A Call To Arms

Don't you ever feel like tearing it all down? Smashing the system, breaking the chains, and taking the fight straight to the ones in power? Reignbreaker is all about that urge, that fire burning in your chest; the spirit of rebellion. Studio Fizbin's upcoming action rogue-like throws you into a dystopian "Medievalpunk" world where oppression is the law of the land"”until you decide it isn't. As Clef, a lone rebel with her Javelin and a mission, you'll carve a path through the kingdom's Elite, lay siege to the Queen of Key's Bastion, and spark a revolution when Reignbreaker launches on March 18th.

Breaking In

You play as the imposing Clef, once a Battlefield Locksmith in service of the Queen of Keys, now a rebel turning her skills against the very regime she once upheld. She has forsaken her past, her sisters-in-arms, and the kingdom's order, choosing instead to break in, break through, and break free. With fists strong enough to shatter full plate armour and a motorized Javelin built to tear through steel, Clef is determined to bring the Queen of Keys to justice and free the kingdom from its dilapidated gilded prison.

The Orwellian nature of the Queen's reign is felt throughout the game. Her omnipresent silhouette blares from banks of monitors. Her distorted voice echoes across the kingdom"”a damned signal Clef is determined to silence. Her control is everywhere, and even the game's UI reflects this, labelling Clef as the “antagonist” in her interactions with others"”an ironic twist, considering she's the one fighting to free the kingdom from the Queen's suffocating grip. It's as if the Queen's influence stretches beyond her walls, twisting even how Clef's story is told.

The Queen and her cronies claim Clef's rebellion is futile, that she's mistaken, but our burly hero knows better. And she has the tools to prove it. Her Javelin is more than a weapon"”it's the key to the kingdom. Every strike doesn't just defeat enemies"”it unlocks them, dismantling their mechanical bodies, forcing open doors, and carving a path ever deeper into the Queen's Bastion. Every lock she breaks brings her closer to her goal.

The Arsenal Of Rebellion

Clef's greatest weapon isn't just her strength"”it's her motorized Javelin, a tool of destruction and liberation in equal measure. The Queen's mechanical enforcers aren't just obstacles"”they’re something to be undone. Some enemies shatter outright under her assault, while others stagger, awaiting a brutal finisher. With a precise strike, Clef tears them asunder, dismantling their machinations and claiming bonus loot in the process. Combat is brash and has a good weight to it, with combos between Clef’s fists and Javelin abilities feeling really good. It has that perfect split second of pause just to give each hit that satisfying impact.

But the Queen won't let her rebellion go unchallenged. As Clef fights deeper into the Bastion, progress is constantly blocked by Lockdowns, where waves of enemies descend upon her in trap-laden arenas. Some of these Lockdowns are tied to specific NPCs, and starting one will begin with a short dialogue between them and Clef. These are fun little interactions, that slowly reveal more about the different parties. During the Lockdowns, survival demands more than brute strength"”it requires strategy. If you fail to complete a Lockdown you can attempt it again, which I needed on a few occasions.

Environmental hazards can be hijacked, with Clef using her Javelin to pry open control panels and tamper with deadly traps. But some attack comes at a cost. Javelin strikes build up heat, and if it overheats, Clef is left vulnerable until it cools down. Positioning, heat management, and environmental awareness are key to making it through.

Victory unlocks vaults of riches, where Clef can choose temporary upgrades that enhance her abilities for the current run"”augmenting her combos, reducing cooldowns, or adding devastating effects to her attacks. These enhancements fuel her momentum, helping her carve through stronger enemies and reach deeper into the Bastion. It didn’t take me long to find my preferred upgrades for a run, but could see the benefits of all the ones I saw.

But not every floor is a battlefield. Some offer pitstops"”shops where Clef can spend her ill-gotten loot on short-term benefits, like healing or unlocking new Javelins. Others hold deadly boss encounters, massive guardians standing between her and the Queen. It took me a few attempts to beat the mini boss of the first floor, but after building Clef up a bit and finding a Javelin that suited my needs better, I was able to overcome.

And, of course, failure is inevitable. Like any good rogue-like, Clef's rebellion doesn't end with defeat"”it evolves. While any loot she's gathered is lost upon death, the crystal shards she's collected remain. Back at camp, just outside the Bastion, these shards can be spent on permanent upgrades"”more health, an extra dash, or new combat abilities that persist across runs. Each attempt makes her stronger. Each failure brings her closer to breaking the Queen's reign for good.

Steel, Smoke, And Static

The Medievalpunk aesthetic is exactly what you think it looks like, and it looks fantastic! The Bastion is an unfathomable monument of stone, steel, glass, and cables, an oppressive yet striking environment. Bright splashes of flourescent pink and yellow clash with heavy greys, adding an electric quality to attack animations, the environments, and the UI. Trails of spray paint markers lead to each floor’s Lockdowns, the colour of the paint indicating which NPC is involved. It's a bold vision that embraces contrast, celebrating both the Medieval and the Punk.

While this colossal keep may be grand and full of riches, it is clearly in disrepair, practically decay. A golden facade hides the rot within the kingdom, no doubt a reflection of the Queen of Keys herself. The art team have done an excellent job of building a world almost entirely confined within the walls of the Bastion, full of character, colour, and chaos.

This is the same with character and enemy design. Clef’s impressive stature, topped with her shock of white hair and asymmetrical armour fully embody the Medievalpunk ethos; a perfect posterchild for the uprising and Reignbreaker. Other NPCs Clef interacts with also stand out through an excellent blend of design and colour palettes, reinforcing the character’s nature as it becomes apparent. Enemies look like Medieval torture devices that have been given a technological upgrade, to better perform their function. Bosses take this to the extreme, looking like some madman’s idea of the perfect war machine.

Reignbreaker’s sound design during combat is a wonderful cacophany of engines revving, metal clashing, and voilent explosions! Paired with hype-inducing heavy metal, fights quickly become an audiovisual smorgasbord, making the downtime between these encounters a welcome moment of release, though you can never fully let your guard down. The moody ambience that fills the halls of the Bastion in these moments adds to unwelcoming nature of the Queen’s home.

Road to Revolution

After playing Reignbreaker for a couple of hours, I cannot wait for it to release in just over a week! Just a couple of runs is all it took for me to start finding my feet and make it all the way to the first floor’s main boss. Each attempt I could feel how Clef had grown stronger, with each upgrade, permanent or temporary, having a profound impact on combat.

Having only seen the first floor of the Bastion, I'm already itching to see what lies further inside this high-tech keep of corruption. I look forward to learning more about the Queen of Keys and the rest of the cast, their pasts, their relationships with Clef, and their roles to play. I want to see what other Javelins I can carry into battle, and what other malicious machines I’ll get to tear apart with them. Reignbreaker has that perfect “just one more run” gameplay feeling; every run is worthwhile no matter how far you get, and you’ll be stronger for the next one. My hope is that the game has enough of its fiery, infectious fury to see it through to the end.

The Last Stand

But revolutions aren't just about tearing down what's broken"”they're about leaving something behind. And for Studio Fizbin, Reignbreaker is exactly that. After years of crafting unique, heartfelt games, this will be their last. They're going out swinging, delivering one final battle worth fighting. If nothing else, Reignbreaker is a testament to the fact that some fights are worth having, even if they're your last.

A demo for Reignbreaker is available on PC(Steam) to download and play right now, and is highlighted in this month’s issue of the GSC Demo Disc!