Empyreal, a new action RPG releasing on May 8th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, challenges players with fast-paced combat, deep build systems, and unique level mechanics. To keep this guide family-friendly, certain names have been masked. Thanks go to BigWilly, a trusted data miner, for providing early community insights.

At the heart of Empyreal lies the mysterious alien monolith. Players step into the role of a mercenary tasked with investigating this structure. Despite the original civilization being long gone, they left behind dangerous automatons to guard its secrets. Players must fight through these enemies to reach their objectives.

However, Empyreal doesn’t offer open-ended exploration. Instead, players use carttograms, blueprints that define the layout, enemy difficulty, respawn limits, and loot types of each level. Although the layouts remain fixed, modifiers on different carttograms provide fresh challenges. Players can revisit the same areas with new settings, making it important to memorize chest locations for efficient loot farming.

Weapons and Abilities Explained

Players begin their journey by selecting one of three weapon types, though they can collect and equip all types later. Each weapon offers a unique combat style:

  • Glaive – A fast melee weapon that provides excellent mobility. Players can throw the spear and teleport to its location, allowing quick gap closing and high damage output.

  • Cannon – A ranged weapon with switchable ammo types, including rapid-fire, shotgun, and sniper modes. Players who time their reloads perfectly can unlock bonus damage.

  • Shield and Mace – A defensive choice that rewards players with overshields after successful parries. Holding the attack button charges a powerful high-speed strike that knocks enemies into walls.

Abilities further expand combat options. Players can equip four core abilities and one ultimate ability. Core abilities rely on cooldowns, encouraging frequent use. Meanwhile, ultimate abilities charge over time, providing high-impact effects when unleashed. Some abilities work universally, while others pair exclusively with specific weapons. Players can craft abilities, purchase them from merchants, or earn them by completing NPC quests.

Managing Gear and Consumables Effectively

Since Empyreal does not include a character leveling system, gear entirely determines player power. Players must upgrade their equipment to tackle higher-level carttograms. The game allows players to target specific gear through level selection, helping them focus on improving their weakest items. Although legendary gear appears on the carttogram list, it is never guaranteed to drop. This makes survival critical, as failing a level after running out of respawns forces players to abandon their progress.

Consumables play an important role as well. Players can stock up on healing items, stat boosters, and grenades. Quartermaster Rin sells basic consumables, and players can expand his inventory over time. Because inventory space is limited, players should use consumables regularly to make room for new items.

Combat Tips to Dominate in Empyreal

Empyreal rewards aggressive playstyles. Players who wait too long to counter attacks often get overwhelmed by multiple enemies. Maintaining control of the fight is essential. Players should use their abilities, consumables, and combos to keep enemies on the defensive.

Targeting support enemies first is critical. These enemies can heal, shield, or revive others, making them priority targets. Some bosses summon minions, and players should eliminate these as quickly as possible. Doing so not only clears the field but also deals backlash damage to the summoner, maximizing damage output.

Players should watch the enemy stun meter located beneath the health bar. Every successful hit or parry builds up stun. Once full, players can perform a powerful cudigra attack. Certain abilities like Pommel Strike or Hammer and Anvil boost stun buildup, making it easier to trigger these high-damage finishers.