Laika: Aged Through Blood demo now available on Steam — Image by IGC

First impressions are everything in the indie gaming space. It’s easy for great games to fall through the cracks amidst mountains of shovelware, and it’s a horror story we’ve heard dozens of times before.

Developer Brainwash Gang are doing all they can to ensure that doesn’t happen with their new game Laika: Aged Through Blood. A playable demo is available on Steam, and it comes with a gorgeous cinematic Trailer.

Introducing The Motorvania Genre

According to the Steam page, Laika is a ‘Motorvania.’ This unusual genre name makes sense, as you’re on the back of a motorbike for most of the demo. Pretty graphics don’t mean much if the gameplay isn’t up to scratch, but it’s clear from the demo that Brainwash Gang isn’t pulling any punches here.

I’m sold on the bleak desert wasteland setting (the corpse strung up by its own entrails helps with that), and the haunting soundtrack sells the ‘Western’ vibe. The motorbike controls feel intuitive and snappy.

Within a few minutes, I’m popping backflips at will and getting comfortable racing around the environment. ‘Motorvania’ certainly eludes exploration and upgrades, but we won’t know to what extent until the full release.

I get strong Olli Olli and Trials Rising vibes from Laika: Aged Through Blood, and that’s a good thing as it offers a welcome break from platforming tropes that Metroidvania’s are known for.

There’s an evident adult tone from the offset, with a ton of gore and swearing, so this title certainly won’t be for everyone. If you’re okay with that, there’s a lot to love here, even in this early stage.

If you want to try out the demo yourself or add Laika: Aged Through Blood to your wishlist, check out the Steam Page. There’s no confirmed release date at the time of writing, but this is one to keep an eye on.

Anthony is a content writer who is also a competitive gamer. He plays and streams a variety of retro games. He spent hours exploring the indie gaming world and learning its mechanics. He knows how to complete challenges, and creates strategies for different playthroughs. In his spare time, he enjoys cosplaying and creating assets for events and Cons.

Introducing The Motorvania Genre

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