VA Proxy is the perfect Steam Next Fest demo for anyone who really wishes we already had sequels to Nier Automata and Sekiro.

Have you ever seen a game that looks so ridiculously, insatiably cool that you’re filled with a will to live so strong that you can feel even a fraction of what the trailers show you? VA Proxy is exactly that game, and now that I’ve played its Steam Next Fest demo, I have an even stronger desire to play the whole thing before I die, because I need to feel as cool as the demo alone made me ago feel more deeply.

VA Proxy is a mysterious game, and its Steam page is no different: “As time passed, the enduring megastructure began to rot from the inside out, the inhabitants of this world began to following suit, while a few managed to keep their The S units, the weapons of mass destruction said to be the precursors of war began to awaken, breaking the stasis that many machines were fighting for, with his awakening things began to stir once more…”

You are one of those S-Units, a humanoid robot with sword skills unmatched except for all the bosses you fight in the game. There are regular enemies that roam the game 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 feels so fast.

When you meet a boss, you’ll be able to learn their attack patterns, so you can dodge at the right time to regain energy, which you can use to fight later. Time your parries well and you’ll be able to regain some health too – the combat feels like it borrows the best of Sekiro and Bloodborne here, encouraging you to play risk for an all-or-nothing win.

You’ll also find some strong Nier Automata vibes, not only because you’re a robot person walking around a decimated planet, but also because of the atmosphere. Nier Automata was at its best when it really gave you a great sense of scale, but its open world only manages that sometimes. On the other hand, VA Proxy feels massive as it allows you to climb any mountain, jump every ruined skyscraper you can see. The zippy movement also makes this a dream, so I’m especially excited to explore the full map.

I’ve had my eye on VA Proxy for a while now, and just from the demo it looks like it could be one of the all-time great action games. The vibes are just right, the gameplay is exactly as fun as I expected, and there’s an intriguing story that I look forward to learning more about. What is not to love?