Netherworld Covenant; a grim roguelike worthy of the gods’ shadow.
It’s difficult to follow in the footsteps of a pillar that defined a genre like Hades. Many have attempted, yet the strain of comparison causes most to falter. But the gloomy, uncompromising roguelike Netherworld Covenant, created by the two-person team at Mad Goat, doesn’t attempt to imitate greatness; instead, it forges its own route through phantom flame, ash, and blood.
Netherworld Covenant stands tall among its peers with a distinct character, delivering a powerful, mechanically sharp, and pleasantly satisfying roguelike experience even in its Early Access period. The premise of the story is one of gloom and hopelessness. As one of the many soldiers sent to recover the legendary Nether Lantern, you assume the role of the only survivor of a disastrous mission. Your quest begins in the lonely continent of Langreg, a demon-ravaged pit filled with corruption.
You wake up surrounded by the corpses of your deceased friends, their lifeless bodies an ominous reminder of the stakes. With mysterious intentions, a shadowy figure known as the Black Knight emerges from the haze and orders you to go. Your task is simple yet enormous: protect the Nether Lantern, cleanse the tainted souls of your comrades, and prevent the coming collapse of the mortal world and the nether world beyond.
The Nether Lantern serves as both a gaming element that unifies the experience and a narrative pillar, not just a story device. This magical relic acts as a link between worlds, a means of cleansing, and a ray of hope in a world that is enveloped in gloom. It adds personal stakes to your quest: you’re fighting to save the fallen and bring harmony back to a broken world, not just slicing through demons for treasure.
Because of this weight, every run in Netherworld Covenant becomes a chapter in a larger spiritual struggle. Langreg itself is a living example of a vanished culture, not just a setting. Every step is a rejection of inevitable fate as crumbling strongholds, ash-strewn plains, and twisted forests tell stories of a once-proud land now destroyed by its own arrogance.
Each run at Netherworld Covenant starts at the Borderland Camp, a hauntingly quiet hub on the border between the mortal plane and the netherworld. Here, you can summon ghost friends, make weapons, and get ready for the difficulties that lie ahead. The power of the camp lies in its simplicity; it isn’t overloaded with unnecessary procedures and provides just enough to get you ready without being overbearing.
A little break before you fall into the abyss is provided by the dim, melancholy cries in the distance and the glowing bonfire, which creates an eerie atmosphere. There is no turning back after you have armed yourself, selected a difficulty, and entered the dungeon.
Netherworld Covenant really shines in combat. It favors a system based on timing, accuracy, and purposeful movement above flashy disorder. Instead of aimlessly cutting through opponents, you’re making quick plans. It’s important to position yourself correctly because standing in the wrong place could expose you to a ghoul’s claw or a hail of arrows. Deflecting turns the opponent’s aggression into opportunity and requires lightning-fast reflexes.
On the other hand, dodging is your lifeline; the right moment will frequently determine whether you survive to fight another room or die. The basic principles of combat—attack, block, and dodge—are simple, but the way these components interact during difficult situations reveals the richness of the fight. Consider a battle against a mixed group of zombie archers and skeletal swordsmen, where you must block the melee attacks and narrow the gap on your ranged opponents while avoiding a lethal crossfire.
This system is upgraded by your Soul Companions. These ghostly companions, who belong to different classes, contribute special talents and passive abilities to the battle. While a mage partner throws arcane missiles from a distance, weakening more formidable enemies, a warrior companion may charge toward enemies, absorbing damage and providing you some breathing room.
Their existence enables you to customize your approach without getting weighed down in complex settings; strategy feels natural and fast. They are complemented by a wide variety of weapons and artifacts, each of which has passive effects such as retaliatory buffs, bleeding wounds, or burning blows. Imagine wearing armor that lashes out at attackers, turning their aggression against them, or carrying a jagged blade that flames opponents, leading them to thrash in panic.
One of its highlights is the build system. Because of its adaptability and simplicity, you can modify your equipment in mid-run to fit your preferences. You may strengthen a shield to reflect damage after a block or use poison to improve a dagger to take down large enemies. Every run exposes new combinations, such as combining a frost-infused spear with an enemy-slowing buddy to create a synergy that stops enemies in their tracks. This ongoing growth encourages exploration.
Progression avoids the traditional XP grinds by tying your power to resource gathering during runs. This high-stakes, fast-paced loop doesn’t slow you down; it keeps you interested. The opponents of Netherworld Covenant are a ruthless group of people who are meant to keep you on your toes. The threats in each chamber vary and include quick, savage ghouls that dart in and out of reach, spell-slinging undead magicians, massive melee brutes, and archers with pointed weapons.
They are aggressive, well-coordinated, and punishing; they are not just cannon fires. There is no room for relaxation when facing them; it feels like a test of reflexes and intellect. One of your favorite moments might be when you underestimate a ghoul’s lunge and barely avoid it with a last-second dodge.
This chaos is held together by the Ethereal Dash and Dodge mechanics. Evasion becomes an art form because of the sensitive and silky-smooth movement. You can get out of a trap or position yourself behind a stumbling opponent for a crucial hit with a well-timed dash.
Thrashing through a group of enemies, striking, then slipping away as their blades brush the air where you stand is a dance of danger and control. This fluidity rewards skill over force and adds suspense and excitement to every battle.
Bosses go above and beyond with this. These are custom challenges with distinct patterns and requirements, not just big grunts. You will have to learn how to dodge the powerful strokes of the huge demon with the burning whip in the first battle and to exploit the few pauses. Every interaction is a pressure cooker that tests your ability to use every tool available to you. Topping one feels like a well-earned victory, illustrating the game’s emphasis on skill-driven rewards.
Netherworld Covenant‘s graphics adopt a gloomy pixel art aesthetic that puts emotion above refinement. It’s more about atmosphere than stunning detail. An image of endless destruction is painted by Langreg’s depressing color scheme of muted grays, deep reds, and dark blacks. The unified, eerie look is produced by the bright Nether Lantern, ragged cliffs, and pixelated ruins. Although it won’t impress graphic freaks, its tone and consistency are flawless, bringing to mind Darkest Dungeon classics with a unique spin.
Even in Early Access, Netherworld Covenant’s performance is incredibly reliable. Even as the screen fills with opponents and effects, the game runs perfectly on a PC without any lurches or dips. This type of stability is a special advantage for an unfinished title that can be expanded upon for different improvements.
The audio completes the picture. As you go more into Langreg, the sound of drones becomes more and more creepy. It complements the activity in a subtle way and is never louder than it. The high-pitched “whoosh” of avoiding, the crackling of the enemy burning, and the heavy thud of the block are all very powerful sound effects. When combined, they create captivating music that heightens Netherworld Covenant’s intensity and gravity.
The quality of Netherworld Covenant now surpasses that of many finished games. It simplifies the roguelike model into tight combat, compelling plot, and rewarding growth, making it quick, focused, and intensely enjoyable. There is only a lean, deadly experience wrapped in a realm of danger and phantoms; there is no filler. It sharpens the basic principles to a razor-sharp edge without going beyond. This is not a boring copy, but a bold and worthy member of the roguelike family for fans of Hades, Dead Cells, and Curse of the Dead Gods.
