Pit People, the latest game from Castle Crashers developer The Behemoth, begins with a planet-sized bear crashing into a planet-sized planet, transforming it into a wasteland plagued by storms of green bear blood rain. Then things get weird.
Launched last week into Steam Early Access and the Xbox One’s game preview program, Pit People is a turn-based co-op strategy adventure that’s much more approachable than the genre description makes it sound. It’s partly due to the game’s relatively basic mechanics — move your characters into position, end your turn and watch them attack whatever is in range. In the first 15 minutes of the game, seen in the video above, we’re introduced to troop strengths and weaknesses and rudimentary defence. It’s all so simple and enjoyable.
Even more responsible for the game’s approachability is its wicked sense of humour. A sinister narrator introduces us to our hero, single father and fence-wielder Horatio. Within minutes a giant bear crashes onto his house, destroying it and rendering him a single non-father in one fell swoop. Then the narrator makes him share his blueberries with Princess Pippistrella, who joins him on his adventure after some pretty bad things happen.
Soon Horatio and Pippistrella arrive in the city, where they are joined by a demi-clops for an arena battle in a very odd fashion. It involves soul-melding. Also, bears.
I think they are bears. They might not be.
I’ve only wandered briefly into the bear-plagued world of Pit People, and already I am hooked. I can only image how much more entertaining it is to play with a friend via local co-op.
Pit People is currently available in early form on the Xbox One for $19.95 and Steam for $US15 ($20), which is less than the $US20 ($27) it will be once it is released in full.
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