Nomad: The Legend of Zarqa might be one of many demos included in Steam Next Fest, but it’s also one that caught my eye while preparing my coverage for the event. Having just shut down the new demo, here are my first impressions of this upcoming roguelite, which is based on the Arabian legend of Zarqa.
It’s the work of Ash Games Studio, and it’s an action-roguelite set in the region of Al-Yamama, which these days would be in modern-day Saudi Arabia, as my cursory research revealed. You play as the eponymous Zarqa, who is seeking revenge after a tyrannical army attacked her village and killed her husband.
To this end, you must grab your late husband’s bow, enchant and upgrade it, and then go on a journey to protect your people and defend your village from further attacks.
The village is full of friendly faces, and it’s here that you can manage your upgrades and whatnot. Then, it’s off on an adventure, using specific exits that translate into movements across a hex-grid map. It’s a clever little system, so you can chart your path through, but the levels are procedurally generated for each new run as you work towards beating the boss of the first biome.
The main draw, pardon the terrible but entirely intentional pun, is the game’s archery system. The arenas are compact and line of sight is often restricted, but you must move around the space ready to fire at a moment’s notice. It’s tense, too, because while it looks cute, there’s a nice edge to the challenge.
You can fire quickly, but really you need to charge that attack. As such, Nomad is a game about timing as much as it is about precision. I quite liked the weapon system, and see plenty of potential in it, but it’s also a different approach to Little Prince Tyger, another upcoming action-roguelite built around the bow and arrow.
There’s room for both in my book, and I’m particularly intrigued by Nomad: The Legend of Zarqa and its story, which is based in a mythology I’d like to know more about. I also thought the whole 2D-in-3D art style was quite charming. All told, this is now firmly on my radar, and I can’t wait to see more!
