In Empyreal, you play as a Mercenary, sent into an otherworldly Monolith, left behind by a long-dead civilisation. It’s your mission to survive the threats within and uncover the mysteries of the monument, which may well challenge our understanding of the universe and our place in it.
It won’t be long until you can get a taste of Empyreal for yourselves, with our demo launching during Steam Next Fest (from February 24th). So that you can make the most of your time in the depths of the unknown, we’ve collected five key things for you to know before playing.
1. Your Weapon Determines Your Playstyle
Empyreal features three distinct playstyles which you can freely choose between. Each playstyle is determined by the weapon you equip. These are; the Cannon, the Mace & Shield, and the Glaive. You are not locked to any one playstyle and are able to mix it up and experiment with whatever approach works best for you by visiting the hub. When exploring the Monolith, you are locked into your choice so be sure to make sure you’ve picked the right option for you before leaving.
To switch up your loadout again, return to the hub and visit an armoury to equip new weapons and gear. The upcoming demo will start you in the hub’s training area so that you can test out the variety in each playstyle and find the weapon that fits you best. If you just want to jump straight into the action, don’t worry, you can return to this training area whenever you return to the hub.
The Mace & Shield is perfect for players looking for a rounded attack and defend playstyle and is ideal for beginners, with a fantastic parry ability that redirects damage while granting a small barrier that absorbs it. The Glaive is a much more acrobatic offensive style, with many of its abilities empowered by perfecting timing actions such as deflecting an incoming attack or doing a perfect dodge. The Cannon on the other hand is for tacticians who enjoy engaging enemies at a distance with a versatile range of ammunition types and summonable constructs. Each weapon playstyle also boasts an array of special abilities and finishers so you can take full command of the battlefield.
2. Take Advantage of Consumables and Abilities
As you delve deeper and face increasingly more lethal automatons, left behind to protect the monolith’s secrets, you’ll quickly learn that consumables and abilities are going to be a vital lifeline. Consumables come in many different shapes and forms and can be assigned via the inventory menu to a quick slot so you can apply them even in the heat of battle. From restoring health and applying elemental effects to increasing your damage output for a short time, Taking full advantage of these resources can often be the difference between life and death.
Abilities on the other hand are powerful attacks and buffs where their use is restricted by a cooldown timer. As you’d expect, learning which cooldowns fit together and how to chain these abilities is key to taking full advantage of them. When done right, you can mount a devastating offensive that’ll put you on the front foot against even the most hardy enemies.
3. Keep an Eye on Enemy Skill Bars
When facing off against different enemy types, it can be overwhelming at first to know exactly when to block/evade. Luckily, enemies betray their intentions via the skill bar above their heads. With it, you can see what their next action will be and get a sense, as the progress bar fills up, of when it will happen. Becoming attuned to these skill bars and which attack is coming next will allow you to parry, deflect or simply evade the incoming strike. Several abilities in the game are also greatly empowered if used to deflect or avoid an enemy attack with perfect timing, so this is a vital part of the ebb and flow of combat.
4. Learn About Cartograms
In Empyreal, Cartograms are the levels that you play through while exploring the Monolith, these can be thought of as “blueprints”. The levels themselves aren’t procedural and are hand-authored for that more curated touch, however, the Cartograms determine the loot available in each level, add some random factors that diversify play, as well as decide the overall level of challenge presented.
You carry Cartograms in your inventory and new ones are dropped by enemies when defeated. In the demo, you won’t be able to acquire new Cartograms but there are several already provided to you (there’s even an additional hidden one that offers a greater challenge if you can find it).
5. Make the Most of the Tutorials
Ever in a bind and need a bit of a refresher? Maybe you’ve forgotten what a reset charge is, how to build up an elemental charge or the intricacies of status effects. Head to the menu to find a wealth of tutorials that you can access at any time to get up to speed on systems and features you may need a reminder about. Perfect for the early hours of your adventure into Empyreal or if you’re coming back to the game after a break.
Stay up to date with the latest Empyreal news and see some behind the scenes content by joining our discord and follow us on X, BlueSky and TikTok for more.
Be sure to wishlist the game on Steam and keep an eye out for the demo available during Steam Next Fest from February 24th.