Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Game enthusiasts may not be familiar with the name Glowmade, but the studio's talent may raise some eyebrows. The team includes former staff from Fable creators Lionhead and LittleBigPlanet makers Media Molecule. The developer's debut project looks to run on the whimsy of the latter, taking adorable characters and throwing them into a fantasy world filled with custom dungeons. It's called King of Meat and Shacknews recently had an opportunity to try it out.
King of Meat is set in a fantasy land of dragons, skeletons, trolls and mixes it with wacky commercialism. The denizens of this world have come to enjoy their favorite spectator sport at the Konstruct Koliseum, which involves teams of four running through dangerous dungeons filled with puzzles, traps, and ruthless enemies.
As a dungeon crawler, King of Meat scratches a satisfying itch with intuitive hack-and-slash combat, creative magic attacks, and refreshingly short sessions. Each dungeon I ran through lasted less than ten minutes and I was able to able to jump into the next one in short order. There are plenty of laughs to be had, whether it's the moment-to-moment struggles of avoiding raining bombs or using the game's weird abilities. One ability, for example, calls upon a giant horse hoof raining down from a portal, all while the announcer spits out quirky lines like, "What even are horses anyway?"
A major piece of the King of Meat formula involves dungeon design. This is where having Media Molecule experience works wonders, because King of Meat's dungeons will be entirely player-created. The game will ship with over 100 levels, all created by players themselves through its tester program. That number will grow with the addition of Create Mode, which allows users to craft dungeons with dozens of in-game tools. Glowmade has carefully constructed this mode with a controller in mind, allowing anybody to create the level they want to make. Players are welcome to create any kind of dungeon they'd like, but King of Meat will operate under Super Mario Maker rules, meaning that the player must successfully complete their creation before it can be submitted into the rotation.
King of Meat will draw some Fall Guys comparisons for more than its lighthearted tone. Ample customization options will also be available, many of which can be earned over the course of the game. This includes humorous outfit pieces, flair that can be applied to any clothing piece, and character emotes. It should be noted that while King of Meat comes across as a live service title, Glowmade is adamant that the game will not operate with battle passes or pay-to-win mechanics. Players will only pay for the game once (no price point has been given just yet) and can access anything within it for no further charge.
While King of Meat's setting and aesthetic may not be totally unique, the user-generated content looks like it can give it legs for years to come. Sessions are brisk and enjoyable, matchmaking is a simple process, and there's a lot to unlock in terms of story, cosmetics, and more difficult leagues. King of Meat is coming soon to PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
This preview is based on an early PC build played at an on-site press event in Los Angeles. The final product is subject to change.