It's a good thing Ember Knights has co-op because its boss battles are ridiculous

Ember Knights’ developer Doom Turtle looks to have nailed the bones of what a roguelite should be, emphasizing that frantic, heated combat that combines Enter the Gungeon with something closer to Hades or Rogue Legacy. With the game’s release date just a month away, you can see it in action in the new trailer.

Throughout its early access period, players have praised Ember Knights’ tight design while also criticizing the endgame, saying it lacks any substantial challenge. Thankfully, Doom Turtle is releasing Ember Knights with another end-game world for players to tackle, as well as a final challenging boss battle with big-bad Praxis, the mad sorcerer responsible for plunging the world into peril by siphoning life out of the Ember Tree. I don’t know much about the world of Ember Knights, but I can only assume this is bad for our little bobble-headed fire knights.

You can glimpse the purple-eyed villain at the end of the new trailer, showing off at the PC Gaming Show.

The trailer also shows us the impressive enemy roster and weapon arsenal, with the eponymous ember knights slashing through hordes with swords, bows, and scythes. Build variety is vital in any roguelike or -lite, and thankfully, Ember Knights promises over 15 unique skills, more than 70 relics and gems to customize gameplay, and more general upgrades to the Ember Tree, which presumably modify builds even further.

While the core gameplay seems reminiscent of competitor roguelites, where Ember Knights can shine is an emphasis on cooperative gameplay. If things are frantic with one player rolling to dodge projectiles while waving giant swords, just imagine adding another three flame-headed firestarters into the mix. The game currently sits at "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam, with a 96% positive rating from around 2,000 reviews. Ember Knights is available in Early Access now on Steam, and its full release is due on July 18.