It’s not every day a new game surprises me, especially in recent years. With how many different genres and clones of iconic titles we’ve seen in recent memory, it’s easy to get jaded when a game markets itself as “X game meets Y game”. But Arkheron has (so far) bucked this trend. I recently had the opportunity to spend a day at Bonfire Studio’s beautiful Irvine headquarters, where I learned a ton about the game, its world, and the team’s more long-term support road map.

At first glance, you might think Arkheron is a Diablo-like dungeon crawler. And while you’d be right, you’d also be wrong. Arkheron is an isometric-ish top-down battle royale with MOBA elements. This keyword soup doesn’t necessarily do it justice, as it’s a unique spin on these genres that I haven’t quite seen before. The camera is controllable and feels similar to what you’d feel in a first-person shooter, and the team has given the game the “Arena Royale” moniker as the best way to describe it.

“Ascension and Spire [are] much like the different Magic: The Gathering formats”

It’s split into two main game mode types; Ascension and Spires. Ascension will be the main mode most folks will play, where 15 teams of three climb the tower in a PvE-style loot fest while crafting their Echo’s loadouts. On the other end of the specturm is Spires, a more controlled PvP environment with prebuilt loadouts going in. A poignant comparison for these two game modes came by way of Min Kim, Bonfire Studios co-founder and Head of Business Development. Kim told me he sees Ascension and Spire much like the different Magic: The Gathering formats. If Ascension is the limited Draft format, then Spires are the Constructed formats (Standard, Modern, etc.). In Magic, Limited and Constructed formats both use cards. But how the cards are used makes a crucial difference for each player’s preferred playstyle and strategy, and Arkheron is no different.

In Ascension, you’ll drop in as a blank slate and explore the map with your team finding randomized loot to bolster your build to survive. This is very similar to Drafting in MTG, as you don’t know just how your 40-card deck will play out, since you’re building it on the fly. But in constructed MTG formats, where you show up to play with a prebuilt 60-card deck, you’ll have a much easier time knowing your own strategy and countering your opponents’. Spires is the equivalent to this. You’ll start in the mode’s hub, which gives you access to every Relic and consumable in the game to start your build. Once you’re satisfied, you ready up to take on other players in PvP combat arenas. It’s a really apt comparison that’s helped me better understand the team’s intentions with either game mode.

Play Your Way

But how does it all work? Let’s start with Ascension. There’s no permanent progression like in games similar to Diablo, so you and your two teammates start the tower fresh. You’ll quickly come across plenty of chests to loot for gear (called Relics), which you’ll use to take out enemies. After some time, the Abyssal Storm appears, forcing players to Beacon safe zones scattered around the map. This is designed to force players into combat with each other, as there isn’t enough room in each Beacon for every team. As the Abyssal Storm closes in and Beacons are claimed, teams get eliminated. Rinse and repeat as surviving teams ascend tower. Then the two final teams face off in a 3v3 showdown, leading the last team standing to claim victory.

Spires, on the other hand, is a more structured PvP experience. Instead of traversing around fighting enemies, you’ll plan your build before jumping in. Before each match, you have access to the shop that contains every Eternal’s Relic. You can get all four and transform into that character if you’d like, using their passives and set bonuses. Or you can mix and match Relics to craft a build all your own. From there, you’re thrust into a smaller PvP map and take other players and their custom builds head on. Each match is a multi-round bout, and the first player to win by two ultimately takes it.

“You can change things up on the fly”

I appreciate the split between game modes, as it seems the team is wanting to cater to gamers both looking to lock in for longer sessions or those looking for a quicker PvP match. Either way, there is no permanent progression other than cosmetics for your Echo. Everything you see in game is a bespoke build that lasts until you die; you can change things up on the fly as you loot them in Ascension or at the shop in Spires, and the underworld is truly your oyster.

And transforming into an Eternal isn’t always necessarily the strongest move, but it’s hard to deny the incentives offered when you do. By equipping two of any one Eternal’s Relics you’ll unlock a set bonus. These are passive buffs that benefit the Relics you’re holding. But you can mix and match these for two set bonuses, offering a seemingly endless level of customization to chase in-game. Add two teammates to the mix, and you can do some really powerful combos to make it through the tower.

But if you do decide to use an Eternal’s transformation by equipping all four of their Relics, not only do you get their set bonuses, but a powerful fifth attack is unlocked. The team refers to these as ultimates, but they function much more like a regular attack as opposed to a screen-wiping ultimate we see in games like Overwatch. So there’s no wrong way to play Arkheron, and I quickly found a build that works for me in the icy tank Irenna

Endless Options

There were about a dozen different Eternals to choose from, and I was admittedly a little overwhelmed. But Arkheron Game Director Jeremy Craig was quick to point out that the game is specifically designed for no one build to be overpowered or out of balance. Each Relic on its own is a viable option, and they wanted players to feel powerful no matter how their Ascension matches play out.

Bonfire Studios has long term aspirations for Arkheron, and hopes it has a place in the oversaturated live service game market. Lead designer Desiree Cassidy told me that they have content planned for years to come, with multiple seasons, updates, and new Eternals cooking. For each season, the plan is to have 10 Eternals rotating in and out, changing up the meta and unlocking powerful new potential builds to craft.

A Gorgeous, Macabre World

When the team voted on bringing Arkheron to life, they knew a dark fantasy world was the answer. I got an in-depth look at dozens of pieces of concept art, with Narrative Designer Drew Shirley and Art Director Nate Bowden walking me through Arkheron’s world. Everything in the game is tied to memories, with the Echoes and Eternals you play as all having died. The gameplay sells the narrative well; each Relic you pick up while playing Ascension functions as a chunk of that Eternal’s memory. So bringing them all four Relics together serves as a sort of awakening moment, signified by the player transforming into a playable version of that character.

Arkheron has been in development for nearly eight years, and the level of worldbuilding and lore the team has crafted is extremely impressive. I’m the type of player to not pay much attention to the lore in multiplayer live service games, but thanks to the impeccable character design and dark fantasy setting I can’t help but wonder just who every Eternal is and what their stories entail. Echoes and Eternals will have unlockable skins that representation either different locations in the Tower or different time in their lives, and the superb art direction here really helps nail the overall aesthetic.

Only Up From Here

There’s a lot to say about Arkheron and its potential. Even though I spent nearly an entire work day at the studio checking out the game, it wasn’t nearly enough time to really dive in to theorycraft builds and learn more about the world. But from what I’ve experienced, Bonfire Studios has possibly captured lightning in a bottle with their impressive and unique take on both the dungeon crawling and battle royale genres.

I appreciate the removal of a traditional power chase in favor of a genuinely even playing field for people of all skill levels, and the build-as-you-go style will be familiar to longtime players of games like Fortnite. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve, yet offers an experience I’m excited to say I haven’t quite seen before. I just hope that, in an overly saturated live service game market, Arkheron can find its audience and stick around for years to come.

Arkheron will enter crossplay beta from September 25-27 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.