Indie Angeline Era Is A New 3D "Bump-Slash" Adventure Inspired By Hydlide & Ys

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A Steam demo was released yesterday for the next PC game from the developers Melos Han-Tani and Marina Kittaka — the creators of Anodyne, Anodyne 2, Even the Ocean, and Sephonie.

Angeline Era is a 3D homage to classic action role-playing games like Ys & Hydlide and is scheduled to release sometime in 2025.

It sees players exploring a land of Angels and Fae, uncovering treasures, and battling enemies to seek out an ancient truth. The recently released demo features a lengthy preview of its main campaign, introducing players to the "bump-slash" combat (which is influenced by Ys), and also includes a beta version of the game's upcoming arcade mode. All of this is presented in a charmingly blocky style that seems to us to be a mix between the presentation of the classic PS1 RPG Final Fantasy VII and the 3D remakes of Final Fantasy III and IV for the Nintendo DS that were released in the mid-to-late 2000s.

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The campaign half of the demo drops players onto a retro-style world map and immediately sets them loose to explore the strange land, letting them scan for secrets and dive into miniature dungeon-style areas.

The arcade half, meanwhile, has players tooling up before entering room after room of enemies to compete for high scores.

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Images: Analgesic Productions

Here are some of the features of the game listed on the Steam page:

• Fast-paced combat combining buttonless Bumpslashing, ranged gunplay and jumping!
• Eclectic levels filled with moving walls, deadly volleyballs, sentient hammers
• Inspired by action throughout gaming history, from the early Ys entries to Elden Ring
• A thrilling Arcade Mode for players looking for a classic and deep challenge
• Mix and match upgradable weapons and armor for alternate playstyles
• A nonlinear world! Explore freely, and search the overworld for hidden levels and secrets
• A challenging core experience, with multiple difficulty and approachability options
• A world influenced by Irish fantasy and arcane Christian myth
• Follow the mind-bending journey of ex-G.I. Tets Kinoshta as he searches for Truth in a chaotic world
• From the creators of Anodyne 2 and Sephonie, Melos Han-Tani and Marina Kittaka!

So far, we've played roughly an hour of the demo and can't wait to play even more, though there's clearly a little bit of beautification work still to be done on certain areas of the game — particularly the UI.

If you feel like checking out the demo, you can do so now over on Steam. Just don't forget to wishlist it, if you find yourself having a good time.

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