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You may have had enough of side-scrolling roguelite action RPGs, but should you be able to muster up the energy to go again – and again and again – then the cosmic horrors of Source of Madness are ready to keep you busy.
Available today on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC, Source of Madness is the latest to draw in the roguelite, side-scrolling brigade as the Thunderful and Carry Castle teams combine those elements with some action-RPG moments and tons of procedurally generated AI.
It comes about after a pretty successful stint on Steam Early Access, as the devs have worked with the idea and ensured that now, as 1.0 launch occurs, things are in the best place possible. It all sounds great too, especially if you’re a fan of Lovecraftian tales and are looking for a unique new spin on the usual ideas.
“With Source of Madness we wanted to make a roguelite that does more than simply rearrange level layouts and enemy combinations, but rather creates all new unholy beasts to face off against in each playthrough,” said Per Fornander, CEO at Carry Castle. “We’ve been working hard on adding to and improving the game throughout its time on Early Access, and we’re really excited to launch today with a smooth and polished title that runs fantastically on consoles and PC”.
So, what exactly is Source of Madness? Well, it will throw you into the role of an acolyte, as they rock up in an alternate reality that is being controlled by some weird cosmic entities. It’s these worlds which will warp as the day progresses, leaving in the wake the unpredictable Loam Lands; lands frequented by grotesque beings.
It’ll be up to you to navigate your way through the madness, attempting to reach the source of evil. A journey across no less than nine biomes will therefore await, taking you from the depths of Dungeon of Forgotten Knowledge, the eerie landscape of the Forest of Lies, to the grand non-euclidean citadel R’Lyeh, all the way up to celestial bodies on the rims of the universe.
At the end of the day, Source of Madness is going to be able to offer up the most unpredictable of games. With multiple spells to utilise, classes to work with and skills to hone, how you go about traversing the lands is going to be up to you.
Thankfully with launch on Xbox Series X|S and PS5, you’ll do so with 4K 60fps goodness in tow. Those on Xbox One and PS4 will have 1080p 60fps gameplay awaiting them, whilst Switch players will find it running at 1080p docked and 720p in handheld/tabletop mode, targeting 60fps.
The key gameplay features include:
- Hordes of nightmarish beasts – The horrific monsters you face are never the same, concocted with procedural generation and animated using a neural network AI
- Deep Gameplay Systems – Explosive close-combat magic, labyrinthine environmental exploration, powerful loot management and a skill tree filled with abilities, classes, and spells
- Ever-Changing Landscapes – Rendered in a beautiful AI assisted art style, the fascinating world of the Loam Lands reveals a deep arcane lore as players uncover its many secrets
Xbox One and Series X|S players will discover the download of Source of Madness over at the Xbox Store, with Xbox Smart Delivery ensuring they are playing the finest version possible for their console type. It’s also on PlayStation, on Switch and on PC via Steam.
Stay tuned for our full review. It promises to be a tasty one.
Game Description:
Source of Madness is a side-scrolling dark action roguelite set in the Loam Lands, a twisted Lovecraftian inspired world powered by procedural generation and AI machine learning. Take on the role of a new Acolyte as they embark on a nightmarish odyssey. Uncover the cosmic secrets of the Loam Lands and The Tower of Madness, the moon’s mysterious Citadel.