If you happen to like roguelike games, then you're pretty much spoiled for choice these days. It seems like almost every developer is integrating elements of the genre into their titles, and as of right now, the industry is absolutely flooded with new games coming out. Yet, for every The Binding Of Isaac or Dead Cells, there's a dozen pretenders to the throne that come out and are forgotten about a week after release.
Children Of Morta isn't one of those titles. It's an absolute triumph and should be considered one of the best examples of how to make a roguelike game.
All In The Family
Right off the bat, you know Children Of Morta is going to be something special because of its story. The game is about the Bergson family, a clan of guardians who protect the land and its people from evil. They also live in what is quite possibly one of the nicest houses in video game history. One night, the matriarch of the family, Grandma Margaret, awakes after sensing that something is wrong. It turns out that a great evil called, The Corruption, has started to taint the land and is causing animals to turn into wild beasts and goblins to run all over the place looting and shooting anything they can. After gathering up her family, who all are apparently various shades of badass, they determine that they need to find the source of The Corruption before it washes over everything and destroys the world.
Yes, it's your usual "good guys need to overcome weird evil purple goo kind of epic tale" that you may have seen before. However, where Children Of Morta truly excels is with its characters. Each member of the Bergson family has their own personality, and over the course of the story, we find out a lot about these heroes. We learn that John is a stoic warrior with a goofy sense of humor, that Linda is a headstrong young woman who plays the violin so she can stop thinking about what's happening outside, Kevin is an angsty teen who simply wants to prove that he can be just as good of a hero as everyone else, etc. They're so fleshed out and developed, that we can't help but root for them. It's been a while since I actually got really attached to a game's characters, and I was fully invested in the day to day lives of the Bergsons.
The Family That Slays Together, Stays Together
It doesn't hurt that the gameplay itself is also fantastic. It's a roguelike dungeon crawler, so essentially its a procedurally generated Diablo. You choose a member of the Bergson clan, and then venture to one of the zones and beat the boss of that stage to end that run. Along the way you'll level up, gaining new abilities, and much like the other games in this genre, you'll come across various items that will either give you a passive or active buff or can be used as an additional ability. You can also upgrade your family at the house in Uncle Ben's workshop, or Grandma Margaret's study, to boost stats like max health, max damage, the amount of XP or money you gain, and so on.
Everything feels great and responsive, with each hit feeling impactful, and the difficulty being at pretty much the perfect level. The game never feels too unforgiving, but it's definitely challenging. There's a lot of variation in the play styles, as each Bergson is a different class of fighter. John is a straight-up swordfighter who can tank damage with his shield. Kevin plays like a rogue with dual daggers, a stealth ability, and a frenzy meter that increases his attack speed. I personally preferred Linda, as she's the archer, and I don't like to get my hands dirty. There are six different characters to choose from, and while you may like some more than others, they're all a ton of fun to play with. To make things even better, it has two-player co-op so you can experience it all with a friend.
Definitely More Exciting Than Your Family Gatherings
One of the things I was really impressed with was the way the story is integrated into the gameplay. As you fight your way through a level, there's a chance you'll come across some kind of event that'll give you a bit more lore, or even just be a complete side story. You might rescue a wolf cub, who then needs medicine to cure their infection from the Corruption, or you may find two refugees who were bickering over where to set up camp, only to need saving after being ambushed by corrupted monsters. Other games have attempted this, but thanks to the strong writing of Children Of Morta, it comes across way better than in other titles.
Coming back from the zones to the Bergson house also usually brings about new story bits as well. Grandma Margaret may uncover the secrets of an ancient tablet that unlocks a new upgradable skill, or you may find out a family member has been properly trained to fight, and is now a usable hero. The way Children Of Morta ties what happens in the game into the story really makes this setting feel like a living, breathing world.
If It Weren't For The Corruption, This Place Would Be Lovely
The graphics are beautifully crafted pixel art, and each Bergson, monster, or piece of scenery is incredibly detailed. Considering there's not much to their faces, the family is very expressive, and it's easy to read whatever emotion that they're going through. The animations are smooth, gorgeous, and full of life, and everything from a cat playing with a ball to the death animations of enemies are fantastic.
There's only one voice actor, that being the narrator who essentially tells the entire story, kind of like the narrator in Bastion. Thankfully, his performance is excellent, and it feels like you're listening to a well-read audiobook. The actor's voice is soothing and affectionate, and he really helps the story come to life. The music is also outstanding and adds a layer of Tolkien-esque marvel to everything you do.
I suppose if I had some criticisms about Children Of Morta, it's that if you do happen to get stuck in one area, you may get a little sick of the surroundings, and you will find yourself fighting a lot of the same enemies over and over for a while. There were also some occasional hiccups with the game as it loaded back to the house, and I noticed some spelling errors in the Bergson's written dialogue, but that's pretty much it.
An Incredible Family Adventure
While I do love roguelikes, one thing I've always noticed is that very few of them have had much going on in terms of an actual plot. You just do your run, either succeed or die, and then start over. There's nothing wrong with that as long as it's fun, but I like a game that tries to keep me interested by telling a great story.
Children Of Morta kept me going just by virtue of wanting to see how the Bergson's tale would play out. I cared about these people, and I legitimately felt bad for them each time I failed on a run. If the game was just a fun Diablo-inspired roguelike, it probably still would have been great, but the inclusion of such a well-told story helps place it up there with The Binding Of Isaac, Dead Cells, Enter The Gungeon, and the other titans of this genre.
I can safely say that if you have even the slightest affection for this type of game, then you definitely need to meet the Bergson family, and jump right into the world of Children Of Morta.
5 Out Of 5 Stars
A PC review copy of Children Of Morta was provided to TheGamer for this review. Children Of Morta is available on PC, Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
Children of Morta
Children of Morta is a roguelite RPG from Dead Mage, launched in 2019. The game centres around the Bergson family, who must crawl dungeons and battle monsters to rid Mount Morta of the Corruption.