At The Game Awards 2022, independent game developers Supergiant Games was not the sole company with anything worthwhile to show off. As in addition, Extremely OK Games, the company that was responsible for creating Celeste, had something to share.
There has not been a lot of information available on Earthblade. That information was updated with the publication of a new video which included extensive gameplay footage. Based on what was shown, it seems that Earthblade will be a Metroidvania-style game, and the release year is set for 2024.
More Earthblade details … finally
A brand-new trailer presented early gameplay footage. Earthblade retains the 2D side-scrolling platforming gameplay of its forerunner, in addition to its jaunty and pixelated visual aesthetic. However, it looks like Earthblade also has some kind of combat, judging on the trailer for the game, which depicted a horned protagonist dash-climbing and slicing their way through a fanciful setting resembling a swamp that was inhabited with creatures, slimes, and knights. The next scene shows the protagonist opening a door-like gateway just before the screen fades to darkness.
The success of Extremely OK Games
The 2018 release of the platformer Celeste, which received a lot of positive feedback from critics, was Extremely OK Games’ most recent game. The game’s demanding navigation obstacles were combined with a puzzle-like design, requiring players to figure out how to progress through different zones via a process of trial and error. Because of the responsive controls and fast-paced play cycle, the game never gave the impression of being unfair. If a player died, they were promptly sent back to the beginning of the current level section.
The fact that Celeste’s difficulty controls could be adjusted to the player’s liking meant that the whole experience could be personalized. Because of this, as well as the positive message conveyed by the game itself, which is about a young lady overcoming her inner demons while ascending a mountain, the experience was both engaging and inspiring.
