Sorceress is going to be a rare kind of game: Dark Messiah-like; Arkane's second title, remembered primarily for its legendary kicking ability, which could transform almost any enemy into one of Source engine's most satisfying ragdolls with one or two good whacks but it also had a beautifully anarchic approach to level design, with spike traps and bottomless pitfalls all over the place. Individual rooms in "Dark Messiah" (such as this one with its swaying chandelier) were so distinctive that I still remember them years later.

The Sorceress demo provided not only the kick, but also the accessories I craved. The first good sign is that even the tutorial levels are fun. With almost no combat, the emphasis is on exploration, going down one cloud-piercing fantasy tower and then up another.

When fights do occur, Sorceress uses the Breath of the Wild trick to provide a large supply of generic, fragile weapons that can be picked up, used, and moved on. I like this system as it encourages improvisation on the fly, and as far as I can tell, developer Wabbaboy is planning more permanent weapons as well; if I have one complaint, it's that the standard mooks are a bit easy and in some ways lacking in substance. In addition to being a threat, I would like to see their character models made larger and more imposing.

Things really come alive in the first full level of the demo, a sprawling, non-linear castle town; Sorceress has videogame-like magic that changes the world around it and has multiple applications: one is a variation on the classic ice spell that can freeze enemies; another is a spell that can be used to create a new type of ice, which can be used to freeze the enemy in place.

Another starting magic is quite novel: the bubble gun, which can make enemies, objects, and yourself float in the air, and can be used in combo with ice magic to turn bubbles into giant bowling balls that can be kicked at enemies. There is no fire magic, but Sorceress has simple fire propagation, which I really like. Metal weapons and objects turn orange when heated over an open flame, while wood burns and eventually decomposes.

The main level features more challenging enemies with some encounters, but they are subtly mixed. The pesky mushroom wizards are a really fun concept and can throw a wrench into any fight, but their AOE slow and damage over time can be really tricky to deal with when recovering from our attacks or quickly recasting spells. On the other hand, fighting the troll mini-bosses required soul-like dodging, which was a nice change of pace.

The castle is a really nice immersive sim level, with shortcuts appearing as it twists and turns like Souls Bone. There was a bit of that retro FPS feeling of wandering around wondering where to go next, but not enough to be frustrating. I would have liked to see more characterful clutter, notes, and other details that would motivate exploration, but this may improve as development progresses.

Sorceress is an exciting game and I look forward to seeing how it grows as it approaches full release. The game's Kickstarter has already successfully funded and closed, but you can still support Sorceress by adding it to your wish list on Steam or checking out the demo.