Pre-order Necropolis

Necropolis is what happens when you combine a tough action game like Dark Souls with the DNA of a roguelike title.  In the game, you play as a nameless adventurer who is delving into the necropolis, an ever-changing crypt filled with different enemies and dangers.  Success is not guaranteed, but death is almost a certainty.  Even in death, you can be successful, as you retain some of your accomplishments so you'll be stronger the next time you delve the depths.

The necropolis is broken up into multiple levels, with each level getting more difficult as you progress.  To fight enemies, you have a variety of weapons with distinct properties.  For example, a dagger has faster attack speeds but won't deal as much damage.  You can also use shields to block enemy attacks, but you really have to take care to block specifically in the direction from which the enemy is attacking.

In addition to your health bar, you also have stamina, which nearly every action in the game uses.  Spam too many attacks too quickly, and you might not have enough stamina left in the tank to block an enemy's blows.  Stamina regenerates on its own, but health does not and requires that you eat something to heal.  Of course, while doing so, you cannot move or defend, so it's not something that you can do during combat.

As you play the game, you find new gear and gems, but as soon as you die, you lose it all and have to start over.  However, you get tokens of favor by completing randomized objectives.  You could spend tokens to start your next run with better gear, or you could spend them to purchase a codex that permanently upgrades your character and is not lost on death.

Procedural generation is a star of the show, and every area of the necropolis except for the beginning hub is generated fresh for each run.  This makes each dive into the necropolis a unique experience, from the objectives to the types and numbers of the enemies that you face.  To help you content with these constantly unknown dangers, you can play with up to four players co-op, but know that for every person helping you, the necropolis will be that much tougher.

The game currently has a release date of July 12 for the PC via Steam but will also be coming to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles later this year.  The game is rewardingly difficult, and with its procedural generation, it promises to stay a fresh experience.  With a little less than a month before the PC release, we'll be able to see how far we can get in the Necropolis soon enough.