Romanian folklore, David Lynch, and heavy metal come together in a dark fantasy hack-and-slash action game 'with an even darker sense of humor'

If you've ever thought to yourself that what you really want from life is a videogame inspired by Romanian folkore, David Lynch, and heavy metal, then wow, this is your lucky day. Because the "dark fantasy hack-and-slash adventure" called Moroi, set to launch in early 2025, claims to be exactly that.

Moroi takes place within the Cosmic Engine, "a personalized hellscape" to which you've apparently been exiled in order to serve eternal penance for unspecified (but presumably really bad) misdeeds. Escape is the priority, naturally, and with it the discovery of "the truth" and an opportunity to set things right. But that will require dealing with the Cosmic Engine's "disturbing and grotesque inhabitants," using an array of mix-and-match weaponry supporting both ranged and melee playstyles.

Violence is the answer, as is the way with videogames, but it's not the only answer. Players will also be confronted with "a myriad of environmental and logic puzzles," which you'll solve by doing things like—and this is a direct quote—"drinking blood, forcing regurgitation, and digging through viscera. Fun."

"Designed especially to torment you, the Cosmic Engine will stop at nothing to keep you contained," the Steam listing says. "Several playthroughs of Moroi will be required to experience all the game has to offer, from subtle changes within the story to the multiple fate-changing endings."

It's a lot to take in, and whether it will come together in a game that lives up to its early billing remains to be seen. But that's a hell of a trailer, and it's got me curious enough to want to know more.

One final thing: A moroi, according to Wikipedia, is a type of vampire or ghost found in Romanian folklore, often associated with strigoi, another type of vampire—but, as with most such mythical figures, their exact nature varies depending on the source and story. Moroi also appear in Phasmaphobia as a ghost that "will curse a player (causing bigger sanity losses) for asking questions through a spirit box."

Moroi is currently expected to be out in early 2025, and is available for wishlisting now on Steam.