Conan: The Black Pyramid, a new Diablo-style action role-player from developer Games Farm and publisher Grindstone, reimagines the famous barbarian as an old and indolent king who has spent decades ruling Aquilonia. When Conan begins hearing a voice calling to him in his dreams, the elderly king follows it to the mysterious Black Pyramid, where he is transformed back to his youthful, muscular self - but becomes trapped inside.
Gameplay and Combat
To escape, Conan must battle through a series of levels to reach the top while uncovering who trapped him. The game is a dungeon crawler roguelike: upon death, Conan is resurrected at a nexus point where he can chat with friends, unlock abilities, and piece together the mystery.
The combat is designed for a tactical playstyle. Conan wields a primary weapon with three-step combos ending in a finisher, plus a ranged secondary weapon. Both can be charged for area-of-effect attacks, and Conan can parry and deflect incoming strikes. He also carries a relic that can unleash lightning across the battlefield and an execution bar that charges with attacks for a devastating blow.
Visuals and Customisation
The graphics are notably detailed, with gory attack animations, light reflecting like flickering torchlight, and near-photorealistic water. Enemies are dismembered in sprays of blood, underlining the brutality and gore of Conan's combat style.
Levels are themed around different Conan eras and feature mini-bosses, power-ups, and a giant boss at the end of each stage. Power-ups can be earned by completing rooms or bought from Stan, a worm-like alien merchant. Players can also play as any hero Conan meets, including Solomon Kane, Agnes de Chastillon, Kull of Atlantis, and Eevin of Craglea, each with unique attack styles and skill trees. Characters come with veils (loadouts) that change weapon and combat masteries, plus artifacts like the Cape of the Picts, which grants invulnerability during dashes but triples cooldown time.
Release and Outlook
No release date has been announced yet, but the preview suggests promising results. The Black Pyramid leans into Conan's brute strength, which can be amplified significantly by stacking abilities. The game appears to offer substantial replayability through its customisation options.
