Hello Riftbreakers!

Every week brings us closer to the release of Into the Dark, the upcoming second World Expansion for The Riftbreaker. We can’t wait to hear what you think of all the new content we have prepared for you. In fact, you will have a chance to tell us pretty soon, as we’re going to hold a closed beta test of the Survival portion of the update - join us at www.discord.gg/exorstudios for more details. Today, however, we would like to tell you more about one of the most terrifying and unique threats you will face in the Crystal Caverns biome - the Necrodons. Strap yourselves in - this one is really unique, not only when it comes to appearance but also its ability set.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2108630/The_Riftbreaker_Into_The_Dark/

The Necrodon is a creature that you might have seen in the game previously. We originally intended to include it in the original release in October 2021. We prepared a 3D model, visual variants for Alpha and Ultra strains, and all the animations. However, we didn’t finish programming and testing its behavior and skillset. Furthermore, it didn’t really fit in any of the Galatean Biomes, and we couldn’t really figure out its gameplay role. As the release date drew near, we decided to put the Necrodon on the shelf and come back to it at a more opportune moment. You can still encounter it sometimes in the Desert Biome, but it’s nowhere near what it is today. When we came up with the concept of the Crystal Caverns biome, the Necrodon finally got its moment to shine. An entire cavern system filled with crystalline formations of an unknown origin and purpose was the perfect home for this monster.

Necrodons are tall, menacing humanoids. Their physical appearance differs from other Galatean creatures. A standout feature of Necrodon’s physique is the presence of crystals that seem to grow out of their bodies in various places. Either these creatures have been infected by the crystalline growth that is present all around the crystal caverns biome, or they have been brought to life by the growth itself. Both prospects are equally terrifying, especially when their abilities are considered.

Necrodons are not confrontational and aggressive on their own. If one is encountered in the wild, it will do its best to run away to safety. Once cornered, the Necrodon will do its best to scare the attacker away. Most often, they will try to deliver a powerful hit using their long arms. However, that’s not the only move in their arsenal. Necrodons seem to possess the ability to manipulate matter around them, similarly to Lesigians, but to a different extent. This allows them to concentrate energy into a powerful beam that they can direct at the creatures that decide to attack them. Still, Necrodons prefer to avoid direct confrontation and use their powers in more creative and terrifying ways.

These creatures become truly terrifying when accompanied by other species. Once in a while, you will encounter an attack wave that seems to never end. No matter how many enemies you defeat, it will seem like more join the ranks in their place. That’s the Necrodon’s true weapon - they are able to raise the defeated creatures back from the dead to fight by their side. If you’re not careful, they will hang back just out of your line of sight, bringing back more and more creatures. Even if they run out of corpses to bring back, they can even create entirely new undead creatures, seemingly out of thin air. Naturally, it is not the case - Necrodons manipulate organic matter to form a semblance of a living creature, very similar to a canoptrix. Nonetheless, it is a terrifying ability, and you must deal with them as quickly as possible.

There is a limit to Necrodon’s abilities. They won’t keep summoning creatures to their side without end. There is only a limited number of “minions” Necrodons can control at one time, meaning that you can overpower them quite easily if they are on their own. It gets a bit more difficult if you encounter several specimens during one attack wave. In multiples, they can eventually overwhelm you and your defenses, so plan accordingly. Additionally, remember that Necrodons can only raise creatures whose bodies remained intact after death. If you blow creatures to shreds, they will eventually run out of bodies to resurrect and have to resort to creating their necro-canoptrix, which are quite weak on their own.

That’s it for today. If you’d like to see more of the Necrodon in action, tune in to our streams on Tuesdays and Thursdays on www.twitch.tv/exorstudios. We also preview our tests of the co-op version there, so you should definitely join in and see how it’s coming along! Don’t forget to post your suggestions and feedback on riftbreaker.featureupvote.com, as well as our Discord server at www.discord.gg/exorstudios.

See you next time!
EXOR Studios