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Perish Item42 rogue-lite FPS dark fantasy Elysium

Exclusive: Ascend to Elysium in Dark Fantasy Rogue-Lite FPS Perish

This article is over 4 years old and may contain outdated information

Item42 provided a fresh look at its eye-catching shooter Perish during The Escapist Indie Showcase today. Scheduled for release towards the end of this year, the game riffs off Ancient Greek mythology, with players battling hordes of monsters and lost souls as they strive for Elysium.

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The journey takes place on Purgatory, an ascending battle platform, where the player must complete 12 tasks, ranging from puzzle-solving to combat prowess, to assume their place among worthy souls. In typical rogue-lite fashion, death is one of the most significant obstacles, resetting progress each time. However, players can increase their chances of success by banking earned currency and buying persistent upgrades.

After setting an atmospheric scene, the reveal trailer shows off fast-paced gameplay and an arresting, stark aesthetic backed by a thumping heavy metal soundtrack. The footage shows off an ornate revolver as the first weapon, as well as a highly varied arsenal of rifles, melee weapons, and spears that serve in both combat and traversal.

Although the trailer does not show it, Perish has been designed with cooperative play in mind, allowing up to four players to battle the hordes together.

Today’s showing is the first display of the game since Nick spoke to Item42 developers Bret and Regan Ware last year, and the changes from then to now are substantial.


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Author
Image of Damien Lawardorn
Damien Lawardorn
Freelance Editor
Editor and Contributor of The Escapist: Damien Lawardorn has been writing about video games since 2010, including a 1.5 year period as Editor-in-Chief of Only Single Player. He’s also an emerging fiction writer, with a Bachelor of Arts with Media & Writing and English majors. His coverage ranges from news to feature interviews to analysis of video games, literature, and sometimes wider industry trends and other media. His particular interest lies in narrative, so it should come as little surprise that his favorite genres include adventures and RPGs, though he’ll readily dabble in anything that sounds interesting.