An absolute force to be reckoned with, Xbox Game Pass cannot be stopped. Even in the face of competitors like PlayStation’s brand newPS Plus Premium tier, Xbox Game Pass still remains at the very top of the gaming industry, proving month after month that it’s still one of the best deals in all of gaming. First-party exclusives are added day-one, as are highly-anticipated Indie titles, and to top everything off, Xbox Game Pass even offers a range of backward compatible titles for that quick hit of nostalgia. Among all the experiences, it can be hard to find the right one for the right mood, and stellar titles likeChildren of Mortacan slip through the cracks.
Released in September 2019 and developed by Dead Mage,Children of Mortais an action game that blends roguelike elements with methodical and satisfying RPG progression systems. For those that playedHadesupon its 2020 release and immediately got hooked and spent the next few months hacking away at its monsters,Children of Mortais the perfect game to pick up next. Though the two have their own unique qualities,Children of Mortawill help toscratch thatHadesitch, with a similar approach to gameplay and tone. There are plenty of qualities that makeChildren of Mortaa must-play before it’s taken off Xbox Game Pass on July 15.
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Children of Morta’s Approach to Storytelling
Much likeHades,Children of Mortaputs its characters front-and-center and lets them carry the narrative forward. Set in a distant land,Children of Mortafollows the Bergsons, a family tasked with standing up against the oncoming dark threat known as the Corruption. Though the premise is simple, straightforward, and admittedly quite cliche,Children of Mortahandles some impressively deep themes.
With family at the heart of the story,Children of Mortadives deep into themes of love, hope, and inevitable loss. While players dive into the game’s procedural dungeons, they’ll uncover more about the threat they’re facing, and with their family at their side, they’ll have to learn to persevere and fight together as a unit.
This family dynamic is what drivesChildren of Morta’s storyand is carried through to its gameplay, with each member of the family having their own set of skills and proficiencies. For instance, the patriarch of the family, John, wields a sword and shield, acting as the protector, while the family’s quietest member, Kevin, uses stealth to take down his foes. Each member of the family has their own distinct personality, and the more the player learns about them, the more they’ll realize that their powers and abilities line up with their characteristics.
Children of Morta is Great for Fans of Roguelike RPGs
Children of Mortais an action-RPG roguelike that uses a top-down camera perspective. Throughout the game, players will be visiting procedurally generated dungeons tofight off hordes of Corrupted enemies. Before heading into a battle, players will be able to choose a handful of family members to take in with them, each of which has their own advantages and weaknesses. Within just a few hours, players should begin to get a good feel of who complements who ability-wise.
Children of Morta’s RPG elements come in with the game’s progression system. At the end of each run, players will receive a ton of XP, which is awarded not only to the player character, but to the entire family. AsRPG fanswould expect, leveling up these characters then unlocks a whole host of other unique abilities that can be used in subsequent battles.
In 2019, whenChildren of Mortafirst released, the game wasn’t entirely finished. Now, almost three years later, Dead Mage has officially completedChildren of Mortabringing a plethora of new content to the game. New characters, new items, new combat mechanics, new story beats, and an entireonline co-op mode have been added toChildren of Mortasince its release, making it a game certainly worth checking out in 2022.
Children of Mortais available now on PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. It leaves Xbox Game Pass on June 24, 2025.
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