PAX East: No Place for Bravery Preview

At PAX East, we had the opportunity to get a hands-on No Place for Bravery preview. This game stood out as a really well-designed, Souls-inspired pixel art RPG. The top-down perspective beautifully encapsulates a war-torn world that feels as if it has moved on to leave humanity behind. Between the combat, NPCs and exploration, No Place for Bravery has a really strong family narrative that is engaging from the very beginning. Read more of our hands-on No Place for Bravery preview at PAX East!

No Place for Bravery: Explore a War-Torn World in This Top-Down Action RPG

Post-apocalyptic settings are nothing new, but this game sets you up in a world that is so colorful while being extremely foreboding. The 2D design brings you back to the classic days of gaming, yet the RPG elements are impressively modern. Though I didn't have the opportunity to explore a ton of this world, it was amazing seeing the variety in tone as you move from place to place. You can be in a brilliantly lit and lush forest one moment and then discover a wasteland of bodies being picked apart by crows the next. Surviving in the harsh environment of No Place for Bravery is not for the faint of heart.

Your character, Thorn, wields a heavy sword that cracks down on enemy skulls, chipping down their health meters to nothing. You'll need to defend against melee attacks while also dodging ranged arrows and staying aware of other hazards that may come out of the environment. As a classically designed Souls-inspired game, the combat doesn't disappoint, and the boss battles are just as challenging and rewarding as you'd expect. Going up against a giant several times your size and bringing them down is a core element of the gameplay.

I only got to see one mini boss battle, but I asked the developer about other bosses in the game and he assured me there's a variety of very large, tough bosses to defeat as you progress through the story. Speaking of story, No Place for Bravery manages to keep things personal while exploring this expansive 2D world.

A Father Searches for His Lost Daughter

At its heart, No Place for Bravery is about familial connections. Thorn is searching for his lost daughter with his disabled foster son Phid, and he's not about to let swarms of enemies and terrifying bosses stand in his way. Anyone who has had a father figure in their lives can relate on some level to Thorn's story, and suddenly this 2D action RPG becomes less fantastical and takes on a much more personal, somber tone. No Place for Bravery looks to be a modern epic inspired by the games that have come before it, and I can't wait to get a closer look at the full title from what I experienced at our PAX East No Place for Bravery demo.

No Place for Bravery Release Date

The No Place for Bravery release date is estimated before the end of 2022, and the game showcases the stark fragility of human life. This world is not kind to warriors, and the truth is people like Thorn get cut down every day. Will you have what it takes to survive?

No Place for Bravery will be available on Nintendo Switch and PC later this year.