Ampersat is a classic style adventure roguelite ARPG just announced for Windows PC, but also sheds light on Linux. Thanks to developer Gaterooze, Ink. Which due to release on Steam.
Ampersat is a classic style labor of love from a solo developer. Which is also inspired by a few favorite old school games. While working into a handcrafted Adventure Roguelite hybrid. This will see you killing a lot of monsters and finding a lot of loot. All as you free captured letters. While you grow from a world weary warrior mage. All the way up to a powerful smashing and blasting machine.
Taking the ASCII characters of the original Rogue games. Giving them a highly stylized custom font for each of 52 enemy types. And also putting them into a top down 3D world. Which is halfway between traditional 16-bit pixels and modern voxels. This also results in a vibrant and unique look too.
Ampersat also holds a similar approach for sound. This means layering Commodore 64 SID chip emulated sound effects. Doing so over more traditional real world instruments. This creates a tense atmosphere in puzzling dungeons. Including the dizzying towers and a jaunty village setting.
Linux Support
So this is all well and good. But Ampersat clearly due to release on Windows PC. Therefore, here’s the developer’s reply regarding Linux support.
I would love to do a Linux version and will pencil it into our plans. I’d been so focused on finishing the game I hadn’t really considered other platforms. But Linux is a great suggestion. The engine used is Unity. So porting should be easy.
Now, with all of this being said. Gaterooze certainly has their hands full working on the game. Which obviously has to be finished first. Still, the use of Unity is a positive sign. But you can get a better idea of the classic gameplay in the trailer.
Ampersat Announcement Trailer
Most importantly, Ampersat also blends together several gameplay elements. Ranging from the childhood gaming influences of solo developer “The Pale Gibbon”. He explains: “I was aiming for that sweet spot between Gauntlet and early Zelda games. With a dash of Angband — action based. But with just enough depth and RPG progression for the player to enjoy a fulfilling journey.”
Later levels take place in towers high above the land. Which levels up into Smash TV like twin stick or bullet hell shootouts. And the Gibbon even cites Wizball and Mega Man as tangential influences on the game.
Despite appealing to fans of Roguelites. Ampersat bucks the random generation trend. So it is primarily based around 50 handcrafted levels. Featuring puzzles, unique bosses and plenty of secrets to discover. There is, however, an optional procedural area that graphically falls back to the original Rogue. This is under a town hub with several shops and features you can upgrade.
Local co-op also sees a second player control. A hovering companion who may fight over which spell they can use.
The Ampersat developer is seeking a few more dedicated beta testers. Getting ready for a final round of improvements before release. If you want to undertake the challenge, email HERE. And yes, this would require the use of Proton or at least Wine.
The full release is due to arrive on September 25th, 2020. While this is a classic style adventure roguelite ARPG for Windows PC. There is also strong support for Linux as well. So make sure to Wishlist the game on Steam.