Probably one of the most appealing parts of an RPG is bonding with other characters, right? Building up your player character’s relationships with various companions, like in games like the Persona series for example. What I wouldn’t say is particularly common is you, the player, having a direct relationship with the character you’re playing as. This is where Downhill comes in, a fourth wall breaking action RPG whose main character knows you exist and controls them, all the while having to figure out a way to save the world.
“The idea of power and its abuse is what lies at the core of Downhill,” Sisterhood Games, the developer of Downhill, explain in the game’s Kickstarter page. “Each time we start a new RPG game, we take full control of a character, but what if that character had a will of their own? Moreover, what if it oftentimes clashed with your vision for your playthrough?”
A fourth wall break in an indie RPG is nothing new, that’s kind of Undertale‘s whole deal to a degree (a game cited as an inspiration, alongside how OneShot communicates to the player directly). But what sells me on Downhill is the way in which you develop a relationship with its protagonist Fade. Do you want to help her in any way you can, or do you want to fight against her? You can talk to her at any point throughout the game, various dialogue options affecting how she thinks of you.
That might mean doing something simple as asking how she is, or forcing her to fight an enemy. I wouldn’t say subtlety is the name of the game here, it’s clearly going to be a game where you question your role in the way games play out. I just really like the presentation of it all. There’s a really unique dark fantasy aesthetic to it with some good, creepy-looking creatures to fight, and the twist on RPG dialogue options being that you’re conversing with your own character is a fun one.
You can revive Fade as many times as you want too without having to load your save data, but that comes with the cost of it causing her mental distress. Obviously you can’t tell everything from a game without playing it, but it certainly sounds like there’s a thoughtfulness as to how commonplace mechanics can affect the characters you play as. Good stuff!
As mentioned, the game is currently looking for funds on Kickstarter, so you can chuck a few quid your way if it takes your fancy. It’s also available to wishlist on Steam, and there’s a short demo for you to check out too if you’re not convinced enough to support the fundraiser just yet.
