Wildkeepers Rising Is The Monster Heaven I Didn’t Know I Needed

As someone who’s always been fine with playing a certain creature-collecting franchise and sending pocket creatures to battle with little to no regard for their well-being, there have been times when I feel a bit guilty. “Why can’t I fight alongside them?” I’ve asked several times. Imagine my surprise when, during a hands-off preview for Wildkeepers Rising, I discovered I could finally join a roster of colorful creatures and kick some fantasy butt next to them. Add to that interesting roguelike mechanics, chaotic action combined with hordes of never-ending enemies, and a narrative to tie it all up, and you have a Monster Heaven that everyone will want to try.

Wildkeepers Rising Is The Best of Many Genres

As soon as the hands-off preview for Wildkeepers Rising began and I, alongside other journalists, got to talk to Sergio Garces, Lioncode Games Director, and Lyle Moore, the Art Director, I knew we were in for something unique. Lately, I’ve seen some wild combinations of genres in one game; most of them have been a hit. However, I never expected creature-collecting, roguelike, and bullet heaven systems to mix so well. Thus, the showcase began, and let me tell you, I was highly impressed.

Described as a Pokemon meets Vampire Survivors, Wildkeepers Rising takes elements from both to deliver something unique. As a Wildkeeper, you’re thrust into a map full of dangerous enemies, and your objective is to obliterate them with whatever you can find, mainly your primary weapon and up to four Guardians. These Guardians are the creatures that you’ll randomly collect during a run. Each of these unique and perfectly designed Guardians offers distinct gameplay options. Some can freeze enemies, others can shoot laser beams, and some will burn foes to a crisp.

During the showcase, we saw two Wildkeepers and several Guardians in action. What made the gameplay appealing to me was the randomness or roguelike elements added to it. Each map will present players with different Guardian options, encouraging gamers to try different builds. Furthermore, when you level up, you’ll get to pick between four random upgrades. Some are for your Wildkeeper and others for your Guardian, meaning that your build will change in every run. Overall, I loved how the game balances casual yet fast-paced gameplay with in-depth customization without overwhelming someone who wants a quick rush of dopamine by watching foes explore; it is truly the perfect mix of systems.

Unique, Destructive, and Colorful

While I was enamored by the gameplay of Wildkeepers Rising and its amalgam of genres, what really stood out to me during the preview was the art direction. Usually, we see bleak landscapes and darker tones in some of the recent games that follow this vein—one clear example is Vampire Survivors. As unique as it is, the bleakness follows you through the almost endless maps, and while the chaotic gameplay is enough to hook anyone, there’s a lack of life in its stages. However, Wildkeepers Rising takes a more colorful, lively, and hand-crafted approach to its art.

Inspired by the late Akira Toriyama and Jim Henson, Wildkeepers Rising brings hand-drawn creatures in the most stylish way possible. Each of the Guardians we saw was unique in its design, and the Wildkeepers also stood out considerably. Furthermore, the different biomes we saw during the presentation had a lot of depth to them and were even designed in a way to keep the gameplay interesting, such as adding bridges or other elements that help during combat. Still, my absolute favorite thing about the game’s art style is its color palette. The color combinations’ liveliness makes this game stand out from other bullet heavens and roguelike games.

Lastly, another element that differentiates Wildkeepers Rising from other similar games in the market is that this one will actually have a narrative to follow. The team didn’t reveal too much about it, but they mentioned the final boss is already done, and they’re looking for a story-driven experience, too, which is terrific. Again, there weren’t a lot of details on this, but it is one of the things I’m most excited about.

Interviewing the Developers

After the preview, we interviewed the creative minds behind Wildkeepers Rising, and since I’m always eager to learn more about the characters and certain gameplay systems, I squeezed in a few questions.

Julio La Pine, Staff Writer at The Nerd Stash: Which Wildkeepers and Guardians are your favorite in terms of design and gameplay?

Sergio Garces, Director at Lioncode Games: Oh, it’s so hard to say that. We have two Wildkeepers right now and we’re planning to probably have two more, maybe more in the future. But they feel so different, and both are rewarding in their own way. As far as Guardians go, I really like messing with the enemies with a crowd-control Guardian like Splizz, but I also enjoy Buzz’s special. Seeing him go around like a buzzsaw is fun to watch.

Lyle Moore, Art Director at Lioncode Games: I think Splizz holds a special place in our hearts. During the development, when we talked about having a supporting character who could mesmerize all enemies, we put together that character. I did the special animation; we really found that inspiring to us about other things that we could do out there, like dealing more damage and shooting a beam across the screen. That’s opened up a lot of ideas for us in our development. There’s another named Grampht. You see him like a bison character, and he’s one of my favorites because he seems like a big, wooly friend that you would want. He was also integral in helping me define the art style.

Julio La Pine, Staff Writer at The Nerd Stash: I noticed you have a lot of emphasis on story elements and narrative-driven elements, and I think it’s fantastic because the genre usually doesn’t have a lot of these things. Since I love collecting creatures, is there a plan to add an encyclopedia of sorts so we can read entries about the Guardians?

Sergio Garces, Director at Lioncode Games: We would love to develop our world and our Guardians as much as possible. To start with, we will have a screen where you can go and see the Guardians in their spirit world. There’s some story behind the Guardians. They are not from our world; they are from the spirit world. They come to ours temporarily and help you for a run, and then they go back. As a Wildkeeper, you’ll be able to visit them there. They’ll be in their habitat during their own thing. So, yes, you can learn more about them.

Julio La Pine, Staff Writer at The Nerd Stash: Moving on to the gameplay part, something I realized when I was watching the first trailer and the presentation is that you mentioned “Monster Heaven.” That sounds less scary than Bullet Heaven and will attract a lot of new players. However, is there any system recommending builds or synergies between Guardians for newcomers?

Sergio Garces, Director at Lioncode Games: I know what you mean. I hesitate a little bit to recommend Guardians to you because the truth is that we are making it so that any combination will have something to it, and we want you to experience it. We are providing a little guidance for the level-ups because you’ll see those a lot more often. You only get four Guardians; it’s not the end of the world. But for the level-ups, we’re providing a little bit more guidance, which we do in the form of rarities. So, for experienced players, when you see the four options you have for a level-up, you can consider what your build will be. Maybe you want to lean into damage or something else. But when you see a rare or legendary upgrade as a new player, it’s a no-brainer.

Lyle Moore, Art Director at Lioncode Games: The other plan for our story is as you work through it and you discover and unlock more Guardians, we potentially want to unlock side quests where you play with that Guardian to learn the mechanics. That’s the plan, but don’t hold me to the fire if it changes.

A Monster Heaven You’ll Want to Try

With this short preview, I can already tell Wildkeepers Rising will be one unique game. The art style is gorgeous, the gameplay choices are on point, and the combination of systems works perfectly. If you’ve been looking for a fast-paced Monster Heaven with colorful characters, in-depth build options, and story elements, Wildkeepers Rising will deliver that and more. Don’t forget to add it to your wishlist, and remember to follow us for more coverage on this upcoming adventure.