Black Beacon has just arrived on mobile devices, and we've had the privilege of diving into this Mythic Sci-Fi Action RPG ahead of most. We're excited to share our insights with you.

Black Beacon is an action RPG that prides itself on fast, seamless combat, with a unique twist of character-swapping mechanics.

Shh! This Is A Library!

The adventure begins in the Library of Babel, a vast and enigmatic edifice inspired by the biblical Tower of Babel, which was supposedly built by men to reach heaven, and Jorge Luis Borges' short story, envisioning a library containing every conceivable combination of letters, thus housing every book ever written.

You awaken in this peculiar place, unsure of how you arrived, surrounded by a colorful cast of characters who share your confusion. It seems you're destined for greatness.

Oh, and everyone's set to be obliterated by a colossal spinning orb within the next twenty-four hours. Welcome to your first day as a Seer! Enjoy the bookshelves.

Joking aside, there's a delightfully chaotic charm to the setting and narrative. A library filled with nonsensical books, time travel, and a plethora of mythology references (we won't spoil too much, but keep an eye on that bird). The story plunges you right into the thick of things, and that's exactly the point. If you're feeling bewildered, that's precisely the intended effect.

Now, let's dive into the gameplay.

Send Me In, Coach

Black Beacon offers a moment-to-moment experience reminiscent of an ARPG dungeon crawler, with a customizable camera viewpoint. You can opt for a top-down perspective or a free camera setup, adjusting the view with your other hand. We preferred the latter, though it ultimately comes down to personal taste.

You navigate through the Library's passageways, progressing towards your objectives. The story unfolds in short, episodic segments, each containing several maps. Accessing these sections requires energy, but the game generously allows ample playtime based on our experience.

You'll explore the areas, solve puzzles, hunt for hidden treasure chests, and battle enemies—distorted entities that are, apparently, remnants of people the Library hasn't fully 'digested'. Yikes.

The combat is engaging, fast-paced, and while it can be somewhat button-mashy, it remains challenging enough to keep you on your toes. Timing is crucial; executing a perfect dodge grants you a period of invincibility, while landing a heavy attack on an enemy gearing up for their own will interrupt them, sparing you the need to dodge.

The game's character-swap mechanic allows and encourages you to switch characters mid-fight. This turns battles into a sort of tag team match, enabling you to bench fatigued fighters, even mid-attack, and bring in fresh ones. Once you master the rhythm, it feels satisfying—until you mistime a dodge and get sent flying down the hallway by a giant monster.

Characters And Weapon Rolls

As a gacha game, enthusiasts of the genre will be curious about its mechanics. Black Beacon features a gacha system for both characters and weapons, with weapons tailored to specific characters. Both can be leveled up, and while there's a significant variety of ingredients involved, much of the process can be automated, simplifying the grind.

You might encounter some characters through the gacha before meeting them in the story, but as the saying goes, the flow of time is convoluted. This adds a layer of variety to your experience.

In summary, Black Beacon is a quirky gacha game eager to tell a more esoteric story, supported by solid gameplay. We're keen to see how it develops post-launch.

Does this sound like your kind of game? Or perhaps a row of shelves in the vast library you call home? If so, you might want to check out Black Beacon now, available on the official website, App Store, or Google Play.