DANGEN Entertainment recently announced that Astalon: Tears of the Earth, will be arriving on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC on June 3rd, 2021. A brand-new trailer featuring a new glimpse into the world of Astalon has been revealed in conjunction with the release date announcement. Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch and Xbox One are live. In addition, two music albums are planned for release: the original soundtrack and a rock-arranged album.
Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a 2D action-platformer that follows three unique warriors on a perilous mission to save their town in a post-apocalyptic world. Having made a pact with the Titan of Death, Epimetheus, the characters are granted the power to grow stronger each time they die and must surmount the mysterious Tower of Serpents in search of answers. Players can switch between the three heroes and must utilize their unique skills to take down monsters, solve puzzles, find artifacts, and progress through the game, all while uncovering the intriguing backstory behind the Titan, the tower and the heroes.
As the first foray into the Astalon universe, Tears of the Earth is the new title by Matt Kap (Castle in the Darkness) and Jon Lepage at LABS Works, featuring character design by famed manga artist, Ryusuke Mita (Dragon Half).
In Astalon: Tears of the Earth, switching characters and utilizing their special abilities is key to progressing in the game. Players will have to decide which character works the best for each predicament, whether it be a puzzle, platforming situation, swarm of enemies, or boss.
Arias, the Fighter:
Arias is a quick, short-range character who slashes with his sword. He starts the game with greater defense than his allies, and can use his sword to cut through vein doors in the tower. He is a young fighter who is willing to jump head-first into anything that stands in his way. As the son of the warrior named Silas, the wielder of the powerful Crystal Sword, he tries his hardest to live up to his father’s legacy.
Algus, the Wizard:
Algus is a wizard who can use his magic to shoot magic bolts through walls and activate magic switches strewn about the tower. He made a pact with Epimetheus, the Titan of Death, to receive the power of reincarnation. He can use Epimetheus’ power to return again after dying, much to Epimetheus’ growing annoyance. What other powers does he possess?
Kyuli, the Rogue:
Kyuli fights using a long-range bow, and her lightweight allows her to jump off of walls to reach greater heights. She is a childhood friend of Arias, who once depended on tricks and thievery to survive. She was taken in by Arias’ village as a young orphan, and over time, has changed her outlook and ways.
Astalon rewards players in defeat by allowing them to exchange collected orbs for various skills and upgrades when they reincarnate. Players can power up each of the heroes’ defense and attack stats, or they can purchase a relic that grants the power to gather fallen orbs, reveals secret locations, prolongs invincibility, and more. Players can play at their own pace by exploring thoroughly and bolstering their characters’ strengths or use risky methods to slice their way up the tower furiously.
In addition to power-up pacts with Epimetheus, players must explore and collect a variety of artifacts to progress through the game, such as the “Griffon Claw,” which will bestow their characters with new abilities to explore further into the tower. Players can use campfires to save progress, change characters, and discover details about the heroes’ pasts. Astalon features hundreds of rooms to discover, hours of challenging exploration with a plethora of unlockables and secrets to reward the most inquisitive players.
Astalon: Tears of the Earth takes a lot of inspiration from specific 80s and 90s games, reminiscent of the days when you might have exchanged tips and secrets with your friends in the hallway at school.
“Despite looking like a normal fantasy setting, it’s actually a deep, post-apocalyptic world, with a lot of inspiration taken from things like Mad Max and Fist of the North Star. There are also things loosely-based on Greek Mythological gods and creatures, something that has interested me since childhood – I play in two touring bands: Mute (melodic punk rock) and Zapovid (Ukrainian party rock), so composing the music for Astalon was something very important to me. Although the in-game music is done in an 8-bit style, the arrangements were always planned out as fully orchestrated or rock pieces. We will be releasing an arranged album featuring a selection of music from the game, but done in higher-fidelity. It feels good to be able to release something musical while my bands’ touring is put on pause because of the pandemic.
Matt Kapp – Lead Developer
Game features as shared on Steam:
- Relive the glory days of 8-bit action-adventure through beautifully detailed, authentic pixel art set in a dark, fantastic world! Astalon features the progressive exploration of an interconnected world with the swiftness and quick rhythm of a room-by-room action platformer.
- Original character design by Ryusuke Mita, creator of world-famous manga Dragon Half!
- Play at your own pace — explore thoroughly and build your character’s strengths, or use risky methods to slice your way up the tower furiously!
- Switch between your heroes and utilize the unique abilities of a warrior, archer, and wizard to progress through the game.
- Battle against a large assortment of different enemies, giant monsters, and epic bosses! Choose the right hero to find the weaknesses of the creatures that stand in your way!
- Upgrade your characters’ abilities and change the course of destiny by making deals with Epimetheus — the Titan of Death.
- Collect a variety of incredible artifacts such as the “Sword of Mirrors” that will bestow your characters with new abilities and open new possibilities.
- Use campfires to save your progress, change characters, and discover details about the heroes’ pasts.
- Hundreds of rooms to discover — hours of challenging exploration with a plethora of unlockables and secrets to reward the most inquisitive players!
- Experience an exciting soundtrack of chiptune music composed by Matt Kap, spanning over 30 pieces of music!
