We’re all eager for Illuvium‘s upcoming release, and the footage, gameplays, and teasers they sent out aren’t helping one bit. And then recently, Illuvium released raw gameplay footage on their Youtube Channel on March 15, 2022.
Today, we’ll go deep as we try to analyze and break down the gameplay. So this will be an in-depth look at the game’s mechanics, how it looks, what to expect, and how it works. So let’s dive right in!
Main Menu
Upon logging in, on the main menu, you’ll see three game modes (Survival, Overworld, Leviathan) at the top of the screen. But for now, only the Survival mode is available for beta testers. The other two modes will soon follow, so we’ll focus on Survival gameplay (also known as Illuvium’s Autobattler) for now.
On the same menu screen, there will also be a record of your “last score,” and below would be the “winner of the day.” It was mentioned before that the highest scorer in the Survival mode would receive a reward. Though, it wasn’t disclosed what kind of reward or how much.
Gameplay
You’ll start with your avatar in the arena at the beginning of the game, facing three enemy Illuvials.
You’ll be given 125 coins that you can spend for an ally Illuvial. Each Illuvial will have varying costs depending on the type and stage level of the Illuvial (Stage level refers to their evolution stage). And you can place your avatar and Illuvials in any position or formation you like. But you’ll need to think it through and the Illuvial that you’ll purchase. Because after you’ve set them for battle, you can’t do anything else but sit back and watch them duke it all out.
After each successful wave, all your fallen Illuvials (including your avatar) will be revived, and you’ll be given an additional 25 coins that you can spend. Moreover, you can also recall the Illuvials you’ve summoned, and you’ll be refunded the same amount of coin you’ve spent on them. Therefore, as you breeze through multiple waves, you’ll have more coins to buy stronger Illuvials to fight for you. But it won’t be that easy. The matchup will get harder and harder after each wave. So you’ll need to plan and rethink your strategy for each wave, making the most out of your coins.
Rage Gauge Bar
Each Illuvial has a gauge bar below its HP bar. I’d like to call it the “rage bar” because it indicates when an Illuvial will unleash it. The rage bar slowly fills as it attacks the enemy, eventually filling it up and releasing a devastating special move against the enemy within its range.
Each special move will have different effects on their enemy. It could freeze them, stun them, or deal massive damage. So that’s also one thing that you’ll need to consider when choosing an Illuvial and how it synergizes with others.
My Observation
The player on the video managed to reach wave 6, but their team was wiped out almost immediately as soon as it started.
I noticed that he purchased two melee tank Illuvials (tank means high HP/hard to kill, but low on damage). They overextended to the enemy’s side, leaving their team’s attacker vulnerable to attacks. And that cost him the match.
The enemy also had a more balanced composition on their side. Their team couldn’t do much against all the attackers from the enemy. So it’s never a good idea to focus on one aspect. You need a good balance of damage dealers, long-ranged Illuvials, and a tank in front of them to absorb all the damage.
Final Thoughts
I couldn’t help but feel ecstatic after watching the entire uncut footage. Everything was marvelously done, from the graphics to its smooth frame-by-frame animation. You can even zoom in and out and watch the battle from different angles for a more dramatic view.
After that 5-minute footage, I have to say, I’ve seen a handful of auto battler games like these, but Illuvium easily takes the cake for me. Now we all know that this game is more than just hype. It is truly a triple-A game, and they sure can back it up.
