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Posted on July 18, 2013, James Murff Indie Gems: Unepic Plunders Castles, Explores Worlds

Indie Gems is an ongoing feature in which we highlight small groups of indie games that are worth your time and attention. Think of this as your weekly Indie Game Playlist.

Have you ever flipped off the lights and imagined you were in another world? Have you ever laid back on your bed and stared at the ceiling, imagining all sorts of new worlds and characters that you would love to explore and get to know?

Unepic has. Only the imagined world is a little more literal.

Unepic

Developer: Francisco Téllez de Meneses

Unepic is a side-scrolling Castlevania-like game created by a single developer, and it acts as a love song to the era of sprawling maps, huge bosses, and exploration of the unknown. The protagonist is a pop culture-obsessed tabletop player named Daniel, and when he finds himself magically transported to a castle full of monsters and traps trying to kill him, he reacts by snarking everything and setting out on an adventure. It’s a cute little set-up, and if you’re the kind of person who likes to be in on the joke, there are a lot of little references here and there for you to pick up on.

Most importantly, though, Unepic is fun. It’s a little more clunky than Symphony of the Night and its ilk, but by that same token, it also feels heavier. Combat in Unepic has weight, with blows feeling like they really are hurting characters and enemies, and proper positioning and timing are important. Likewise, the RPG elements are deeper than your typical sidescroller; inventory management, stats distribution, and exploitation of enemy weaknesses are all important to victory. If you’re looking for a clever little side-scrolling RPG, and you’ve already beaten or tired yourself out on Rogue Legacy, Unepic will satisfy that need.

You can purchase Unepic on Steam.