Grade: B
Gimmicky low animation rogue-lite
Tallowmere isn’t the prettiest looking game. The animation is rough-hewn and looks like paper cutouts floating across the 2D side-scrolling screen. I was about to put this game down in the first 5 minutes, but I am glad I gave it some time to breathe.
Tallowmere is a rogue-lite with procedurally generated levels and a little story. The goal is to beat your high score through endless and unceasing struggle.
As I played a few rounds, there was lots of gore and many different weapons, and the game is generally all tongue in cheek. You’re a fantasy adventurer, but some pickups are rocket launchers or grenades. Tallowmere doesn’t take itself very seriously, which is part of the charm.
Dark Choices
Of note is that you have the opportunity to set your difficulty, but there’s a bit of a twist and some dry/dark humor. You come across an NPC who lets you know you can sacrifice a bunch of kittens to raise your starting power level. Each kitten is worth +10 Max health.
I played for about an hour before successfully getting to the first major boss battle. After that, I and boss-thing killed each other through rocket launcher volleys, which is, you know, a very traditional sword-and-sorcery fantasy outcome.
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