Developed and published by Lioncode Games, Wild Keepers Rising is an action roguelike, Bullet Hell/Heaven Guardian Collector with a fun and engaging storyline.
It’s hard to find words when a game takes you by surprise. Low hopes is how I will describe my feelings going into Wild Keepers Rising. With the 2d on 3d cardboard graphics and complete under-the-radar presentation on the Steam page, it looked like just another citizen from Generic-ville. But then, I pressed play.
Fresh Squeeze, Old Fruit
Wild Keepers Rising is, first and foremost, a Vampire Survivors-… Clone? Like?
You control a character who attacks by themselves. XP is collected from downed enemies, and after a certain amount is collected, you get an upgrade. However, everything changed when the Guardians came to play.
If I am to summarise, Wild Keepers Rising is another Vampire Survivors-like Bullet Hell/Heaven game, but with two unique elements. It has an easy-to-follow, constantly progressing plot, and it has Guardians.
A Hero and his Keepers
The story of Wild Keepers Rising is about a world being swarmed by parasitic forces of evil. Insect and plant – like, these creatures are trying to destroy everything. These mindless monsters were once removed from the earth by the powerful beings called guardians, but are now back to exact their revenge.
(I have forgotten the name of the main characters, so bear with me on this one.)
You have the choice between two characters, a boy with a sword or a girl with a bow. You do get a third option later on, an old man with the ability to provide buffs to allies, but he is useless.
Together, with the help of Guardians, you must destroy the enemies and take back the land…. So basic hero in a doomed world kind of stuff.
Let’s talk Guardians!
Guardians
Each guardian has a unique power, passive skill and special move that can help fight the enemies. For example, A cat that attacks with its claws can run fast and explode as a special move, killing a large portion of the enemies around the map.
You can have up to 4 guardians in a mission(one is randomly assigned each time you touch a summoning orb). When a guardian dies, they are taken out of battle for some time and respawn at the point of death. There are dozens of guardians and more unlock as you progress through the campaign.
A Quick Word on Vampire Survivors
The Vampire Survivors genre has proven itself to be incredibly addictive. Those short runs, constant upgrades, and chaotic enemy swarms make it hard to put down. But let’s be real: as fun as it is, it can get overwhelming, and worse, repetitive.
That’s where Wild Keepers Rising stands out. It takes the familiar loop we love and injects it with actual narrative momentum and a clever twist.
Guardians don’t just add variety in gameplay, they break up the monotony by giving each run a different strategic feel. That, with the addition of a progressing story and a world that feels like it’s worth saving, makes this more than just another survivor clone. It’s fresh, it’s engaging, and that’s exactly why Wild Keepers Rising works so well.
From Nowhere to My Heart Keepers
Wild Keepers Rising came out of nowhere and completely blindsided me in the best way possible. It’s a smart, stylish spin on the Vampire Survivors formula that cares about story and strategy. If you’ve burned out on bullet heaven clones but still crave that rush, this game is your next fix. Don’t sleep on it, play it!
