HexWind Puts Superhot’s Time Manipulation Into A Fantasy Roguelite

HexWind is a fantasy VR action roguelite that leans into Superhot’s time manipulation mechanics on Steam and Quest.

Developed by Charm Games, HexWind originally launched in early access last year. It’s the first self-published title to come from Charm Games, who you may recall developed FORM, Twilight Path and worked on Kill It With Fire VR. Now available in full release, this action roguelike sees time slow down when you do much like Superhot.

So far, I’ve gone hands-on for about two hours with the PC VR version. The roguelite structure becomes immediately clear after calibrating your arm length, presenting multiple paths you can take with some appreciated physicality. Simply lift your character’s figure to the next part of the board, and choosing one path means locking yourself out of another going forward.

HexWind’s combat is its most appealing feature. Rather than more typical melee weapons, you’re armed with a wand that can both destroy foes up close, fire ranged magical strikes, parry attacks and stop incoming projectiles from floating skulls, skeletons and more. It’s an interesting approach with the versatility of a magical Swiss army knife, and while time slowing down unless you move isn’t exactly an original idea (or vice versa) even beyond Superhot, this helps you strategize.

I found myself surviving on 1/100 HP for two stages through carefully planned out defensive maneuvers on my first run, eventually dying after reaching the first boss. You also have a stamina meter to consider for jumping over gaps and rushing enemies, the latter feeling particularly nice while motioning to punch forward. The Metal soundtrack adds a nice flavor to the proceedings, too.

Collecting skull gems from downed enemies also allows you to purchase useful upgrades between missions. This provides welcome abilities through equipped tarot cards, like letting your slash attack pierce multiple enemies or reducing the stamina cost for dashing, though you can only equip two cards at once. There are also loadouts to consider with bonuses for elemental synergy.

My biggest gripe so far comes with HexWind’s presentation. Most environments don’t look especially different from each other beyond the color scheme, despite being otherwise serviceable. The UI artwork feels slightly rough too and are often accompanied by black opaque backgrounds, while fonts on the level results screen and your health/stamina feel basic at best. At its worst, they seem out of place with this aesthetic.

I also encountered some odd performance issues despite my desktop greatly exceeding the minimum system requirements with an Intel i9-12900 processor and 4070 Ti Super. I can’t compare to any recommended settings though because… well, they aren’t currently listed on Steam. I’ve yet to try the Quest version, either.

So far, HexWind offers an enjoyable action experience with a few rough edges. Charm Games aren’t doing anything especially revolutionary in its gameplay, and the visual presentation would benefit from additional polish, yet there’s still a decent roguelite here with good combat. I’d say it’s worth taking a look at.

HexWind is out now on Steam and Quest.