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A new Diablo 4 rival is coming as shapeshifting ARPG hits funding goal

Coridden is a new ARPG that lets you transform between human and beast, and a free Steam demo lets you try it now as it secures funding.

Coridden is a new APRG with a shapeshifting focus - A man with dark hair and a beard stares at you, one eye ablaze.

Turning into a bear never gets old, as Diablo 4 and Baldur’s Gate 3 both proved last year. But what if you could go beyond the few standard animals those RPGs offer us, and shapeshift into all manner of more unique beast forms? Enter Coridden, a new action RPG set to launch in 2024 that lets you transform into numerous deadly creatures at will, becoming some of the very enemies you’ll face and turning the tables. Having successfully secured its Kickstarter funding goal, developer Aftnareld confirms that it’ll be launching “later this year – and you can’t stop it.”

That’s right. In Coridden, you’ll have the option to transform into the very enemies you face. As a family of “monster-shifters,” you’ll be able to specialize both your human form and your beast mode to help you carve through your foes. This new action RPG game offers both single-player and local or online co-op with up to four people together, and it’s already met its Kickstarter funding goal, meaning it’s now on track for a summer launch party.

You’ll first choose your class. There’s the Guardian, which excels at protection and hard-hitting blunt damage. The Hunter, a cunning archer with tricks such as traps, poison, and even the ability to summon other creatures to assist them. The Hellion, a fiery warrior able to sacrifice their own well-being to deal devastating damage or heal their companions. And the Surge, a master manipulator capable of twisting time and energy to their very will.

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Each class has three skill trees to build your human form, but then you’ll also choose a beast mastery to wield alongside that. Currently, there are seven different beast forms to pick from, and each has their own mastery tree that gains experience points while you’re transformed. You can switch between human and beast at will, and the monster forms can be further customized with multiple damage types available for you to specialize in.

These beast forms actually extend beyond combat, too – you’ll gain skills from them that can be used to reach hidden areas or solve certain environmental puzzles as you explore. It’s up to you whether you want to focus on playing as a human or as a beast, or blend the two together to complement the powers of each aspect (and those of your co-op allies, if you’re playing together with others).

Coridden is set to launch in summer 2024. If you want to try it out for yourself right now, however, you can do so thanks to a free Steam demo available as part of Remote Play Together Fest, which runs until Monday February 19. You can even combine local and online co-op play, with two players together on the same system joining others remotely.

After more of the best games like Diablo in 2024? We’ve picked out those you won’t want to miss, along with the best indie games you might not have played yet but should.

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