Developed and Published By: A17 Games
Categories: Action, Roguelike
Release Date: 02.15.25
Price: $7.99
*Game Download Code graciously provided for the purpose of review.

Before I tell you anything about Call of Sentinels, I need to make something very clear. While the gameplay is a lot of fun, the game will be super difficult, especially near the start. I failed to reach the boss of the first level in my first two runs and required two more to actually beat it.

It didn’t help that the tutorial left a lot to be desired and playing in handheld mode was tough to say the least. But once I finally earned enough gold to buy upgrades, the gameplay loop became less infuriating and way more fun. 

Each level includes a large map that you get to run around while battling hoards of enemies in a roguelike manner. When I say hoards, I truly mean it. During my first run, when I was still learning the controls, enemies kept ambushing me and there were times where there’d be dozens, if not a hundred all running after me at once. 

Every now and then a spot will appear on the map that triggers a micro quest when you enter the area. Completing one will give you a blessing from the gods, which serves as a buff that will aide you during your run. The color of the spot dictates what kind of buff you will receive. 

Once you’ve survived multiple waves of enemies, the final boss of a level will appear and beating it will unlock the next level while giving you some generous rewards. The gold you accumulate during your run can be spent on relics which give you permanent buffs. The reason it took me so long to beat the first level was because I just wasn’t strong enough. I had to lose a few times before I had enough gold to buy worthwhile relics.

But the relic system isn’t as simple as spend gold, get OP buffs. Better relics require a second form of currency, one that’s only obtainable by trading in an ungodly amount of gold. You’ll have to redo a level multiple times to get enough gold to convert to this special currency. Completing harder levels will be impossible without the better relics but you have to do a ton of grinding to acquire them. 

Other than that, there isn’t much else that I didn’t like about the game. I wasn’t too thrilled with the story, but the gameplay was the core focus and there were some good sound design and visuals so I didn’t care too much. 

Overall, Call of Sentinels starts off tough and gets tedious after a while but if you’re patient, you can have a lot of fun with the gameplay. For a game that only costs $8 and could easily get you a few hours of gameplay before the slog starts, it’s a solid pickup if you like action roguelikes.

7/10