Conan Chop Chop Is a Lighthearted Roguelite with Plenty of Barbarian Attitude

ign.com:

I don't think Robert E. Howard had much of a sense of humor about his work when he created the swords and sorcery spectacle that was Conan the Barbarian 90 years ago. But let's face it: Conan is kind of silly. Go watch the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie and tell me it's not. And I think that's part of why the cartoonish co-op roguelite Conan Chop Chop works pretty well. The fast paced, decently challenging, and unpredictable gameplay certainly doesn't hurt either, though.

Normally I might be put off by the exaggerated, whimsical visual style of a game like this, which would fit right in with any number of shallow strategy games on the app store. But it's clear to me that Mighty Kingdom knows the source material and isn't just trying to use the Conan name to put out something low effort. From nods to some of the thewy hero's classic foes to a responsive and exhilarating combat system that reminded me a fair bit of Hades, it's kind of like a good power metal album. It's over-the-top, humble enough to laugh at itself, but also has the technical chops to really shred if you accuse it of only being here to mess around.

You and up to three friends can take control of four cute but deadly barbarians, of which I had the most fun with the nimble archer Belit. She's geared toward ranged damage and dodge-rolling out of danger, so I could really use the whole battlefield to my advantage in the often chaotic and genuinely punishing boss fights. Pallantides is her opposite, holding the line with a sturdy shield. Camping behind your defenses can only get you so far, though. If you time your blocks as any character, you can parry and avoid all damage while deflecting projectiles or even stunning the enemy. Mechanics like this that show off