Boss fights and buildcrafting: This free action RPG skips the rest

Anyone who mainly looks forward to the combat in RPGs gets the condensed experience in BOSS ARENA: The Goldilock One Trials. Instead of sending players into a vast world and overwhelming them with quests, the free-to-play title puts them straight into the action. Several doors await in the central hub – and behind them are either waves of enemies or boss fights.

Combat in BOSS ARENA is reminiscent of typical Souls games: Victory primarily comes down to reading enemy movements and blocking or dodging at the right moment. Players can choose between two distinct fighting styles. The two-handed axe offers a more aggressive approach, while the combination of a gauntlet and shield focuses more on counters and control.

However, the amount of content is still fairly limited, which is one of the main complaints in the Steam reviews so far. Currently, there's just one wave-based challenge and two boss fights against Fat Mexper and the Ice Golem. The developers plan to add more content regularly, though. Defeating enemies rewards players with experience points that can be used to improve their attributes. New weapons and armor can be purchased from shops in the hub using crystals. These can be earned through gameplay or bought with real money, which also answers the question of how the game is monetized. So far, however, this hasn't been a point of criticism in the reviews. Players can then experiment with different builds, which essentially forms the game's second major gameplay pillar.

Besides its limited content, BOSS ARENA also suffers from sluggish controls, problematic hitboxes and other bugs, according to Steam reviews. On the positive side, players seem to appreciate the ability to experiment with different builds and the game's distinctive visual style. Of the 46 reviews submitted at the time of research, 78% are positive. Given its free-to-play status, the game may well be worth checking out for anyone interested in the concept. One downside: The action RPG is currently listed as unsupported on the Steam Deck.