Children of the Sun Review: "A Darkly Beautiful Assassin Simulator"

The famous maxim of «one shot, one kill» gets an upgrade in new puzzle/shooter hybrid. Published by Devolver Digital and developed primarily by Berlin-based creator René Rother, 's lo-fi greasy visual style frames a macabre story of revenge, as its mute masked protagonist murders their way up the ranks of a twisted smalltown cult. This telekinetic sniper – dubbed «The Girl» – is able to control each fired bullet from kill to kill, allowing for extended streaks that zigzag across gritty dioramas in a medley of blood.

garnered plenty of attention on its (still freely available) demo’s strong Steam Next Fest showing back in February, and it’s a thrill to see the game already prepped for release. Its grim tone and novel approach make for a perfect match with publisher Devolver's stable, lining up nicely alongside stylish action riffs like,, and, among many others. Its violence abstract and its visual presentation outlandish and odd, feels like a clever exploration of murder, with excellent sense of feedback that makes it an easy one to recommend.

Children of the Sun takes «one shot, one kill» gameplay and wraps it in a greasy visual style that's as compelling as it is fun.

Outside of a few bite-sized minigame-like segues, ’s foundation never diverts very far from the initial ask. Players begin each level by stalking a lane at some distance from their targets, peering into the tableau and tagging cultists for removal. Their gun can be fired from any available vantage, but there’s only a single shot allowed per attempt, with the camera angle switching from third-person to a unique behind-the-bullet perspective once fired.

Taking out a target prompts a complete reorientation of the shot towards any direction from the point of impact. This then repeats with each cultist until the last one is slain to complete the level, which triggers a bird’s eye replay of the scene that tracks trajectories between each kill; a handy «Capture Path» function even exports this record as a