This is Niche Spotlight. In this column, we regularly introduce new games to our fans, so please leave feedback and let us know if there’s a game you want us to cover!
Today’s Niche Spotlight is for a promising new indie action-adventure game, Zealot.
Developed by the quartet at indie Portuguese studio Prime Cut Games, Zealot is a bold take on Slavic culture and traditions.
While a trailer isn’t currently available for the game (we usually avoid highlighting games this early in development), there are several impressive snippets of gameplay, by way of animated GIFs:
Gameplay is described as a mix of Diablo-like combat, with Dark Souls enemy pattern recognition, and Metroidvania style exploration. Player progression happens via the crafting and upgrading of new weapons, in blacksmith stations, as well as finding reusable active items throughout the land.
You can also collect prayer sheets, which grant you passive buffs – although some have drawbacks associated with them. Prime Cut are teasing more details on the progression systems in future updates, which they post regularly on their devblog.
The visuals were devised to capture an art style that mixes 2D visuals with 3D environments, similar to Xenogears or Breath of Fire IV. The team focused on using a low-poly aesthetic with retro-inspired pixel art, all within Unity and complete with modern lighting and post-processing techniques. This provides the above aesthetics, a nostalgic yet refreshing look.
A release window for Zealot isn’t confirmed, but we know the game will be launching for Windows PC.
Here’s a rundown on the game:
Zealot is a top down action / adventure game where the player takes charge of a fallen priest, the sole survivor of a long ruined Orthodox colony who awakens to a holy mission, to cleanse the heretical Paganism plaguing the land and renew the one true faith.
In order to accomplish this endeavor, he shall arm himself with the tools to quench any and all resistance.
The land of Zealot takes inspiration from Slavic culture and traditions. It’s a place where true belief in Pagan deities is able to be physically manifested, granting otherworldly powers to the devoted.
In contrast to the ruling tribal cults there´s the Orthodoxy, a long forgotten attempt from foreign lands to convert the populace to the worship of their only true God. The tribes, well knowing true faith’s power, rose up in fear and destroyed the very first colony of the missionaries, sealing the ruins forever from outsiders.
Yet, centuries past, the ruins stir once more…
Key Features:
- Active Combat – Each enemy has different attack patterns that can be taken advantage off by correct positioning, dodging and through correct timing of combos to deal bonus damage;
- Open World – The game world is mainly subdivided into 4 main areas, and it’s up to the player’s choice where to start and finish their holy quest;
- Metroidvania Exploration – Every area has secrets and blocked sections that can only be explored with the correct tool, rewarding exploration outside of the beaten path;
- Progression System – There are various remnants of lost arms from ages past that the player can recover and reforge into powerful new weapons and upgrades through a unique blacksmithing system based on following detailed forging instructions;
- Lost Reliquary – Spread throughout the world are Relics and Prayers, equip-able items that aid the player in combat. Relics are active items that can be used in battle while Prayers are passive items that influence the player’s power;\
- Beautiful Visuals – Retro inspired visuals that take influence from 64/32-bit era systems, with low-poly 3D environments populated by characters presented as hand-crafted 2D pixel-art sprites;
- Indirect World-building – Explore and learn about a world heavily inspired by Slavic mythology, with a narrative that is inferred via carefully decorated environments and set-pieces that unravel a long forgotten history for those who wish to dig deeper.
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