Hack-and-slasher Mirador, which launched a Kickstarter campaign this week, follows a tried and tested approach to loot, but the bosses you face during dungeon runs are far less conventional. Each one is created and customized by players using an in-game editor that lets you change both their appearance and AI, and your bosses will fight against players while you're offline, earning you loot.
When controlling an adventurer you'll battle bosses of increasing difficulty either solo or co-op, picking up evermore powerful gear along the way. At checkpoints, you can decide whether to escape back to base or push on. If you decide to carry on you'll find better drops, but if you die you'll lose everything you've picked up so far.
On the boss creator side, players will use an in-depth editor to customize their boss's appearance, move set and fighting style. You'll use an AI grid to tell your bosses how to behave and what combat loops to follow, creating recipes that you think will be tough to defend against. You then set your boss loose in the world, and they'll fight players and collect loot for you.
The two sides of Mirador—boss creation and dungeon runs—are brought together by the loot system. Not only will the gear you pick up let you customize your character to create the perfect loadout, but you'll also find gear to tweak your bosses. You can pick up new boss abilities during runs that plug directly into the boss editor, making them more powerful. That, in turn, will let your bosses collect more loot, eventually creating an endless cycle of new items.
Mirador's combat system should cater to various playstyles: you can control ranged fighters or nimble sword-wielders that can dash through enemies. Take a look at the trailer at the top of this post to watch it in action. All the adventurers are anthropomorphic animals such as dogs or crows, and stepping through combat portals will take you to different types of environments, from deserts to snow biomes.
The Kickstarter campaign aims to raise CA$80,000 (around $60,000) by June 20, of which CA$15,000 has already been pledged. A closed beta is due to start in August, and a CA$20 pledge will get you access.
