First Dwarf Preview

In our mad dash to try out as many Steam Next Fest games as possible, our dependable Gorz and I tried out a bunch of different multiplayer demos to see if any were worth jotting down for future get-togethers. Though we mainly focused on party games and fast-paced experiences, we also dabbled in some more story-driven games, as in the case of the colony management and adventure title, First Dwarf.

In the game’s story, the planet of Driftland has seen better days, as a previous mage war has shattered the world into a loose bundle of floating islands and debris. The dwarves, being the stubborn lot they are, survived this apocalypse relatively unscathed, though they are running very low on resources. This is where you come in! Playing as the First Dwarf, a scout of sorts, tasked with securing lands, resources, and safety for your race. Taking one of your airships to the skies, you and your scholarly dragon friend set off to secure the future.

Building a settlement, fighting off monsters, and mining resources are pretty difficult tasks for one Dwarf to do, but luckily you are not sent off without any tools to your name, as you also have your trusty mech suit to handle all of that pesky building and fighting! Though the mech is indeed powerful (and the only way you can build structures), you can also decide to hop out of it to conserve the limited mana it uses as fuel, though it’s seldom necessary. There are other reasons to switch in and out of it, but we’ll get to that later.

As mentioned, the game is in part a colony management game, meaning securing resources, building utilities and buildings, and connecting everything to the power grid are among your most common tasks. Thankfully, First Dwarf has a very laid-back attitude toward resource grinding. Instead of having to mine and chop everything yourself, you can find certain larger deposits, like thick forests or quarries, that you can use to create a steady — and passive — flow of resources. The buildings themselves are also pretty simple to put up, though the game does feature a “mana grid” that you need to fiddle with to power all of your buildings. Again, First Dwarf takes steps to ensure this isn’t too taxing, as there don’t seem to be many strict rules on how said network of nodes is built.

In addition to building structures, you’ll also have to contend with the many dangerous animals and creatures of the island, some being seemingly corrupted by the residual magic of whatever war tore the world asunder. These monsters spawn from certain locations and eventually make a beeline toward your hard-built settlement, though you have a few useful buildings, such as walls and turrets, that you can use to discourage them. You can enter these fights yourself as well, as the mech suit packs quite a punch in combat. The combat is pretty basic, but it wasn’t unpleasant either.

The feature we were most impressed with in First Dwarf, however, is the co-op. If another player joins your world, they will take control of your dragon friend, Ragna. With the ability to freely fly about, spit flames, and scout out areas and points of interest, playing as the soaring serpent was surprisingly fun and entertaining. Now, if you’ve played games like Super Mario Odyssey or Spiritfarer, you may think this is another case of an “added on” multiplayer feature to allow parents or younger children to join without being in too important a role. However, it turns out you can easily switch between characters and decide who pilots the mech! I adored this little feature, as it instantly made both heroes feel equal and it allowed us to switch about to our leisure, sometimes taking to the skies to roast some baddies, other times shoring up the defences of our burgeoning hamlet.

I think First Dwarf has the potential to be a fun little experience. There were many upgrades and skills we couldn’t unlock and it seemed we may be able to pilot an airship as well, which sounded very fun, so there is definitely more to see in this title if nothing else. Having a story-focused colony sim also seems interesting, as they often don’t quite work, but I feel there may be something here. And hey, more games about Dwarves are always welcome in my book.