V.A Proxy is the perfect Steam Next Fest demo for anyone that really wishes we had Nier Automata and Sekiro sequels already

Have you ever seen a game that looks so ridiculously, insatiably cool that you’re filled with such a strong desire to live so that you get to feel even a fraction of what the trailers show you? V.A Proxy is that exact game, and now that I’ve played its Steam Next Fest demo, I am filled with an even stronger urge to play the full thing before I die, because I need to feel as cool as the demo alone makes me feel in greater depth.

V.A Proxy is a mysterious game, and it’s Steam page is no different: “As time passes, the once enduring megastructure began to rot from the inside out, the dwellers of this world began to follow suit, while a handful few managed to keep their sanity. S-units, weapons of mass destruction told to be the harbingers of war began to awake, breaking a hard earn stalemate many machines fought for, with their awakening things began to stir once more…”

You are one of those S-units, a humanoid robot with sword skills that can’t be matched, except by all the bosses you fight in the game. There are regular enemies walking around the game’s world, and if you’re not careful they can catch you off guard, but it’s the bosses where things really shine. The name of the game here is parrying, you can parry pretty much anything – yes, even nukes – and it just feels oh so snappy.

When you get to know a boss, you’re able to learn their attack patterns, so you can deflect at just the right time to earn back energy, which you can then use to fight with. Time your parrys right and you can get some health back too – the combat feels like it borrows the best of both Sekiro and Bloodborne here, encouraging you to play risk to win all or nothing.

You’ll also find some strong Nier Automata vibes here, not just because you’re a robot person wandering around a decimated planet, but because of the atmosphere too. Nier Automata was at its best when it really gave you a massive sense of scale, but its open world only achieved that sometimes. V.A Proxy on the other hand feels massive, letting you climb any mountain, jump up all the dilapidated skyscrapers you can see. The zippy movement makes this a dream too, so I’m particularly excited to explore the full map.

I’ve had my eye on V.A Proxy for a good long while now, and from the demo alone it feels like it could be one of the all-time great action games. The vibes are right, the gameplay is exactly as fun as I’d hoped, and there’s an intriguing story I’m looking forward to learning more about. What’s not to love?