Preview: Valfaris Mecha Therion [PC DEMO]

Developed by Steel Mantis, and published by Big Sugar and East2West Games, Valfaris Mecha Therion is a conquest of epic proportions. Witness glory and bring the metal as you shoot, slash and dash through hordes of enemies unfit to live.

There will be slaughter…

Due to the demo being limited, Valfaris Mecha Therion isn’t the most straight forward with explaining its story. So, I will do my best to summarize. You are Valfaris, a warrior piloting a mech suit and waging war against various factions of enemies. Some are twisted and vile looking monsters, others are warriors from opposing groups. In the opening levels you are fighting to a power plant and destroying the security inside before fighting your way to an enemy stronghold.

This game is actually a sequel to Valfaris, a 2D platformer of similar style and vibe, published in 2019. There’s not much else to say about the story, other than your continued hunt for a figure called Lord Vroll. As it stands, the story isn’t the main focus of the game. That would be the combat, the weapons, and the style.

Blood for the blood god!

If you were to say style over substance, Valfaris Mecha Therion would have that in a good way. The graphics are grungy neo-Metalica vibe that has heavy Norse influence in its naming schemes and background art. Everything feels well animated and intricately designed. The soundtrack is also fantastic, as a heavy metal infused banger that really fights the combat.

Combat and overall game-play has shifted in this sequel. The controls move in a 2.5D shooter style, similar to old Gradius games, moving constantly forward and facing waves of enemies. You have various means of attack, your primary fire being the main focus. The rapid firing weapon can drain your energy, thus making it weaker. You have a secondary weapon, typically for big strong attacks or AOE forces. Dash makes you invulnerable. A melee attack can help generate energy as well.

Beyond the run and gun combat, you are able to obtain various different weapons for different slots. Instead of a rapid-fire blaster, you can get a lightning canon that jolts and jumps through enemies. You can exchange your targeting missile attack for a slow charging but massive damage electric AOE. And you can upgrade the weapons, improving damage, cool-downs, and special side effects.

What did I think of Valfaris Mecha Therion?

Valfaris Mecha Therion is a rock and roll metal fueled shooter with a killer soundtrack and breathtaking visuals. It’s not the most complex game out there, but it doesn’t need to be. The mechanics and features are fun, and that’s all that matters.

Valfaris Mecha Therion is slated for release in 2023, and set to come out on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S.