Previously announced at E3 PC gaming showcase, Death Trash is a unique mix of Eldritch body horror, cyberpunk aesthetics and old school gaming that got me pretty excited when watching.
Death Trash is an isometric, pixel art action RPG with strong influence from the work of H.P. Lovecraft and Clive Barker. “Humankind travelled to the stars and settled on the planet Nexus with its ancient secrets of stone and flesh. The machines were installed as protectors, but they were corrupted and brought terror. You are a raider among the ruins of the past. But fate might lead you to the Bleeding Head Oracle, the Ever Growing Heart and towards a war with the machines, giving you the power to mend or destroy.”
Developer Crafting Legends announced today that a Death Trash demo is coming as part of the Steam Next Fest, running from June 16 through 22 – available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, with support for both mouse/keyboard and controllers. I have been binge playing this demo ever since.
The game’s post-apocalyptic landscape is strikingly beautiful, the world is a mix of organic material, from the rocks and soil that make up the planet, to the visceral gore that litters every location.
Gameplay feels incredibly fluid, with simple controls that make the switch between melee and gunplay super smooth. Death Trash feels very similar to others in the genre, such as Fallout 1 & 2 and Atom RPG but differs with its real time fight mechanics and the ability to ‘puke’ on command (trust me, there is a reason for this).
The gameplay is somewhat formulaic for RPGs at this point; you explore, find people to give you quests, discover new locations – rinse and repeat. The real difference will be in the story the game frames, with a lore deeply rooted in one of Lovecraft’s nightmares, fitting of the apocalyptic hell scape you will traverse.
The demo is relatively short, taking me around an hour and a half to finish my first complete playthrough. The game in its current state supports single players and local co-op but will eventually include online co-op. At this moment, the demo is an interesting representation of the game. I am excited to see how solo developer Stephan Hövelbrinks progresses the story once Death Trash hits Steam Early Access at the start of August.
Playing the demo for Death Trash has only affirmed my excitement to experience the game in its full glory. If you have a Steam account, you have zero reason not to jump on and grab a copy for free.
Below is a video of my first full playthrough of the demo, feel free to check it out if you still need convincing.
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Hey there, I’m Jim and I’m located in London, UK. I am a Writer and Managing Director here at Grimoire of Horror. A lifelong love of horror and writing has led me down this rabbit hole, allowing me to meet many amazing people and experience some truly original artwork. I specialise in world cinema, manga/graphic novels, and video games but will sometime traverse into the unknown in search of adventure.