In Celebration of Violence v1.2.2

In Celebration of Violence is a fantasy action roguelike that combines exploration with intense combat. The game demands a strategic approach to fighting, requiring players to carefully plan their attacks, dodges, blocks, and parries while taking into account both their opponents and the environment. Death is permanent, but players can enhance their stats and purchase items to assist in future attempts. If the challenge becomes overwhelming, up to four local friends can join in as player-controlled monsters, zombies, and bandits to aid the hero.

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The game is reminiscent of a blend between The Binding of Isaac and Dark Souls, with elements of Rogue Legacy and Hammerwatch. The combat is deliberate and weighty, while the story remains vague and largely absent. A successful run through one of the branching paths can take up to three hours. In Celebration of Violence is intentionally obscure, providing only the basic controls and leaving players to decipher the rest of the game's items, secrets, and mechanics. This adds to the difficulty, as much of the challenge lies in understanding the systems at play.

The game features large, procedurally generated, and interconnected lands that range from plains to swamps, cities, and dungeons. These areas offer multiple paths to reach various final bosses, with dungeons presenting a dangerous but rewarding risk. Players must navigate slowly, avoiding traps and uncovering secrets while searching for the exit.

Environmental elements interact with each other, adding another layer of complexity. Fire reacts to temperature, weather, and flammable objects, while electricity can arc towards entities and is particularly dangerous around water. Weather conditions like rain or snow adjust organically to the area's climate, serving as both hindrances and advantages.

Throughout the land, shrines dedicated to multiple gods offer players the chance to receive favors, bonuses, and items. However, each god has a different price, and some may become displeased if their rivals are worshipped or if the player takes certain actions, such as destroying foliage or killing civilians.

The world is filled with a variety of weapons, items, spells, and mementos to discover. Mementos, which represent objects remembered from past lives, can alter gameplay rules, such as summoning spiders from enemy corpses or reversing the effects of death.

Players have multiple paths to victory, whether by being stealthy, charging in with a hammer, raising an army of undead, using spells, manipulating enemies into traps, or playing it safe with a sword and shield. Each character offers a different starting point, but every decision is ultimately up to the player.

Despite its cheerful graphics, In Celebration of Violence offers a brutal and unforgiving experience. Players must deal with unforeseen obstacles in real time, and even regular enemies can be deadly if not approached carefully. Success requires consistently overcoming these challenges, as failure can halt or even reverse progress.

As players gain experience, discover schematics, and defeat bosses, they become better equipped to face future challenges. The choices and advantages available at the start of a playthrough increase dramatically as the game progresses, with new characters, items, and bonuses unlocked in ways that are subtly hinted at during gameplay.