DROS, an upcoming puzzle adventure from indie developer and publisher emergeWorlds is now slated to launch on July 20th, 2023. It will be available on PC via GOG, the Epic Games Store, and Steam, where you can wishlist the game now.

In DROS, players lead a slimy little creature and her human host, a bounty hunter, through a steampunk tower by solving puzzles and battling or avoiding enemies. You can watch today’s release date announcement trailer on the DROS YouTube channel:

DROS should instantly capture your imagination with its stunning visuals. Their fundamental quality far outreaches traditional indie releases. The polished textures, lighting, and effects are crisp and sophisticated, full of neat details and noticeable intent.

The environments in today’s announcement trailer each look very distinct, not only in their atmosphere, but also in their level design. This should result in a good variety of challenges, so the puzzles and characters have a clear path of evolution.

There are a few familiar narrative elements and gameplay mechanics, but the devs maintain a clear vision that promises to successfully elaborate on all of them. For example, there are nods to old school 3D platformers from the 90’s and early thousands, where the hero and their sidekick must work together to progress.

But these are only smaller features in the broader adventure. The result should be impressively balanced, as players smoothly transition between puzzles, combat, and exploration.

There is something very cinematic and mysterious about DROS. The world of DROS can be cute, but it still entertains a healthy dose of strangeness, which proudly extends from its oddball characters to its narrative.

The art design seems unusually flexible, with a dash of steampunk, fantasy, and even a sense of humor. DROS boasts the all-important ability to surprise, even in its trailer.

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