Early Access Examination: Realm of Ink

By Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: PC

I've reviewed plenty of roguelikes recently, to the point where it takes a lot for one to draw my attention anymore. Enter Realm of Ink. Realm of Ink has an art style that's intrigued me ever since I first learned about its development over a year ago. I've kept an eye on it for months, and it's now out on Steam via Early Access. Seeing as it's still in active development, this isn't going to be a review in the proper sense. Instead we're going to examine the game as it currently exists, and see if it's worth picking up in spite of it being unfinished at the time of this writing. We have a lot to cover in this one, so let's dive right in!

Usually I like to start these types of articles with a look at the plot, but Realm of Ink makes that a bit difficult. I'm not sure if there will be more story elements added in the final release, but as it stands now I'm at a loss as to what the core plotline is supposed to be. You start the game as Red, a swordsman who I think is out for revenge against the game's Big Bad. She's accompanied by an ink pet that you'll learn more about throughout the course of the game, and she finds herself fighting across the ruins of what used to be a great land. Fighting can only get her so far though, and she eventually meets her end. Death doesn't welcome her though, instead she ends up in an Inn owned by the mysterious Miss Ching. Miss Ching has used fox blood to revive her, and guides her on her journey. I say "guides", but she never really explains much more about what's going on than I have. Despite the lack of core plot, there is a well-rounded cast of NPCs. They all have their own backgrounds and personalities, and it eventually turns out that only Red is left out as far as characterization goes. I actually tried to look up more plot details before I started writing this article, and I couldn't really find anything beyond stats of what's included in the game so far. Personally I was never bothered by this, as roguelikes often have stories that seem to take a backseat to the gameplay anyway, but I was hoping that there'd be more substance here considering how great the overall presentation looks. Disappoints aside, I guess we'll just move on and see if the gameplay fares any better.

Realm of Ink is your standard roguelike for the most part, with all the core gameplay elements you'd come to expect in a game like this. Each rune takes you through four distinct areas, each with their own enemies. Each are is further split into two parts, with each having a boss of their own. The sub-boss is more of a stronger random fight, with the actual boss providing you with the big rewards upon its death. Outside of bosses, enemies come to you in waves in each of the normal rooms, and all enemies must be defeated before moving on. Healing items, money, and other in-game currencies can be found scattered throughout, but most of these rewards only come after clearing a room. Losing all your health means a run is over, and this sends you right back to Miss Ching's Inn. Here you'll be able to use the points earned in your run to make permanent upgrades, and even check out all sorts of stats from your previous runs. Permanent upgrades generally power-up Red, but can also do things like increase drops rates, and make purchasing items during a run cheaper. Defeating bosses nets you the rarer "story relics", and these can be used to unlock new skins for Red to use. These skins basically act as other characters, usually taken from the NPCs and bosses, with each of them having different weapons, skills, and play styles. Playing with a different skin equipped amounts to a completely different experience to the core game, but you'll always remain as Red during the story scenes. You can also grow your ink pet, tackle various challenges, and even adjust the difficulty between runs. Pretty standard stuff really, but it's all executed in a way that feels well-implemented rather than basic or boring.

No matter what skin you pick, Red will always have the ability to attack, dash, and use skills of various types. There isn't a level system for Red, but her abilities can be augmented by perks, ink gems, and more. Perks and the like are often found at random at the end of some rooms, and can also be purchased in-game. That said, any upgrade not purchased at Miss Ching's Inn is temporary, and only lasts the current run. Attacks come in two types, light and heavy, with additional skills becoming available after you defeat a world's boss. Attacks have differing range depending on what weapon is being used, but it's a rule of thumb that the heavier attacks have a great area of effect. Dashing gets you out of harm's way quickly, but you're typically only able to use it a couple times before you have to recharge it. Speaking of things that need recharging, Red will have access to two different ink skills that are related to the ink gems she currently has equipped. These not only have a cooldown attached to them, but they can also be leveled up to be made stronger. Ink gems are elemental stones that augment Red's abilities and skills. You're able to equip two of these at a time, and this mechanic is one of the key aspects to Realm of Ink's gameplay. Combining ink gems also has an effect on your ink pet, with their form and skills being changed depending on the combo of gems equipped. I should also mention that your ink pet isn't just a mascot, it will also join you in battle by attacking enemies alongside you. The attacks it can pull off are related to the form it's currently in, so it's a good idea to experiment with all sorts of builds. You also gain more powerful skills when you max out an ink gem's level, but I think you get the idea as to how that all works. There's probably a bit more I can discuss regarding these topics, but I'm basically just outlining the surprising rich gameplay Realm of Ink has even in its current Early Access form.

One of the areas where I think Realm of Ink truly excels has to be its characters and world-building. The game may not get Red's story down very well, but I fell in love with the world nonetheless. There are well over a dozen NPCs for you to interact with, and they're all full of character despite some of them only occasionally dropping by infrequently. There are times where I don't think they're even needed, but we're graced with their presence nonetheless. It won't take long for you to pick a favorite, as they're all just so loveable. They all have backstories of their own, banter back and forth with each other, and are honestly more endearing than Red herself by far. They're also all voiced, with the voice acting being of surprisingly high quality. Even the bosses stand out in the thick of things, and you get the feeling that a bigger world exists beyond the rather thin plot you're given outright. Characters always have something to say, and you never want to miss any bit of it. There's even some atmospheric storytelling to be found within the levels themselves, with each world feeling like it was corrupted by the monsters that currently occupy it. Even though I still hope that more of this gets fleshed out down the road, the world and NPCs feel like they're already ready for the full release.

