Iratus: Lord of the Dead

From the moment that you lay eyes on Iratus: Lord of the Dead, the inspirations are obvious. While this turn-based roguelike wears its love of Darkest Dungeon on its sleeve like the largest tattoo ever seen, this is a game well worth playing in its own right. While it might lack the audible charm and the grandeur of Darkest Dungeon it has more than enough systems and ideas included to help you realise that this is more than just a cheap copy.

Raising the Dead

Iratus is a game that sets you in the head of a dark necromancer who wishes to take his army from the deepest, darkest depths of the dungeon up to the very top of the real world. You want to destroy the mortal realms. While in Darkest Dungeon you arrive with the intent to take care of the evil that lives under the surface, solving familial mistakes along the way, with Iratus you are taking on the very opposite task.

This means that instead of using everything from brigands and mercenaries to templars and heroes to conquer evil, you will be fighting against the forces of light. And with every kill, you have the chance of using their fleshy means to create an evil demon of your own to add to your collection!

The game is an extremely enjoyable experience, and one that should keep you coming back time and time again. With regular updates, too, this is a game with plenty to say and to show.

Necromancy at its most exciting

While it might not have the same style as Darkest Dungeon in terms of narration and the like, it does a good job of capturing the style. Remember that part of what makes Darkest Dungeon so good is the Lovecraftian language and the tone; with this game, though, you are very much on the side of evil. So while it might lack the poetic flair of its clear inspiration, it takes its language and theme in a totally different – and still awesome – direction.

Craft your armies of the dead, fight back against the surface, and claim immortality through mass murder. While other games like this can feel like a poor take on Darkest Dungeon, this avoids trying to copy the same theme. Battles play out similar, but there is much to enjoy about a high octane necromancer game that has you using your wits to come out the other side – the surface – successful.

Pros

• A fantastic take on the turn-based roguelite scene made best by Darkest Dungeon
• Avoids being an imitation, instead using inspirations to create a quality game
• Impressive range of creatures to use and enemies to fight, keeping things fresh

Cons

• Lacks the same visual and audio polish of its obvious inspiration
• Perhaps can become a touch confusing the close to the surface you get