Myrkwood: Offshoot is a game that surprised me with how much there is to do for a free top down survival game. The main idea is simple enough. I have to protect a Gem while waves of monsters keep coming towards it, and I have to fight, dodge and upgrade my character to survive for as long as possible. It has that easy to understand arcade feeling where I can jump into a game quickly, but there is enough going on to make me want to keep pushing further.
The Defense mode is the main attraction for me. Enemies come in waves and I have to keep moving around the map while making sure the Gem does not get overwhelmed. Bombrats and other monsters can quickly turn a safe area into a dangerous one, so I cannot just stand in one place and attack. The combat is straightforward, with swords and other weapons giving me different ways to deal with enemies, and I liked how important movement becomes once the waves start getting busy.
I also really enjoyed the progression. I can buy upgrades and items during runs, while loadouts let me change my weapons and armor between games. There are different weapon types too, including swords, throwing weapons and boomerangs, which helps keep the combat from feeling completely repetitive. Some equipment also has useful effects that can change how I approach a run. I like games where surviving a little longer gives me more options for the next attempt, and Offshoot does that well.
The Dungeon mode is another nice addition because it changes the structure quite a bit. Instead of simply defending the Gem through endless waves, I move through randomly generated rooms and fight groups of monsters along the way. There are different enemy variants that can have extra abilities, and the difficulty gradually becomes more demanding. Bosses have also been added to Defense, including the Bombrat King, which gives longer runs something more threatening to prepare for.
The biggest problem for me is that the game can still feel rough around the edges. Some encounters become chaotic very quickly, and when lots of enemies and effects are happening at once, it can sometimes be difficult to tell exactly what is hitting me. The overall presentation is also quite basic, although I think the pixel art has its own charm. There is not much of a story here either, so this is definitely more about the gameplay loop than having a narrative to follow.
I think the multiplayer side makes the concept much more appealing. The game supports online and local multiplayer, with a full group able to work together to protect the Gem. Being able to coordinate attacks, deal with different sides of the map and help each other survive fits the defense concept really well. I also appreciate that I can play alone, because the game does not completely depend on having a group available.
Overall, I had a good time with Myrkwood: Offshoot. It is simple, but the combination of wave defense, dungeon crawling, character upgrades, different equipment and cooperative play gives it more depth than I initially expected. The rough presentation and occasional chaos stop it from feeling completely polished, but the constant updates have clearly added a lot to the game. Since it is free, I think it is well worth trying if I enjoy top down action games where I can jump in, survive some waves and keep improving my character.
Rating: 7.2/10
