Fountains is a fascinating metroidvania masterpiece which is developed by John Pywell. It was released around 20th December 2024 and of course the game quickly gained a loyal fanbase. The game has an intricate world design with soulsborne inspired challenging combat mechanics.
“The Fountain of Youth was hidden away. Nonetheless, it is fated that a Usurper will slay the Ageless and unearth it once more.”
The game is an action-RPG which is also a roguelike game. The world is connected through a maze-like interconnected world. You will take the role of this mysterious Hooded warrior who is recently imprisoned by a fascist tyrant. The game revolves around you trying to escape a war-torn empire and uncover all the lore related to the world.
Plot and Setting
The game has a gripping narrative where the player steps in to immerse themself into the role of a prisoner. The story gradually unfolds through various cryptic dialogue and environmental storytelling. Of course you need to explore a lot to uncover all the secrets and piece it together.
The world of Fountains is designed as one giant dungeon. Imagine you are stuck in that legacy dungeon of Elden Ring but it’s in 2D. The world is tightly packed with various mazes with different twists and loops. Each area feels like a puzzle that you need to solve to gain an item which you may need later on. Moreover, the atmosphere is oppressive with an alluring aura that gives a proper dark fantasy feeling.
Exploration and Metroidvania Design
The world of Fountains is quite vast despite being interconnected. You need to backtrack and revisit areas to acquire new abilities. Of course if you played other roguelike games you know this is a recurring game mechanic. The progression of Fountains feels natural with each upgrade opening new possibilities.
You will need to gain skills like double-jumping, wall-climbing and weapon specific skills to give you the extra hand during traversal mechanics. The level design seems pretty exciting and you feel a tangible sense of growth.
Players love the Soulsborne game due to its detailed exploration or maybe because you need to look at every corner to find all the items. Similarly, Fountains provide enough secret pathways which makes the exploration rewarding.
Combat and Challenge
The steam page has a Soulsborne tag so of course it’s okay if you are expecting uncountable deaths. The combat system feels heavily inspired by Souls-like mechanics. You need to perfect every encounter with precision, timing and correct strategy.
Moreover, you need to learn each enemy type and their unique moveset. Observe their attack patterns and adapt to each enemy type. If you already suffered enough through the Soulsborne game then you should be able to master the game fine.
The game does not shy away from throwing challenges at you. If you are a new player expecting some dark fantasy styled pixel action-RPG then you will be in for a lot of trouble! The boss fights are the core standout feature of the game. These boss fights have multiple phases with mind blowing attack patterns which can actually become annoying if you die to it 10 times in a row. However, at the end of the day it is still rewarding once you defeat the boss.
Customization and Upgrades
The game also offers players ample opportunities to personalize their experience. You can customize weapons, armor and your special abilities according to your own playstyles. You can go for an agile nimble character build or just go full on tanky build to bonk through the bosses.
The upgrade system seems quite straightforward like most RPG games. You will collect resources throughout the gameplay which will be used to upgrade your weapons. Similar to collecting somber stones to upgrade weapons in the Elden Ring.
Multiplayer Elements
Fountains has some bits of multiplayer elements and it is an element which we are all familiar with in the Soulsborne games. Players can leave messages for others by offering hints, warning or some cryptic note that makes no sense.
This element has been a core community communication for all Formsoftware games. Soulsborne players love to use this feature to communicate or come up with creative in game jokes. Sometimes it is also used to pull some little pranks. This system fosters a sense of community which is quite wholesome at the end of the day.
Strengths
The game has several strengths which makes it achieve very positive reviews on their steam page. Moreover, gamers who love indie games really did like Fountains. The interconnected maze of the game makes it exciting to play, especially when players find shortcuts or hidden pathways.
Secondly, the combat system of the game is also formidable. If developers can pull off the soulsborne combat formula properly I think they are already in a safezone. The atmosphere of the game has hauntingly beautiful pixel visuals. It gives you both an engaging and unsettling environment.
The game has all the perfect elements of a good action-RPG which makes it a proper playable game. It gives enough freedom to players to customize their playstyle.
Weaknesses
Of course there are few lackings which hopefully developers will slowly fix as its been only less than a month the game has been released. For example, many players complained that there is a difficulty in adjustments or visual/audio aids. As a result some players can not fully enjoy the game.
Moreover, this is not a weakness but more of a disclaimer. This game does have a steep learning curve due to its heavy influence of Soulsborne. New players may feel quite frustrated when they are dying 10 million times but trust me you will learn how to ride the wave eventually!
Final Verdict
Fountains is a shining example of indie game development done right. The game combines the perfect elements of metroidvania and Soulsborne experience. If you are into metroidvania games you will definitely enjoy Fountains. Moreover, gamers who love indie pixel games will also enjoy this game as well. Fountains is a journey worth embarking on!