Finish Line Games — the team behind Robots at Midnight — has revealed DeadRoot, a 3D action title pitched in the "Metroidvania" vein for Xbox Series and PC (Steam). There’s no release date yet; TBH, that usually reads like “still deep in development” rather than “ready for show-off.”
You play a tiny snail stranded in a world that’s larger, meaner, and openly hostile. Compared to something like Hollow Knight, DeadRoot leans into what the trailer calls "corporeal" violence: strikes land with weight, executions are ugly on purpose, and dismemberment is built into combat — e.g., enemies losing limbs is part of the feedback loop. Some players will welcome the rawness; others may find it gratuitous.
The devs talk up exploration across interconnected spaces: ruined halls, cramped dungeons, hidden routes — plus vertical traversal using walls and long-range tools. They seem to be marrying old-school Metroidvania design with freer 3D movement. That mix can be satisfying when it clicks, but it’s easy for navigation and combat systems to tangle into something fiddly or overwhelming.
Progression centers on training and gear: mentors, new skills, and hunting for weapons and armor (i.e., the usual loot loop, but with a survival lean). The world isn’t set up as cozy; it presses you, repeatedly — resource tension and harsh encounters feel intentional.
Bottom line: DeadRoot reads like an ambitious indie with a distinct aesthetic and a willingness to be brutal. IMO, it’ll hinge on pacing and difficulty tuning — nail those, and it could attract players after punishing, exploratory action; miss them, and the gloom might simply wear people out.