Eclipse Breaker Preview: Retro JRPG Combat Reborn as a Modern Roguelite, Now in Steam Next Fest

Eclipse Breaker’s Next Fest demo stands out as one of this year’s must-play indies. From the moment you hit “Start,” its retro-infused aesthetic and tight mechanical design make a strong first impression. In a market crowded with roguelites, Eclipse Breaker finds a fresh angle by modernizing the old Active Time Battle (ATB) concept into a fluid real-time system, layered with dodge, parry, and ability timing that rewards precision. The result is an action roguelite that feels both nostalgic and current.

You play as Ember, a hero pulled from a forgotten JRPG past, who must reenter a world warped by elemental gods and reclaim her legacy. In each run you traverse procedurally generated dungeons, each themed around a specific element (fire, water, earth, lightning, for example) with their unique hazards, enemy behaviors, and room layouts. These zones are not just cosmetic; the elemental affinities you collect (called “prima”) shape your builds. Want your strikes to burn? Equip fire prima. Prefer chilling control? Ice. Mixing and matching these affinities gives you extensive flexibility in run builds.

Combat is where Eclipse Breaker truly shines. Enemies telegraph their attacks, giving you windows to dodge or parry. Land a perfect parry and you may reflect damage, but mistime it and be punished. Managing cooldowns creates an engaging dance of risk and reward. The deeper you go, the more chaotic the fights get, but with the right build and reflexes, you can flip the narrative of any match. We played on Steam Deck as well, and didn’t have trouble tracking or engaging in the action.

Between runs, the progression loop is well tuned. You unlock new gear, refine the in-run economy, and recruit your dead friends as companion spirits who add new capabilities or modifiers. The story has a lot of dialog (non-voiced, unfortunately) but clever and playing with JRPG tropes, and you’ll meet a bunch of characters throughout the game. Each run feels fresh because of how many layers of choice are available. The demo has already been expanded with extra elemental zones and sharper balance tweaks, making this version a stronger slice of what the full game will be.

Eclipse Breaker nails its retro energy without feeling amateurish. The environments, character models, and effects capture that low-poly, PS1 era style, but with modern smoothness, vibrant color, and detail that pop on modern screens. The soundtrack leans hard into nostalgia bait with sweeping synths that evoke classic JRPGs while feeling fresh when paired with the action. The arenas themselves could be a little more polished; they mostly all look alike but with different colors.

In Next Fest terms, this is one of the better demos available, polished, fun to jump in and out of, and offering enough mechanical depth to hook you. It’s also one of the more adventurous roguelikes out there instead of leaning into deckbuilders or pure randomness, it gives you a tactical core in every fight and builds that evolve meaningfully. If you’re browsing Next Fest looking for something that delivers both nostalgia and novelty, Eclipse Breaker should be high on your list.

Eclipse Breaker will be available for PC later this year. There is a demo now available on Steam.