South Korean studio Boundary and publisher Krafton have a new ARPG on their hands, and it looks like they understand what makes these games tick. Tarae: The Unbound, an isometric action game rooted in Buddhist mythology, was shown at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany. The demo was short but promising, and it centers on one simple truth: combat has to feel good.
The game offers three distinct classes, and the demo let players pick the Samurai, a melee fighter built for close-quarters chaos. The setup is straightforward: a dodge roll, a limited stamina bar, and a few healing potions. But the swings of the sword carry weight, and the demo leans heavily on that idea.
Weight Matters
There is nothing worse than floatiness in an ARPG. Letting loose a massive blow only for it to flutter from your hands breaks the spell. Tarae’s animators, visual effects artists, and audio engineers are all working together to get the feeling absolutely right.
The demo featured a charging slash that stood out. Blood leaps from foes with every swing, and the audio-visual feedback lands hard. It is the kind of moment that makes a player pause and smile, even in a short demo.
The Dagger Throws
Movement is another key ARPG element, and Tarae nails it. The throwable dagger adds a layer of utility. On its own, it is an unremarkable projectile, but once thrown, you can teleport to its resting spot at the press of a button. Doing so causes an eruption around your character, which deals damage to all those around you when timed correctly.
All of these abilities can be modified by a wide selection of subskills. Everything was unlocked for the demo, but only a brief mess-around with them was possible. The changes appear to be percentile alterations and minor amendments, not huge shifts, but the extent of options was enticing as a focus for the finer points of buildcrafting.
Bosses Worth Remembering
The enemies break into two broad categories. The first are standard goons: hordes of smaller foes that rush up to slap you or throw projectiles from a distance. They were not especially challenging, but a careless attention slip could still occasionally leave me grasping for healing potions or spamming the dodge button.
The bosses were far more interesting. I faced two bosses, and despite apparently being the earliest bosses in-game, they threw a surprising number of moves at me. The first was a giant toad demon of sorts, serving as a warm-up. It rolled on its side, dashing any hope of a safe spot to strike, while its leaps forced a well-timed dodge to prevent a hefty chunk of damage. Even so, it did not put up much of a fight and I enjoyed unleashing the move set into it.
The second boss, a sorcerer, was genuinely challenging. A deluge of incoming blows required fairly precise positioning, something that had not been required in earlier fights. It also entered a phase of endless invulnerability strikes which persisted until I stood inside a lit space within the arena. Add in a substantial health bar, and the demo’s time-limit ended before the fight was won, prompting a disappointed wail from everyone in the room, including me.
The Combat Foundation
The demo showed a solid ARPG foundation, but these games tend to reveal their true greatness later. Customization of abilities becomes the draw in the long hours, and Tarae appears to offer a wide selection of subskills. I only got a brief taste of them in the demo, but the potential was clear.
The Eastern mythology aesthetic was only glimpsed in the demo, and there is plenty left to discover about the setting. I am eager to see what else the game does with its rich background.
“There’s nothing worse than floatiness.”
The demo was a taste, not the meal.
The Remaining Unknowns
The demo was short, and it was far from finished. I only saw glimpses of Tarae’s Eastern mythology aesthetic, and there is plenty left to discover about the setting. The character customization system will likely become clearer in later hours, when players can delve into the abilities and find a playstyle that suits them best.
Krafton provided flights and accommodation for Eurogamer’s preview. Tarae: The Unbound has the instincts of a great ARPG. It knows combat has to feel good, and it knows movement has to matter. The bosses were memorable, the abilities were layered, and the combat carried weight. Whether it rises to the likes of Diablo and Path of Exile is a question for later, but the foundation is strong.
Here is what the demo delivered:
- Three distinct classes to choose from
- A Samurai class focused on melee combat
- A dodge roll, stamina bar, and healing potions
- A charging slash with heavy audio-visual feedback
- A throwable dagger that doubles as a teleportation tool
- Percentile alterations and minor amendments to abilities
- Early bosses that tested timing and positioning
- A sorcerer boss that demanded precise positioning
The demo was a taste, not the meal. Tarae: The Unbound has the instincts of a great ARPG. It knows combat has to feel good, and it knows movement has to matter. The bosses were memorable, the abilities were layered, and the combat carried weight. Whether it rises to the likes of Diablo and Path of Exile is a question for later, but the foundation is strong.
Source material: “Tarae: The Unbound seems to get what makes a good ARPG, but crunchy combat aside, can it rise to the likes of Diablo and Path of Exile?,” Eurogamer.
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