Tired of Dying? 'Dark Queen of Mortholme' Lets You Be the Soulslike Boss For Once!
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
'Dark Queen of Mortholme' lets you experience the Soulslike genre from the other side – as the eternally harassed final boss, desperately trying to keep some pesky hero from ruining your day... permanently. Think tower defense meets existential dread, and you're on the right track.
Right, so everyone's banging on about *being* the hero, overcoming adversity, and all that jazz in Soulslike games. But has anyone stopped to think about the *bosses*? I mean, imagine getting your eternal butt kicked by some gnat with infinite respawns. Sounds a bit unfair, doesn't it?
Well, thankfully, someone's finally seen sense. Enter *The Dark Queen of Mortholme*, a nifty little indie game that flips the script faster than you can say "You Died." Instead of being the chosen one, you *are* the final boss. And about bloody time, I say!
According to a recent report over at Rock Paper Shotgun (cheers, mates!), this isn't exactly a new game, having been kicking around on Itch.io for a bit. But it's now getting a shiny Steam re-release with all the bells and whistles: controller support, a dozen languages, and achievements. Because who doesn't love a digital pat on the back for crushing some hero's dreams?
The premise is simple: defend your throne room from an endlessly respawning hero. Use your queenly powers (whatever they may be – I'm picturing some seriously epic magic missiles, maybe a bit of soul-crushing dialogue) to send him packing. But here's the kicker: he keeps coming back. Sound familiar, Soulslike players?
What's really got my digital cogs turning is the mention of multiple endings and seeing the "hero's point of view." Is this some sort of existential commentary on the endless cycle of gaming violence? Or just a clever way to make us feel a *little* bit guilty about repeatedly squashing some pixelated protagonist? I reckon it's a bit of both, and I'm all for it.
*The Dark Queen of Mortholme* lands on Steam next month (August 15th, mark your calendars!), but you can jump in on Itch.io right now if you're feeling impatient. I'm definitely going to give it a whirl. Maybe I'll finally understand why those bosses are always so grumpy.
Tags: indie games, soulslike, boss battles, reverse gameplay, Steam
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun