Technical Information

Developer: Dead Mage
Publisher: 11 Bit Studios
Release Date: October 15, 2019

A malevolent force known as Corruption is dominating the world and destroying everything in its path. Would this be the end of everything? No! The Bergson family comes together to fight against this dark force as one.

Children of Morta is an action RPG with a strong roguelike structure.

Final Thoughts – Analyzing the Game as a Whole

Graphics and UI

I really can’t express how much I loved the art in this game. Everything is extremely detailed, from every pixel to every color tone chosen. Usually, when a game follows a pixel art style, the visuals tend to be very symmetrical, but here the shapes are completely organic. This gives the game a very unique look.

The environments are beautifully crafted, with so many details that you can easily get lost just exploring them.

The animations are magnificent, with multiple frames and a very meticulous feel.

The interface is well explained right from the start, with a small tutorial that introduces the game’s mechanics.
During the game, there’s a command called “hint”. When selected, it shows a description of each equipped item and character ability.

Soundtrack and Sound Effects

The soundtrack is excellent and definitely helps immerse you in each dungeon. The sound design is well defined, and the game’s narrative presence is very strong. All events are narrated — all of them, without exception.
The ambient sound design is incredible and makes a huge difference in the game’s overall quality.

Gameplay

At first, the game may feel a bit confusing.
The stages are procedural, and there are many items that you unlock, equip, and switch as you progress through your journey. After some time, everything becomes intuitive, allowing the gameplay to flow very smoothly.

I’ll admit that I found the first dungeon a bit difficult. However, after playing for a few hours, you start to get the hang of it.
You can choose the difficulty level (I played on normal mode) and I found the difficulty progression to be well balanced.

There are six playable characters, each with their own unique playstyle. This adds a lot of variety and allows the player to choose the “class” they feel most comfortable with (even though the characters aren’t officially divided into classes, this term fits well in an RPG context).
Each character has a skill tree, and by spending points, you unlock abilities that become available to all family members. In addition to these trees, you can also improve other attributes (attack power, HP, etc.) by spending money.

The story is very engaging. With every new discovery, I felt even more immersed and curious about what would happen next. I was pleasantly surprised by how strongly the game focuses on the theme of family unity from the very beginning. There are some genuinely emotional moments, and I was really happy to see such sincere affection explored in a game.

Besides the main story, there are also side quests. Completing them grants small advantages during dungeon runs.

After finishing the game, it’s possible to start a New Game+.

Replayability and Game Retention

The game isn’t very long, I finished it in around 30 hours, including side quests.
There are several achievements to unlock, along with the possibility of fully upgrading each character’s skill tree. Since the stages are procedural, no two runs feel exactly the same, keeping the experience fresh.

In addition to New Game+, you can also challenge yourself by playing on higher difficulty levels.

I really enjoyed this game, and at no point did it feel monotonous.