Black Beacon has just landed on mobile devices, but we've had the privilege of getting our hands on this Mythic Sci-Fi Action RPG before most. We're excited to share our thoughts with you on this intriguing new game.

Black Beacon is an action RPG that emphasizes fast, smooth combat, seamlessly integrating a character-swapping feature into the gameplay.

Shh! This Is A Library!

The game begins in the Library of Babel, a vast and mysterious structure inspired by both the biblical Tower of Babel, built by men to reach heaven, and Jorge Luis Borges' short story, which describes a library containing every possible combination of letters, housing every book ever written. You awaken in this enigmatic place, unsure of how you arrived, alongside a cast of colorful characters who share your confusion. It seems you're destined for greatness.

Oh, and everyone's set to be obliterated by a giant spinning orb in just twenty-four hours. Welcome to your first day on the job, Seer! Hope you enjoy bookshelves.

Despite the jest, there's an appealingly chaotic charm to the setting and storyline. A library filled with nonsensical books, time travel, and numerous mythology references (we won't spoil too much, but that bird seems off). The game throws you into the narrative deep end, and that's perfectly fine. If you're feeling confused, that's likely the intended effect.

So, what about the gameplay?

Send Me In, Coach

Black Beacon offers an engaging ARPG dungeon crawler experience with a customizable camera view. You can opt for a top-down perspective or a free camera setup, which you control with your other hand. We preferred the latter, though it's largely a matter of personal preference.

You navigate through the Library's passageways, progressing toward your objectives. The story is divided into short, episodic sections, each containing several maps. Accessing these sections requires using energy mechanics, though we found the game quite generous in this aspect, allowing ample playtime.

Your journey involves exploring areas, solving puzzles, searching for hidden treasure chests, and battling enemies—distorted entities that are remnants of individuals the Library has 'not fully digested.' Yikes.

The combat is enjoyable, characterized by its speed and a touch of button-mashing, yet it remains challenging enough to avoid feeling like mindless work. Timing plays a crucial role; executing a perfect dodge grants you a brief period of invincibility, while landing a heavy attack on an enemy about to strike can interrupt their move, sparing you the need to dodge.

The game also features a character-swapping mechanic, enabling and encouraging you to switch characters during combat. This adds a tag-team element to battles, allowing you to bench fatigued fighters, even mid-attack, and bring in fresh ones. Once you master the rhythm, it's quite satisfying... until you mistime a dodge and get hurled down the hallway by a giant monster.

Characters And Weapon Rolls

As a gacha game, fans of the genre will be curious about its mechanics. Black Beacon features a character and weapon gacha system, with weapons designed for specific characters. Both can be leveled up, and while the variety of materials required can be significant, much of the process can be automated.

You're likely to encounter some characters through the gacha system before meeting them in the story. But, as the game suggests, the flow of time is convoluted, adding variety to your experience.

So, what's our overall impression? Black Beacon is a unique gacha game with an ambitious, esoteric narrative, and its gameplay is robust enough to support that story. We're eager to see how it evolves post-release.

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