Wardens Rising Dips Its Toes Into Multiple Genres - gamescom 2024

Do you like isometric action RPGs? Do you like action-packed MOBAs? PVE co-ops? Character actions? Most importantly, do you like Tower Defenses? Wardens Rising from the Brazilian studio Big Moxi Games mixes all these genres together to make something unique.

The very first thing you notice when launching Wardens Rising is the art style. The visuals of this game are stylized, but they look like they were made by some of the industry's top dogs. But no! It’s just the artists behind it are exceptionally talented, while also drawing inspiration behind the very styles those big companies have. When talking to the developers at gamescom 2024, I even managed to guess some of the direct inspirations.

But the most important thing about a game such as this is, of course, the gameplay and its mechanics. Wardens Rising blends several genres into one, paints them onto a canvas of Tower Defenses. Each map consists of the main structure you have to defend and the lanes the enemies will come through – this is consistent with the genre. Before each round, you enter the Build Mode, preparing your defenses by placing turrets, walls, and traps. But then you’re also controlling your characters with MOBA-like skills and ultimates, and the game is entirely balanced on you supplementing the defenses you build with your own firepower.

From what I have personally experienced, the game is going to be super fun in co-op. You see, in Wardens Rising, like in many other Tower Defense games, there are several lanes the enemies approach through, and you can’t defend them all at the same time. You get a handy portal spell, but it still gets quite hectic and chaotic because you can’t always see or control what’s happening. In co-op, you can delegate responsibility and divide your attention.

The skills your characters have are much more destructive than any contraption you can place on the field, but the more impactful they are, the higher the cooldown is. So it becomes a game of careful balancing on which wave to leave for your turrets, and which to nuke with your ultimate ability. Your characters can’t withstand that much punishment, but do not fret – you respawn if you die.

My overall impression of Wardens Rising is that it is a very well-thought-out game with a careful blend of various interesting genres. It was as fun as you imagine, and something truly unique. It’s slated to be released in Q1 of 2025, so we absolutely recommend having it on your radar. Or even better, wishlist it on Steam or the rest of the platforms it’s coming out on.