Quick Look: Krater (with Gameplay Video)

Krater, coming from developers Fatshark and Bitsquid, has just been released into the pretty crowded dungeon crawler genre, which recently saw the launch of the blockbuster Diablo 3 and is now getting ready to receive Torchlight II.

Instead of tackling medieval dungeons, like the other two games, Krater throws at the player different caves and, like its name suggests, craters, which need to be explored after an apocalyptic disaster.

With the promise of a fresh setting and some complex RPG mechanics, ranging from crafting to gritty party and inventory management, Krater is definitely an interesting experience.

Have the developers hit gold or should they keep digging? Let’s have a quick look.

After hearing a bit about the story, which takes place after an apocalyptic war, Krater starts off with a pretty interesting chain of events, as the player wakes up after a serious night of partying alongside his team of Free-diggers, who are basically hired goons that you must guide in your adventures.

You’re then introduced to the actual gameplay, which is basically an isometric dungeon crawler but with a bigger emphasis on squad tactics. You first control your Bruiser, who swings around a heavy hammer, and then meet up with your other two helpers – a Medikus, who’s the team’s doctor, and a Regulator, who handles ranged combat by firing different weapons.

Each have two powers so, in total, you can deploy 6 abilities. Knowing how and when to use them is crucial, as the enemies in Krater prove to be pretty challenging if you let your guard down.

In terms of visuals, Krater is quite interesting as it replaces dark and gritty medieval environments with lush Scandinavian forests.

While it still bears the signs of an independent project and the action could benefit from having a faster pace, Krater plays well and will delight RPG fans.

Check out the opening segments of Krater in the video above.

Worth a full Softpedia review? Yes.