The Serpent Rogue Oozes Charm As An Alchemical-like RPG

thegamer.com:

Alongside the grim reaper, the plague doctor is one of the surest symbols of death, their curved, downturned beaks and wide-brimmed hats a sinister sight as they creep and poke around the burning, bloated corpses of plague victims. In most games they are almost a twisted harbinger of death, but there’s a curative aspect to the plague doctor’s work in The Serpent Rogue. You’re collecting herbs for potions and other alchemical purposes, dispelling a corruptive force of nature that pollutes and defiles any creature in its path, and shapeshifting into wild beasts with their blessings. Turns out the plague doctor in The Serpent Rogue is no personification of death; they’re, in fact, more akin to druids.

The truth is that plague doctors are a sham, more charlatans than actual physicians; historically, plague doctors had a reputation for pedalling false cures, while most very rarely cured their patients as they lacked proper medical training. But having played through the demo of The Serpent Rogue—now available on Steam as part of the Steam Next Fest—the plague doctor, who is simply known as the Warden, at least seems a little more competent than their historical counterparts. Set in a supernatural medieval realm, The Warden has been tasked to purge the lands of The Corruption. It’s a miasma that turns every living being it ensnares into a blood-thirsty thrall. You can hack and slash these enslaved beasts with your weapons—or flail your flipper-like hands around them—to free their souls, but I’m pretty sure that’s not the best way to go about this task; after all, it feels like it goes against the pacifist nature of The Warden and their kind. At the same time, there’s also the small matter of the fact that a corrupted wild