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I choose my character because I'd let him kill me. The seer in Chinese developer Bellring Games' debut title Mistfall Hunter looks as tough as dog teeth, but his arcane magic suggests a more sensitive side, a peace made with the unknown that gives death by his hands sparkle. Like lightning. Or wildfire. And, OK, fine, he's wearing a deep V-neck. If only I could figure out how to make him dodge…
Playing the Mistfall Hunter demo at Summer Game Fest 2025 is difficult because (sorry everyone!) I play games on controller, and Bellring's only provided my regrettably inflexible hands with a keyboard. It'll be a while more until Mistfall Hunter receives controller support, and the dark fantasy PvPvE game doesn't even have a release date yet. But, even though I'm struggling to press shift to dodge in a timely manner, I'm having the most fun I've had all day.
Developer Bellring tells me this in a later interview, but I'm already thinking it as I cut deeper into the dungeons that make up Mistfall Hunter's post-Ragnarök world – this game is Hunt: Showdown and Dark Souls' creepy baby. According to a press release, Mistfall Hunter "takes place after a devastating war between Gods and Outer Gods, leaving divine beings fallen and their blood transforming into the Gyldenmist – spreading madness and corruption."
The dungeon that makes up Mistfall Hunter's tutorial is desolate aside from the zombified, dry-as-chicken "Corroded" enemies that stagger around and frighten me with sudden hits from their swords. Soon, I sort of learn what Gyldenmist does like I'm a baby bird getting knocked out of its nest for the first time – with much confusion. After finishing a round of combat (clap for me!) with my brooding seer's interesting ability to summon little, magic-blasting turrets, I notice my character suddenly looks like he's in psychic pain – thinking about overconsumption, or something.
My reflexes kick in, and I successfully dodge through the encroaching Gyldenmist to reach a safer area past its golden fog. Since I'm playing alone, in an empty server, I get to keep knocking out Corroded to pilfer their clothing, crafting items, and consumables.
So it seems like Gyldenmist forces you to keep moving to your final objective – the extraction point. Mistfall Hunter supports up to three-person co-op, and its press release explains that you can either play the way I am, by defeating monsters for loot, or by taking on enemy players and risking death – which clears out your inventory.
But I live. Eventually, I come upon a funny, hairy little silver bell, a monster somewhat didactically named the Returner Woodling. When I kill the poor guy and stuff his head into the dirt, I get to leave Mistfall Hunter.
"Civilization crumbled, but a faint ember of hope remains as a shard of the Fate Goddess' soul endures," says the press release. "Wandering the mortal realm, she seeks out fallen heroes and grants them immortal flesh. These resurrected warriors venture into the Gyldenmist-laden ruins [...] striving to ignite a glimmer of hope in this Corrosion Age."
While playing without a controller makes me feel too bumbling to really be The Chosen One, I can at least say I left Mistfall Hunter energized. The game's demo is damp and fantastical; it makes me feel like centipedes are crawling over my feet in the forest. It's atmospheric and kind of weird. It seamlessly combines Tarkov-like game loops with Soulslike combat in a way I had never considered before, but that now makes perfect sense to me. So now, all that's left on my to-do list is figuring out a mouse and keyboard.
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