Diablo 4 and its competitors have long included hardcore modes where character death is permanent. However, the action RPG genre rarely crosses paths with roguelikes, despite its perfect blend of addictive gameplay and randomized loot. Luckily, the sci-fi roguelike ARPG with up to four player co-op, Gatekeeper, recently released on Steam Early Access and offers just such a mixture.
Gatekeeper appoints you as the guardian of the Heart of the Universe, a key artifact that maintains cosmic balance, which has been stolen.Your mission is to reclaim it by fighting waves of enemies on various planets, in a format reminiscent of classic roguelikes, and with a combat system similar to Diablo and Helldivers, depending on the class you choose.
At launch, Gatekeeper offers seven playable characters, four planets with 18 locations, and 81 artifacts to collect. In addition to the standard roguelike mode, there is a popular arena mode that is more reminiscent of games like Vampire Survivors. You can play either alone or in co-op for up to four players, with the ability to search for public lobbies.
Gatekeeper is available in Steam Early Access and developer Gravity Lagoon plans for the game to be there for about a year. Now the game can be purchased with a 20% discount until May 26.
The developers have scheduled the first Gatekeeper update for the third quarter of 2024. This update will introduce interplanetary stores, a new quest, a pack of artifacts, new locations, and mechanics for banning artifacts.Future updates plan to add three new guards, two new planets, and a final boss (along with a new mode) that will arrive at launch.