![]() ![]() This combines with some really clever level design to make it so that some areas will have you moving through it as one character, backtracking to it as another character, and finally accessing it with the third character to get to a new spot. A significant part of the game is swapping between characters to get to points on the map that only one of them can access, but the game does something really clever with this mechanic by making it so the player can only swap characters at certain points on the map. These three characters share a life bar, but not stats, and as the game progresses they will become even more distinct from one another as some of the abilities they’ll gain will be character-specific. Algus’ magic has more reach than Arias but not as much as Kyuli, and it can pass through walls and activate some switches. Kyuli has a wall jump that can get her to places the others can’t reach, and her bow and arrow has the best range, but her firing speed is terribly slow. Arias’ sword is the only thing that can cut through some barriers, but his short reach at the game’s outset doesn’t do him any favors. Firstly, this game does some really clever things with its three-character system, with players swapping between Arias the fighter, Kyuli the rogue, and Algus the wizard. I have to make it a point to note this game’s chiptune soundtrack by Matt Kap is really excellent, and while I can't link to any of the game's music directly, I recommend you to give it a listen on the creator’s own website - in particular, check out This Cursed Tower (AKA Stage 1), Dark Serenity, Blood and Stone (AKA Gorgon), and Arteries for a few good examples.Īs much as I love this game’s retro-style presentation, the gameplay is possibly even better. The character designs are interesting and evocative of the same sort of dark and violent yet slightly cartoonish vibe given off by games like the early Castlevania titles, yet this game is certainly its own thing. The presentation here is wonderful, making use of 8-bit-style pixel art visuals and a chiptune soundtrack to evoke nostalgia for the best days of the Nintendo Entertainment System era of videogames. This game puts players in the role of three heroes who enter a mysterious tower that seems to be the source of a poison seeping into the water supply and killing the people of their village. ![]() ![]() Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a Metroidvania with some strong Roguelike elements released on multiple platforms in 2021, including Nintendo Switch. ![]()
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