Prisma has completely blown my expectations out of the water | Hands-off preview
Back in 2021 there were (as there are every year at this point) dozens and dozens of wonderful games to keep us busy. It meant that when thinking about game of the year top tens some tough decisions had to be made, and one game that forced me personally to do this was Cris Tales.
This gorgeous RPG pushed some seriously great games off my personal list (like for example Tales of Arise) and kept me hooked with its seriously clever turn-based combat. Well now developer Dreams Uncorporated are back with Prisma, and after a hands-off showing of the game I am so excited to get my hands on it.
Prisma is another glorious turn-based RPG, this time starring journalist Alma. When this delightful protagonist discovers a magical Prism shard in an old camera, she’s transported to another world full of other Almas. The other Almas have taken different paths in life, and will be your party members in combat. Not all Almas are about fighting though, with a shopkeeper Alma who has been led astray by capitalism and a whole host of enemy Almas too. It’s such a unique idea for a video game that lends itself perfectly to the trope of “jobs” in RPGs we all know and love.
As cool as this concept is though, what really excited me about Prisma is the combat. Most attacks in Prisma are dealt in straight lines towards enemies, and to do the most damage possible you’ll want to hit as many as you can at once. Thanks to Alma’s magic camera though this isn’t an issue, as by changing lenses you can do just that.
The fisheye lens for example curves the edges of the frame allowing you to bend attacks into more enemies, whereas the shattered lens can be used to refract attacks off in multiple directions. Seeing this in action was truly mind blowing, and set my mind racing thinking about all the combat options it opened up.
Your team of Almas have loads of abilities that can be taken advantage of to help in combat too, like Robot Alma (the Alma who removed her emotions so her judgement couldn’t be clouded) who can create barriers that reflect attacks which can be used defensively or as bumpers to bounce your shots around. If Prisma is full of creative combat ideas like this then I know I’ll adore it, and likely won’t be the only one.
Prisma is a game that even from a short gameplay presentation has completely blown my expectations out of the water, with so much to love about it. That’s without mentioning the Latin American folklore influences in the enemy design, or the fact that there will be a social connection system that boosts the power of your team of Almas through bonds. It has been a long time since a game excited me this much in a hands-off preview, and when I get my hands on it then you dear readers will be the first to know.
Prisma will be launching a kickstarter campaign shortly, and releasing in the not too distant future (we hope).
