By KEVIN HOOVER
While it’s too soon to tell what 2025’s breakout gaming hit will be, Good Shepherd Entertainment (Dicefolk, Monster Train) and dev Violet Saint hope that their latest will make a case for its consideration. Announced today and planning to launch on PC in early 2025, MOROI is described as a “dark fantasy hack-and-slash adventure inspired by Romanian folklore, heavy metal and the brilliant works of David Lynch.”
From the press release:
“Descend into the shadow-choked depths of MOROI’s Cosmic Engine, a maddening labyrinth of twisting corridors and forgotten horrors. Plagued by amnesia, your name, past and sins are beyond memory, shrouded in darkness. As you claw your way through this realm of torment, you face grotesque inhabitants in a land where dark-as-night humor is the only silver lining. Cling to your sanity in an otherwise deteriorating existence styled as grimdark fantasy, a subgenre of fiction distinguished by bleak, dystopian settings and scenarios.
Wage war against MOROI’s battalions of mages, guards and the cursed undead while wielding a gruesome arsenal of unorthodox weaponry. Tear through the flesh of your foes with the jagged teeth of a hellish duck or unleash a storm of projectiles with the aid of a flying brain. Around every corner lies an unexpected discovery or new instrument of death.
The labyrinth’s horrors extend beyond the bloody thrill of combat, conjuring otherworldly environments, eccentric acquaintances and puzzles calling for unconventional approaches. MOROI’s trials forgo mere riddles and sliding blocks; embrace macabre solutions like drinking blood, forcing regurgitation or scavenging through innards to forge deeper into the Cosmic Engine. Each puzzle has its own clever solution, often awarding triumph in exchange for suffering. Engage with the Cosmic Engine’s bizarre residents to uncover the secrets of their twisted world, savoring moments of dark humor to lighten the unrelenting dread.”
MOROI is currently available to wishlist on Steam.
