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Blighted is an isometric action RPG that blends challenging combat, exploration, and a surreal story about memory and corruption. Developed by Drinkbox Studios, the game pairs a vivid visual style with ideas that echo the studio’s earlier work, while drawing on Metroidvania and Soulslike conventions. Its demo offers a look at a dangerous world where victories can bring new abilities—and make the hero’s choices part of the story.
Blighted’s World and Story
The game’s bold, contrasting colors and psychedelic atmosphere give its world a distinctive look. Its central culture has an unusual tradition: when someone dies, their people plant a tree seed in the person’s brain before burial. Once the tree grows fruit, the community eats it to experience memories inherited from their ancestors.
The antagonist, Sorcisto, seeks those memories and their mystical powers. He consumes the brains of the protagonist’s entire village, but the act causes Blight to take hold of him and transform him into a monstrous creature. As the last surviving villager, the protagonist must travel through the surrounding lands, recover the memories of their people, and confront Sorcisto.
This premise gives the adventure a more unsettling edge than a straightforward quest for revenge. The struggle to gain power raises a difficult question: can someone pursuing a just goal become like the monsters they oppose?
Combat, Exploration, and Rising Difficulty
Blighted combines real-time action with mechanics familiar to fans of Soulslike games. Players manage stamina while attacking, dodging, and parrying, and can also fire a gun that operates on a cooldown. Enemies have distinct abilities, so observing their attacks and choosing when to engage can matter as much as attacking quickly.
The game also features a risk-and-reward difficulty system. Performing well raises the level of Blight, making enemies more aggressive and powerful, while offering better rewards. This can make a strong combat streak more demanding, so it is worth paying attention to stamina and enemy patterns rather than relying on constant attacks.
Exploration takes players through different biomes, where environmental puzzles, shortcuts, and clues about the world’s corruption provide reasons to revisit earlier areas. Large bosses add another layer of challenge. Their attacks use visual color cues to indicate which moves can be parried and which are better avoided with a dodge.
Boss Abilities and New Routes
Defeating a boss grants its ability, but the protagonist must consume the creature’s brain to obtain that power. One ability earned in the demo is a stomp that damages nearby enemies and breaks certain barriers. Like a typical ability-gated Metroidvania, it can also open routes through previously explored areas, rewarding players who return to places they could not access earlier.
Co-op and Platforms
The demo was played in two-player co-op. The full game is designed with solo play in mind, while also offering local and online co-op. Having a partner can provide a useful distraction during boss fights, but players who prefer a solo challenge can approach the adventure alone.
What to Expect From Blighted
Blighted brings together striking art, stamina-based combat, branching exploration, and a story built around memory and the cost of power. The demo suggests that its boss abilities will shape both combat and how players navigate the world. The game is expected to arrive on Switch 2 and PC in the fall, making it one to watch for players interested in atmospheric action RPGs with Metroidvania and Soulslike elements.
For anyone considering Blighted, the key appeal is the way its systems connect: careful combat earns abilities, those abilities reveal new paths, and the story gives each gain a disturbing context. That combination makes Blighted a promising action RPG to follow.
