Appearing out of thin air Driven Out comes with a unique concept wrapped in a retro-fantasy inspired world. This game has decided to change the formula, and instead of focusing on the protagonist, all of the content is focused on battles with unbeatable foes.
The developer has always been fascinated with the animation, move set, and AI of the enemies in video games. All of these factors create something that is almost alive. The game is born out of this fascination as enemies have often had the biggest impact on the developer.
The entire game’s design revolves around the idea that enemies should be the center of the game’s narrative. The developers found it important to have both variation and challenge for an enemy. To do this, they made sure that most enemies in the game only appear one or two times increasing the impact of battling these foes.
They are also as varied as possible throughout the game. Each enemy has more than one type of attack, meaning that you will have to move quickly and adapt to every fight — this change in style results in almost no one strategy to complete every challenge. Instead of forces players to observe the enemy and try to respond with the correct counter move.
In Driven Out the player has three different parry and attack moves each. You not only have to predict when the enemy attacks but also how resulting in a reaction-based combat system. Each enemy has a build-up on their attacks which clever players can use to know what attack is coming next.
The game forces players into melee combat and removes the roll and jump options. You have to stay close to the enemy and constantly parry and attack until they are defeated. There is a level of an adrenaline rush, and rewarding thrill from success, is found when you are close to danger and only inches away from being oneshot by a dangerous boss.
Like many modern developers, they hope to make progress rewards more than simply a number. They want player investment and a feeling of satisfaction from a job well done built into the game. This is a dangerous path to go down but if successful, it will result in a game remembered for years to come.
This game is set to release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Steam on October 18. The developers, No Pest Productions, have put tons of work into the game’s classic style reminding players of a time long gone in gaming.