By design, roguelikes mean playing the same stages over and over again, with some variants scattered in to keep things interesting. This means that it takes a special game to keep that gameplay loop feeling unique. Realm of Ink not only does a great job in keeping things interesting, but it does so without bringing anything insanely unique to the table. That may sound like a backhanded compliment, and perhaps it is, but there's something about a game just getting the standard formula spot-on correct that I just love. I already broke down how each run goes earlier, but let me give a bit more detail now. Each half of the four areas has about five rooms you have to clear before moving on, and you get a shop screen before each of the boss battles. The shop screen is where you can upgrade ink gems, buy perks, and even eat food for a temporary stat boost. You're able to choose the reward available for most of the standard rooms, with the majority of them offering the typical variants of perks or monetary rewards you'd expect. Besides those randomized rooms, you can also get ones that offer one-of-a-kind perks, or even some that offer intense challenges. These challenge rooms usually require you to defeat a certain number of enemies within a time limit, or simply survive some sort of enemy onslaught. Completing these challenges nets you the highest of rewards, but they can be insanely difficult as well. Speaking of which, another aspect of the game that I think works well is the overall difficulty. I admit I played several runs on the lowest difficulty since I was stuck on the third world's boss for a while, but I was soon able to move on to the higher ones after I cleared the game successfully. Not only was I decently versed in the game's quirks by that point, but I'd also earned enough upgrades where the higher difficulty just made more sense. It makes for an accessible experience overall, and I've noticed that the developers have mentioned balance being a key gameplay element they want to focus on.

I'm surprised I've gone this far without mentioning the ink brush-inspired art style, but it's what drew me to Realm of Ink in the first place. I've played many games recently that have used a visual style similar to the one found here, but I think it's pulled off perfectly here. Many games that use this art style go for a black and white aesthetic, but Realm of Ink embraces a colorful twist on the style. There's a vibe to everything that feels like it could've come from an animated series, and I'm all here for it. As I said before, I've been watching this game since it was announced, and I'm pleased to report that it does not disappoint visually in the least. It's not just the art style either, as the character and enemy designs all look great too. Each and every enemy has their own look and style, and they all feel like they belong to the area they're in. This goes double for the bosses and NPCs, and there's a level of detail to everything that has to be seen first-hand to truly be appreciated. There's also plenty of variety in the character skins and ink pets, with each of their attacks and skills having a lot of visual flair.  I do wish that there was a bit more to see in the main game, as the current core experience is a bit short, but perhaps that can be added down the road.

Sound is another aspect of Realm of Ink that I truly enjoyed, though I hope that it too gets some small improvements over its Early Access period. Simply put, the soundtrack is excellent, and there are plenty of tracks that got stuck in my head in the best of ways. Each piece of music feels like it fits in perfectly with the scene it's attached to, and that's not always a thing one finds in roguelike games. Miss Ching's Inn has a calming track, many of the dungeon rooms have mysterious and/or atmospheric music, and the boss themes really get the blood boiling. There isn't a single complaint I have about the music, though that admittedly doesn't cover all aspects of the game's sound design. I mentioned voice acting briefly earlier, and I'll repeat that it's all spot on too. Some of the acting can be a bit cheesy at times, but it's cheesy in a way that feels fun and lighthearted rather than cheap or lazy. Chef Jade, Miss Ching, and Miss Yan were particular favorites of mine, but the entire cast does an admirable job bringing these characters to life. My one complaint would be the quality of some of the voice recordings themselves, as some seem to be weirdly crunchy as they stand now. There are also certain parts of the game where the spoken dialogue seems lost in the overall mix. Both of these problems can definitely be fixed in future updates though, so here's hoping that they're on the list of things the developers are currently working on.

Considering that Realm of Ink is still in active development, I'm surprised with how much content there is. Not only is there a lot to do in-game, but it's of a quality that already feels on par with a fully-released game. Though I don't like to give full recommendations on Early Access titles, I have to say that I think that Realm of Ink is worth its current $16.99 price tag. It's not the cheapest roguelike out there, but it's quickly become one of my favorites. The art style is impressive, the world and characters are top notch, and the game itself is so much fun to play. Fan of the genre will find plenty to sink their teeth into, and newcomers will appreciate how accessible the game can be made via the in-game options. Part of me wants to just review the game as it stands, but I guess that will have to wait until its full release. See you back here when that day comes!

Check Out Realm of Ink on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2597080/Realm_of_Ink/

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Pros:
+ A game that gets just about every element of the roguelike genre correct.
+ Has an art style that can't be beat.
+ Not only is the music great, but the voice acting is top notch too!
+ The world and characters are all fully fleshed out, and the world building feels on par with fully-released games.
+ There is plenty to see and do here, with the gameplay loop feeling anything but repetitive.
+ Fully worth its current $16.99 price tag.

Cons:
- The main story is rather thin, as is Red's characterization. (Red being the main character.)
- There are still some bugs here and there, including some I think related to the audio.
- Even though I had a great time with the game, the actual stages themselves aren't all that numerous.
- Would love to see more detail given to the use of character skins, as in not having to see Red in each of the story scenes while she's wearing one.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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I'd eat anything Chef Jade made for me!