Kristala

Kristala is a soulslike action RPG game in which we play the role of a warrior anthropomorphic cat. The game is the debut project of the independent American team Astral Clocktower Studios, founded in 2018.

Plot

Kristala takes us to the fantasy world of Ailur. As a result of a cosmic event known as The Shattering six fragments of a mysterious Kristal have appeared. Along with them came magic. Thanks to the latter, local cats evolved in a surprising direction, becoming Anagativa - humanoid creatures that move on two legs. Not only have they changed beyond recognition. As a result of a dark curse, many of the local creatures have turned into bloodthirsty monsters.

The Raksaka Warriors are in charge of overseeing individual fragments of the crystal. During the game we play the role of an aspiring Anagativa. In order to join the ranks of the warriors, we must pass a special test and make a pilgrimage to each of the six shards, face their guards, and master the ancient magic that is contained in them. Incidentally, the protagonist also must discover the source of the curse and find out who (or what) is behind the transformation of other inhabitants of Ailura.

Gameplay

In Kristala we watch the action from a third-person perspective (TPP). The game allows us to choose the class of our character, which determines their initial statistics and influences what kind of weapons and armor they can use. Apart from that, we can decide on the length of our cat's fur and its clan affiliation. The clan choice is important, because it is reflected both in the color of the hero's eyes and in the type of magic they can use.

The game provides us with a vast world divided into regions that are homes to individual Anagativa clans. Individual areas differ from each other in terms of biomes (we can visit a desert, dense forests, frosty coasts or an archipelago floating in the air) and the dangers lurking for us. Along the way, we meet the residents and have conversations with them, as well as perform quests for them.

While traversing locations, we can make use of a wide range of agile, cat-like movements of the protagonist, crawling, balancing on ropes and swinging on branches, as well as climbing on terrain obstacles and running on rooftops. Given that the game world is teeming with enemies, we often have to reach for a weapon.

During dynamic battles, it is necessary to carefully observe opponents in search of potential gaps in their defense, perform dodges, block blows, or finally launch quick (and accurate) attacks. We eliminate enemies using a wide range of melee weapons, various combat skills and spells related to the power of individual crystals. In addition to engaging in open combat, our Anagativa can attack enemies from hiding (including from the air) or sneak behind them unnoticed.

As we progress, we develop the hero, acquiring more powerful equipment, improving the statistics and magical power, and expanding the range of our abilities.

Game engine

Kristala runs on Unreal Engine 5.