Back in April, Modus Games announced that Hammerwatch II would be coming to consoles and PC in the summer. Hammerwatch is a top-down, 2D action RPG series with an emphasis on cooperative play. Today, the developer announced that the Steam version of Hammerwatch II will be launching in August, with console versions to follow later in the year. In the meantime, the newly released Steam demo will give players a hint of what's to come.
The Hammerwatch II Steam demo supports single-player and 4-player online co-op modes. Players can choose from two of the full game's five classes: the wizard and the bow-wielding ranger. From there, the team will escape from an underground prison to a lush countryside. Only a small portion of the game is accessible in the demo, but it certainly showcases the flashier-but-still retro visuals, catchy soundtrack, and surprisingly deep role-playing elements. From this tiny taste, it looks like Hammerwatch II could be the equivalent of a 2D, cooperative Elder Scrolls game.
It's probably a good idea to play the demo a little on your own before joining someone else's game. I hopped into some existing games and was met with either surprisingly unfriendly players or a jacked-up difficulty level. Playing by myself, I could set the difficulty to easy and actually learn how things work without too much pressure. Unlike Heroes of Hammerwatch's totally range-focused combat, this one mixes melee and ranged attacks, even when playing as a ranger.
Hammerwatch II will arrive on Steam on August 15. Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch versions are due later in 2023. Digital versions of the game will sell for $24.99. Amazon has physical versions of Hammerwatch II: The Chronicles Edition available to preorder on Xbox, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Switch. The Steam demo is now available, so give it a try!