss.

Now, since this is just the early-game demo, it’s hard to say how different the classes will feel long-term. But even with limited build options, the two classes already felt distinct. One had a fast-swinging lance, and the other a hilariously thicc chunk of wood that's slow to swing yet hits like a dump truck. It's nothing too outlandish, but it works.

Beyond your starting loadout, you’ll also find new abilities as you play. Most of the ones I saw were simple 'fire-and-forget' attacks - powerful when used in the right moment, but nothing too flashy. So I’m hoping the full release spices things up. Every great roguelike needs crazy powers with weird synergies - the kind that break the rules and give each run its own distinct flavor. I don't think Godbreakers is there yet, but the groundwork’s in place.

The abilities are functional, but could use a bit more pizzazz.

Exploring the world

So what about the power ups? Well, like most roguelikes, the bulk of your power-ups will come from the cold, dead hands of your enemies. Some are basic passives like more health or a chance to set enemies on fire. Others are special color-coded perks you socket into one of five slots. This is where things get spicy as a lot of them come with a twist: powerful effects that require you to adapt your playstyle to get the most out of them.

Take one of my favorites as an example: dash attacks trigger chain lightning. That's already fun on its own, but then you can upgrade it again so the lightning can zap around even more! Now, to be fair, most of these perks didn’t get a chance to shine in the short demo. There just wasn’t enough time or build depth to really make them pop. But I do like what Godbreakers is doing with them. The perks are not just boring '+10% damage' increases.

You’ll also find these perks in shops before bosses, and in treasure chests that are... well, technically hidden. This brings me to the level design, which is a bit of a mixed bag. The bad part? The actual maps are extremely linear. Like, 'makes Final Fantasy 13 look like Skyrim' kind of linear.

Now, I get it. It’s an action-roguelike. Tight levels make sense as they don’t interrupt the pacing. But still, a few secret nooks or mini parkour rooms would’ve gone a long way. Just something to break up the combat sections and let players engage with the world a bit more. And I would really like that, because Godbreakers' setting is wild.

The demo zone takes place in a sentient desert - actual sand that has achieved consciousness and apparently waged war against humanity... and won! It’s such a bizarre idea, and you know what? I love it! It gives the whole world a slightly surreal edge that makes it stand out from the usual fantasy wastelands.

The visuals themselves are simple but effective. Clean, colorful, and readable even in the middle of hectic fights. And the voice acting? Surprisingly good. Aside from a few awkward lines, the performances are great across the board. They managed to make even the most basic lore drops feel way more compelling than they have any right to, and that is quite an achievement.

The levels are pretty, but they really need to be more than just a single line

Potential problems

As much as I enjoyed the demo - and I mean, clearly, it's why I'm doing this in the first place - there are two potential issues that give me pause: the difficulty, and the pacing. Let’s start with the difficulty. I know it’s an early-game demo, so I don’t expect it to be brutal, but the combat right now feels way too forgiving.

Enemy attacks have huge windups. Bosses telegraph everything. So unless you're actively trying to get hit, it's not that hard to breeze through most fights without taking a scratch. Now, that clarity is a good thing! It means your success is based on your skill alone, and not visual clutter or randomness. But I do think the balance needs a bit of a push. Either give us more aggressive enemies... or ideally, just more enemies in general. Roguelikes need a little bit of chaos to make the combat truly shine, and right now everything feels a bit too... clean.

The second problem is the pacing of the boss fights. Specifically, the end-of-chapter boss. He’s tanky. Like, really tanky. So much so that even with a high-damage build the fight just drags. And that’s a huge problem, because the one thing a boss fight should never be is boring.

The first time I fought Mr. Squiddles I was excited. But halfway through phase two, I was just going through the motions. And how could I not when I was stuck on the same loop like its Groundhog Day?

Personally, I’d love to see his HP chopped down by a third, and the action dialed way up. Boss fights should be a send-off, a climax, something you remember - and not just a damage sponge at the end of a long adventure.

Now, it’s possible all of this is already being addressed. The main hub has several locked pedestals that seem to hint at more customization and challenge scaling, but since they're inaccessible in the demo, I can’t say for sure. So while these issues might be temporary, I do think they’re worth pointing out because they could make or break the full release.

Mr. Squiddles is cool, but the fight needs to be a bit more dynamic

Is it worth playing?

So what's the final verdict? Godbreakers shows a lot of promise, but also a lot of ways things could go wrong. And that’s exactly what makes it so interesting to me. It could become a genuinely awesome action-roguelike - one of those hidden gems you end up losing a week to without realizing. Or it could fizzle into something totally forgettable. Which way it goes will depend entirely on how the devs respond to feedback from this demo.

So if you're in the mood to check out a rough-cut gem, and maybe help shape what it becomes, I think it's worth giving Godbreakers a try. A single run takes about 20 minutes, and unlocking everything only a couple of hours, so honestly, you can just treat it as late-night snack. Enjoy!