In the run-up to Hollow Knight Silksong and following some fantastic recent 2D action platformer games including the likes of Prince of Persia The Lost Crown, Blasphemous 2, and Ultros, new Steam RPG Gestalt: Steam and Cinder is one that’s very much caught my eye. First debuted almost three years ago, the gorgeous new pixel art adventure is finally almost here, and you can even try it out now with a free demo.
Gestalt: Steam and Cinder comes from developer Metamorphosis Games, with executive production from YouTubers and Twitch streamers Jesse Cox and Brooke ‘Dodger’ Thorne. It’s set 200 years after a malevolent calamity poured demons into the world; forced to adopt demonic powers to fight off the invasion, the noble Akhaian warriors eventually fell to corruption. While they were eventually defeated and expelled, humanity was forced to seek solace in the sheltered bastion of Canaan, the Steam City.
In this new action-platformer RPG game, you step into the shoes of elite Canaan mercenary Aletheia, who uncovers an ancient yet seemingly active Akhaian Tether during a routine job. It’s not long before you’re flung into action as a result, discovering a way to employ some of the long-forgotten technology to upgrade your own potential and unlock powerful new tools and abilities through a branching skill tree.
The core movement and combat is very much akin to the likes of Blasphemous, stringing together melee combos and making use of a dodge roll to get yourself out of trouble. You also start off with the ability to wall jump from minute one, which is always a plus in my book. If you need to get an extra advantage over your foes, Aletheia can pull out her trusty pistol, which uses a limited energy supply that builds up as you fight.
I’m certainly very intrigued to see how the narrative threads play out, but it’s the gorgeous art and animation, along with its fantastic accompanying soundtrack, that have ensured Gestalt earns itself a place on my wishlist. The good news is that not only can you currently try it out for yourself, jumping straight into the opening of the game with a free Steam demo available to play right now, but we now also have a date for the full game’s arrival.
Gestalt: Steam and Cinder launches Tuesday May 21 on Steam. Ahead of then, you can head over to the Steam store page if you want to add it to your own wishlist or give the free demo a shot.
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