Gamescom is the perfect place to come across games you might not have noticed otherwise. During this year's show, I found myself behind the controls of a mecha piloted by a cat, before stepping into a completely different world filled with Chinese mythology, spirits and fast-paced combat. That's how Cats in the Shell and Karma Exorcist ended up on my radar – two games that caught my attention for very different reasons and left me with a good enough first impression to keep an eye on them until release.
Cats in the Shell – Cats, Mecha Robots and Anime Chaos
There is something incredibly charming about the idea of cats becoming pilots of giant mecha robots. Cats in the Shell builds its identity around exactly that concept, but behind the cute premise is a deeper system focused on building and customizing your mecha. The game combines roguelike elements with an auto-battler formula, so a big part of the experience revolves around how you put your robot together and what kind of synergies you can create between its different parts.
The first thing that caught my attention was the visual style. The anime aesthetic works really well here, and the mecha designs look great. The game has no problem fully embracing the anime madness, with giant robots, flashy effects and battles designed to look spectacular. When combat starts, you don't directly control the robot. Instead, you watch your carefully assembled mecha take on its opponent.
At Gamescom, we had the chance to try one of the available modes, and what I particularly liked was how much of the experience revolves around building your mecha. You choose different parts, think about how they will work together and try to create a combination that actually makes sense once the battle begins. That means you can't simply pick the strongest part that happens to appear in front of you – you have to think about how different effects and modules fit together as a whole.
The battle itself is essentially the result of everything you have done beforehand. Once it starts, your job is mostly finished and you can watch the two mecha go at each other. For some players, that may be a downside, especially if they expect direct control over their robot, but I found that approach interesting because it puts the focus on preparation and experimentation.
Of course, we'll need more time with the full game before making any serious conclusions. The Gamescom build only gave us a small taste of what the complete experience could offer, and the development team still has additional modes and content planned. The current version does a good job of showing the basic idea, but we'll have to wait and see how deep the customization and upgrade systems can become and how much different mecha combinations will actually change the way you play.
For now, the combination of cats + mecha + anime aesthetics works surprisingly well. If nothing else, it's pretty difficult to look at a giant robot piloted by a cat and not think that someone here knows how to get your attention.
Karma Exorcist – Chinese Mythology and Combat That Feels Very Fluid
Karma Exorcist is a completely different story. Instead of mecha robots and auto-battler mechanics, we get an action-adventure title inspired by Chinese mythology, set in a world of spirits and the afterlife. The game takes a 2D side-scrolling approach, with a large part of its identity built around Asian culture and mythology.
The first thing I noticed when I started playing was just how much of the game is visually rooted in that inspiration. From the environments to the enemies and smaller details throughout the world, it is clear that the game isn't simply throwing in a few elements of Chinese culture for decoration. It wants that cultural and mythological influence to be a fundamental part of the experience.
The second thing that immediately stood out to me was the combat. Everything feels quite fluid, and the same goes for movement through the world. The character responds quickly, attacks connect smoothly, and transitioning between movement and combat feels natural. Of course, these things are best judged once the game starts throwing more demanding enemies and situations at you, but the first impression was definitely positive.
I had the opportunity to try the Gamescom build, which already featured a decent amount of content and combat. The development team had also introduced a new version shortly before Gamescom with an additional area, new combat mechanics and boss encounters.
What will be most important for me is seeing how this fluidity holds up once the game starts asking more from the player than simply attacking. If the enemies, bosses and progression systems can properly build on what currently feels like a solid foundation, Karma Exorcist could become a very interesting title for fans of action games with a strong mythological identity.
For now, however, it is still too early to make a final judgment. The game feels good to play, has plenty of visual character and its combat left me with a positive first impression. The only question is how well all of these elements will come together once we get our hands on the complete version.
Two Games Worth Keeping an Eye On
Cats in the Shell caught my attention with its unusual combination of cats and mecha robots, its strong anime aesthetic and the system for building your own mecha, while Karma Exorcist made a stronger impression through its fluid combat, movement and very clear inspiration from Chinese culture and mythology.
I wouldn't make a final judgment on either game yet, but that's exactly what Gamescom is for. After spending some time with both, I can say that they both have enough interesting ideas to make them worth following until release. Cats in the Shell will need to show how deep its mecha-building system can become, while Karma Exorcist needs to prove that its strong combat foundation can carry the experience throughout the entire game.
For now, both games are staying on my Gamescom radar.
