Who doesn't love a good top-down ARPG; a solid dungeon-crawler with visceral action and real punchy combat that sticks in your teeth like toffee? Aside from Diablo and Path of Exile, there aren't as many out there as I'd like. But Tarae: The Unbound, from South Korean studio Boundary and publisher Krafton, might help change that. I had a chance to get my hands on an early version during this year's Gamescom, and while it's far from finished, what I played of it showed real promise.

Tarae is an isometric action game rooted deeply in Buddhist mythology, and while its demo might be relatively short, it's immediately clear Boundary understands the most important quality of ARPGs: making combat feel good. That starts with a choice between three distinct classes, and, in the demo, I pick the Samurai; a melee-focused fighter who's all about getting up close and wreaking havoc.

You've a dodge roll, a limited stamina bar, and a few healing potions to see you through the dangerous world ahead. And each swing of your sword comes with satisfyingly hefty audio-visual feedback. But it's more than simple slicing and dicing, and includes an intriguing set of abilities that elevates the experience.

Two in the demo stood out to me as especially delightful. The first is a charging slash that shows Boundary understands the importance of weight in games like this. There's nothing worse than floatiness - letting loose a massive blow only for it to flutter from your hands - but Tarae's animators, visual effects artists, and audio engineers are all working in unison here to get the feeling absolutely right. And as I throw myself against foes, blood leaping from them with every charging slash, it's joyous.

Movement - the ability to shift quickly across the battlefield - is another key ARPG element Tarae nails. And that ties into something else I love: its throwable dagger. On its own, it's an unremarkable projectile, but it has additional utility. Once thrown, you can teleport to its resting spot at the press of a button. Doing so causes an eruption around your character, which, when correctly timed, deals damage to all those around you.

All of these abilities can be modified by a wide selection of subskills. But while everything was unlocked for the demo, I only really had a chance to mess around with them briefly. What I saw appeared to be percentile alterations and minor amendments - perhaps not hugely impactful, but as a focus for the finer points of buildcrafting, the extent of options was enticing.

As for the enemies you use these abilities on, the ones I faced could be split into two broad categories. The first are your standard goons; hordes of smaller foes that rush up to slap you or throw projectiles from a distance. These weren't especially challenging, but a careless attention slip could still occasionally leave me grasping for healing potions or spamming the dodge button.

Far more interesting were the two bosses I fought. Despite apparently being the earliest bosses in-game, I was struck by the number of moves they threw at me. The first, a giant toad demon of sorts, served as a bit of a warm-up. It rolled on its side, dashing any hope of a safe spot to strike, while its leaps forced a well-timed dodge to prevent a hefty chunk of damage. Even so, it didn't put up much of a fight and I very much enjoyed unleashing my move set into it.

In contrast, the follow-up fight against a sorcerer was genuinely challenging. A deluge of incoming blows required fairly precise positioning, something that hadn't been required in earlier fights. It also entered a phase of endless invulnerability strikes which persisted until I stood inside a lit space within the arena. Add in a substantial health bar, and I just couldn't quite beat it before the demo's time-limit ended, prompting a disappointed wail from everyone in the room, including me.

Based on my relatively brief hands-on time, Tarae: The Unbound has a solid ARPG foundation. But these sorts of games don't tend to reveal their true greatness until their later hours - when you can delve into the customisation of your character's abilities, discovering a playstyle that suits you best. Likewise, I've only seen glimpses of Tarae's Eastern mythology aesthetic, and I'm eager to see what else it does with its rich setting. Even so, I've a sense this might be one for genre enthusiasts to watch.

This preview is based on a preview at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany. Krafton provided flights and accommodation.