Children of the Sun: Devolver’s indie mixes simplicity with quality – Preview

Devolver Digital announced this Thursday (1) Children of the Sun, a game that mixes shooting and puzzle produced by solo developer René Rother. The game does not yet have a release date, but it has a trailer and is expected to arrive in 2024.

Voxel had exclusive access to a build of the game, lasting approximately one hour, and we will tell you our initial impressions. Check out more details about our experience with the game below!

Children of the Sun is the new game from Devolver Digital.

One shot, many deaths

Unlike conventional shooting games, Children of the Sun brings more tactical gameplay, with a puzzle feel. When you arrive at the level, you must analyze the environment and mark all the targets that you must shoot. At the beginning, they will all be in an open field, making it very simple to eliminate them all at once, but as time passes, it will be necessary to set up a specific path for the bullet to pass through without hitting any obstacles.

The reason for this is that you can only use one shot to finish off all enemies. When you hit the first one, it gives you the chance to aim and shoot once again, right in line with Yondu’s arrows, a character from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. A very interesting point is that time continues to pass, albeit slowly, while we aim for the next shots.

As the levels pass, new mechanics are unlocked and add layers of complexity to the levels. The first thing we could see in this build was the ability to slightly deviate the direction of the bullet to avoid objects or even adjust its direction and guarantee success. Several times I found myself using this power just to make sure the bullet would hit the target.

The second and last one allows you to fire a new shot during a shot. By hitting two enemies in their glowing weak spots, the player can press the right mouse button during the bullet’s flight and fire a new shot, completely changing the direction it was going. While in some phases, this power is not necessary, in others it is completely essential, as the targets are in completely different locations, making a more direct shot impossible.

The end is near for this person.Source: Francesco Casagrande

Simplicity as quality

I admit that the gameplay was something that surprised me due to its simplicity and creativity. It surprises me that it hasn’t been announced for mobile devices, since it can be completely played with just one hand, since everything you do is through the mouse, from moving to pulling the trigger. This same simplicity is what makes the title very fun, as there isn’t much to think about other than the best way to finish everyone off.

In addition to the common phases, there are also some special ones, which serve as a breather before a new mechanic is introduced. I had to shoot fish and birds to feed myself, complete a bizarre minigame and, finally, walk down a long corridor and understand more about the story.

And this simplicity is also used very well in the plot, which tells the story of a young woman seeking revenge on a cult that disgraced her life. In terms of visuals, the game moves away from the hyper-realism permeated in the video game market in recent years, adopting a more authorial style, with very colorful and boxy environments and characters.

There is too much information and not enough time to explain this image.Source: Francesco Casagrande

Everything presented in Children of the Sun It sparked my deep interest. It has the look and feel of Devolver Digital for bringing an eye-catching premise, engaging gameplay and eye-popping visuals. It has definitely become one of the titles I’m most looking forward to this year.

Children of the Sun It will be released for PC in 2024 and already has a demo to be downloaded via Steam.