Update: DeathStick will now go by the name 'Akatori'. Further details here.
TeamNora Games and publisher HypeTrain Digital have announced that they'll be bringing DeathStick, an upcoming action-platformer, to Nintendo Switch.
The teams describe the game as "a beautiful 2D pixel art Metroidvania/slasher platformer," where players follow the story of a young girl called Mako. She's on a quest to save her world from destruction, and to do that, she'll need to make use of the game's world-switching mechanic.
This ability flips in-game areas 180 degrees, throwing Mako into another dimension. You can see it taking place in the newly-released trailer above, or right here:
Here's a list of key features:
Key Features:
- Fight like an assassin! Slasher fighting mechanics with combos.
- Don't get lost! Explore the world of Aarkalia in two different dimensions.
- Defend against evil forces! Challenge dozens of unique enemies and furious bosses through your adventure.
- Become a master! Evolve and change your playstyle by obtaining a wide range of unique abilities and special attacks.
- Look into it! Charming pixel-art aesthetics combined with smooth animations.
- Find your path! Solve the mystery of the Great Mirror through multiple endings.
We've got quite a wait ahead of us before we can check this one out, as the game isn't planned to launch until Q3 2022. It sounds ages away, but we imagine it'll go quicker than you think.
As ever, feel free to share your early thoughts on this one in the comments below.
Comments 21
I dunno, 2022 may not seem like a long way off but this year feels like it's been five.
The game looks cool though, looking forward to it.
You don't want to sell me deathsticks.
You want to go home and rethink your life.
There are almost as many 2D metroidvanias on Switch as Nintendo have ways of selling us the original Mario Bros.
This game is going to feel dated as hell come Q3 2022.
2D Metroidvania
I've only been gaming on Nintendo systems since about 2000 w/ the Gamecube and have only been on NL for about 12 years, so forgive my noobness, but isn't "2D Metroidvania" redundant?
What are some 3D Metroidvanias? In my head once Metroid and Castlevania went 3D even they weren't Metroidvanias any more. Darksiders is VERY Metroidvania in spirit but all I ever read anybody comparing that too was Zelda. 🤷♂️
@rjejr Good question. I just googled it and a lot of the discussions seem to have mentioned a handful of the same games. Darksiders, Metroid Prime Trilogy, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, amongst many others
You guys gotta stop using the term metroidvania. It's not really fair for all these games to get pigeon holed as that just for having expansive maps.
@UmbreonsPapa I know there are a lot of 3D games that are like that - it's basically all that I play since my PS2 days, back when I used to call them 3D before the 3DS or open world before actual open world games appeared - I just didn't think anybody ever referred to them as Metroidvania once they went 3D b/c Metrodivania meant 2D.
So, I did my own google search, wound up on reddit where else, and apparently people do call those games 3D Metrodivanias. So they do exist.
Though that brings up the other fine line - if we have to refer to those 3D games as "3D Metrodivania" then isn't Metrodivania w/o the leading 3D self explanatory as being 2D, hence redundant? ie you can have a "3D Metrodivania" but not a "Metordvania" that's 3D? Do people still say "color TV" or is a color tv just a "tv" and a "B&W tv" isn't a "tv"?
OK, I'm going to stop now, giving myself a headache.
@doctorhino If it's an agreed-upon term by the industry and community for these types of games and they fit the criteria for a Metrodvania, I don't see what the problem is.
The real issue, I feel, is the Switch is starting to become a bit oversaturated with these types of games.
@rjejr LOL. That's a good point. It is redundant.
Cool! I can’t wait to... 2022?!?!? Maaaaaan... the devs should’ve kept this news to themselves.
@UmbreonsPapa I think the term is a little patronizing. It's like calling a game a derivative. Since when has any game company called their own game a metroidvania? It's just gaming press.
Rogue like, straight platformer, rpg elements, weapon collecting, none of that is explained with the name. It's just inferred there is some of one or more of those and a somewhat open map system.
This will be out when the Switch RTX is released and this game better take advantage of the extra power plus support ray tracing.
Looks pretty meh
2022, a little wait there. The game does seem interesting though.
@doctorhino That’s what I‘be been trying to say! It’s not even a genre anymore, just a marketing term to sell copies. Same with “souls-like” combat and “rogue-lite.” Yuck.
@UmbreonsPapa These games rarely fit the criteria anymore. It’s just bogus marketing to sell games, there are so many things in the “Metroidvania” bin that it has lost meaning. Even that monster collecting game, that has freaking turn based battles is being called a metroidvania because it has an open style 2D map. There‘s a genre, and then there is piggy-backing, major difference!
@TG16_IS_BAE @doctorhino According to this article, the teams behind the games themselves are calling it them Metroidvania. I'm sure they contain more qualities than a large map to justify being called so. Again, if some developers and some fans and the gaming press are fine with using the term, I don't see what the problem is. It describes a type of game. If these games fit that type of game, I don't really know what the issue is.
looks pretty, the gameplay idk yet
@UmbreonsPapa you're right it's the description for the game on steam, didn't even notice that, well it's fair game I suppose, every site is quoting them on the steam description.
While I still disagree with the term being good in this case it's the developers marketing team pushing the genre description so they're just being pigeonholed by themselves.
I think the biggest difference between something like this and normal genres is it's a genre built out of the name of 2 existing game. We don't call platformers marionics. There is a difference between something being an issue and something just being completely lame too.
@UmbreonsPapa Like I said, nonsense to sell copies. They can call it what they like, doesn’t mean the term sticks.
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