I am a knight of lightning and black steel. Sitting on the parapet of a huge Gothic tower, I spot a dozen undead moving in the valley below. I leap into the air above them, then fall into the crowd, exploding like thunder, causing an arc of electricity and shattering pieces of zombies. Sometimes it’s nice when a video game is just a gigantic stupid power fantasy and I can— a first-person action RPG that just went into Early Access — that’s exactly what it is, and it looks like a solid first step in a year-long roadmap to the full release.
In Early Access, Voin is exactly what it says it is launch trailer shows, no more, no less. You are a chilly magic knight. There are plenty of nasty undead in the (very picturesque) shadowy fantasy kingdom. You go out, kick ass, earn loot and levels, and then do it again across several non-linear, semi-open world maps. There are some fun aerial moves, some spectacular spells and skills (I particularly like the devilish anime ability “slow-motion reverse jump into a submerged sword strike”), and a satisfying slow-motion dodge mechanic. It’s good, silly fun – just don’t expect much story in this first Early Access release.
Oddly enough, despite its great aesthetics (as seen in the launch trailer), the game looks like a low-resolution mess in store screenshots. By default, the game reduces the resolution and significantly reduces the color palette used, and while this look may work for more retro things, I don’t think it will work here – there’s a lot of impressive map design behind it. Fortunately, you can turn all of this off, and I recommend you do so, as you’re missing out on the stunning views and detailed hyper-Gothic architecture. Both in the maps and in the main fortress, where you can diegetically purify cursed items using a huge magic bell in a lava-filled forge and level up by passing through a mirror portal.
One thing I’m hoping for in the full version (or at least later in Early Access) is more structured quests and objectives. As it stands, the game offers nice environments and plenty of enemies to hack, but little structure beyond kicking ass, collecting loot, and gaining power. There’s solid combat and spectacular environments, but little connective tissue. Oddly enough, despite the hefty metal graphics, the game’s music is also quite subdued. Perhaps more of the soundtrack will be released later, but I think it deserves to be on a playlist of the most doom-infused shadowy fantasy metal out there.
While some early access games seem almost fully formed on day one, Voin seems like a more utilitarian foundation for future events. Fun and great looking, with a year of extra development already planned for a final release in tardy 2025, but it may not be worth diving into immediately unless the aesthetic of a black metal album really speaks to you. But if that’s enough for you, Voin is there now available in Steam Early Access for £15.07/$17.99 with a 10% launch discount valid until Christmas.
