Black Beacon: The Rising Star in Gacha Gaming

Black Beacon has just arrived on mobile devices, and we were lucky enough to dive into this Mythic Sci-Fi Action RPG before its official release. We're excited to share our first impressions with you.

Black Beacon is an action RPG that focuses on fast, fluid combat with a unique character-swapping mechanic.

Shh! This Is A Library!

The game starts in the Library of Babel, a vast and enigmatic structure inspired by the biblical Tower of Babel and Jorge Luis Borges' short story of the same name. In this setting, the library contains every conceivable combination of letters, housing every book ever written.

You awaken in this mysterious place, unsure of how you arrived, surrounded by a cast of intriguing characters who share your confusion. It seems you're destined for greatness, but there's a catch: everyone faces imminent doom from a giant spinning orb in just twenty-four hours. Welcome to your first day as a Seer—hope you're ready for some intense bookshelf action!

Despite the humor, the setting and storyline are delightfully eccentric. The library filled with nonsensical books, time travel, and numerous mythological references (we won't spoil them, but that bird seems suspicious) immerse you deeply into the narrative. If you're feeling lost, that's intentional—the developers aim to keep you on your toes.

Send Me In, Coach

Black Beacon's core gameplay is an action RPG dungeon crawler with a customizable camera view. You can switch between a top-down perspective or a free camera setup, allowing you to adjust the view with your other hand. We preferred the latter, though it's largely a matter of personal taste.

As you navigate the Library's corridors, you'll progress through short, episodic story sections, each containing several maps. Accessing these sections requires energy, but the game is quite generous with this resource, allowing ample playtime.

Your journey involves exploring areas, solving puzzles, hunting for hidden treasure chests, and battling enemies—distorted entities that are the remnants of individuals the Library hasn't fully "digested." The combat is engaging, fast-paced, and requires a bit of button-mashing, yet it remains challenging enough to keep you on your toes. Timing is crucial; a perfect dodge grants you invincibility frames, while a well-timed heavy attack can interrupt an enemy's move, sparing you the need to dodge.

A standout feature is the character-swapping mechanic, allowing you to switch fighters mid-battle. This turns combat into a tag team affair, letting you bench exhausted characters and bring in fresh ones, even during attacks. Once you master the rhythm, it's immensely satisfying, though mistiming a dodge can send you flying down the hallway courtesy of a giant monster.

Characters And Weapon Rolls

As a gacha game, Black Beacon offers character and weapon gacha systems, with weapons tailored to specific characters. Both can be leveled up, and while the ingredients required are numerous, much of the process can be automated, simplifying the experience.

You might encounter characters through the gacha before meeting them in the storyline, adding variety to your gameplay. The convoluted flow of time in the game supports this dynamic, enhancing the overall experience.

In summary, Black Beacon is a quirky gacha game with an esoteric narrative and solid gameplay. We're eager to see how it evolves post-launch.

Does this sound like your kind of game? Whether it's your street or a row of shelves in your giant library, you can explore Black Beacon now on its official website, the App Store, or Google Play.