Kernel Hearts GDC First Look – An Open World & So Much To See

When it comes to stunning fights, challenging grinds, and beautiful characters, Kernel Hearts is already batting a home run. Our early look at the game during GDC 2025 showcased a stunning open world and epic battles that will tantalize every roguelike gamer.

While still early in development, Kernel Hearts has already captured the attention of gamers for its stunning art direction and bold storyline. Players take on the role of M.A.H.O.U. members – otherwise known as a team of android, magical girls with epic superpowers. The goal of the game is to take down a god attempting to destroy the world, and to do that, you’ll need to work your way up from the bottom.

In our early look at Kernel Heart, we had a chance to test the battle mechanics, jump into a boss fight, and explore one of the map areas. This glimpse promises an excellent game, perfect for fans of Hades and anime art styles.

Exploration In A Dangerous World

During the GDC early look, we were dropped off the Tower of Babel into a beautiful, open world. Players can run through the grass, opening caskets for items, battling smaller enemies, and gathering up items. However, the longer you spend exploring the map, the more aggressive the enemies become.

As we ran around looking at the grassy landscapes, we had to dodge enemy fire and avoid death from a variety of grumpy monsters. Fighting them off can help, but you won’t want to drag your feet for long before heading to one of the boss encounters on the map.

It is very easy to die while exploring. This adds a level of skill and time management to the game that is exciting for players. In titles like Hades, you don’t spend much time in each area. You take down enemies, grab any available items, and move on. In Kernel Hearts, you’ll need to explore to prepare for boss battles, and almost every choice is entirely up to you to decide.

Boss Battles Are No Joke

In our preview, we had the chance to go up against one boss – and it wasn’t an easy match. To battle bosses, players have to find a portal attendant in the open world and request the encounter. They are then taken to a classic JRPG boss arena where they will need to survive phases while avoiding death. These bosses hit hard, and if you aren’t properly prepared, you’ll be respawning back at the Tower to try again.

These types of boss battles are going to be perfect for fans of JRPGs and difficult challenges. While it’s still too early to know how many bosses will be available or what players will need to do to encounter all of them, each fight is sure to be exciting.

Overall, we are very excited for Kernel Hearts and can’t wait to see future updates as the game continues to develop.

About the Author

Laura Gray

Administrator

Laura Gray, known as Ezra when not putting pen to paper, is a D&D enthusiast with a love of all things written. They are a collector of fantasy and sci-fi novels, a lover of cooking weird food, and a player of farming sims and Pokémon games. When not engrossed in a re-read of Anne McCaffrey or a deep dive into the Adventure Zone: Balance, they can be found sniffing the cats and napping in half-finished crochet projects.

Visit Website View All Posts