Earthblade: Everything We Know

Not every day do you see a new game receiving universal acclaim from critics. The few games that make it to the spotlight convey a profoundly moving storyline, feature impeccable gameplay, and primarily include a soundtrack that wraps it all up in a nice bow. This is what Extremely OK Games Ltd.'s Celeste gave the gaming world. The notoriously challenging retro-pixel art 2D platformer was a huge success, winning several awards under its title.

Now, Extremely OK Games Ltd. is back in the kitchen, whipping up another enthralling 2D pixel art adventure, Earthblade. Given the tremendous success of the previous game, it's no surprise that the gaming community has high expectations for the new title. The trailer made its debut during the Game Awards 2022, and from the looks of it, we're in for another mesmerizing adventure into a massive and lush pixel art world. So is this game worth your dime? We've fleshed out the details with the developers to give you an exclusive scoop on the upcoming title. Here's everything we know about Earthblade. 

What is Earthblade?

Earthblade is an upcoming title from the independent game studio, Extremely Okay Games. The studio made its name in the industry after the debut of Celeste in 2018. There’s no denying that Celeste's commercial success puts the developers on a similar art style and genre trajectory with the upcoming release. The game takes you on an adventure in a 2D pixel fantasy-inspired world that provides seamless exploration. 

Story

Earthbalde follows an intrepid young girl, Nevoa, who the game describes as “an enigmatic child of Fate.” You take on the role of Nevoa after her return to a derelict Earth. Earthblade pays tribute to the game that started it all, Celeste, by offering a ton of physical and emotional challenges. While there are scanty details about the game's storyline, the trailer gives off bits of information on what we should expect. For instance, in addition to fighting enemies you come across, you may also need to make allies to make the adventure a tad less treacherous. 

From the horse's mouth: “You are Névoa, an enigmatic child of Fate returning at long last to Earth, in this explor-action platformer. Earthblade's lush pixel art world offers seamless exploration, challenging combat, and countless mysteries to pick apart. Travel the remnants of a ruined world, encounter denizens both friend and foe, and piece together the Earth's fractured history.”

Gameplay 

~ accept your Fate ~ pic.twitter.com/M1ru0oXXzK

— Extremely OK Games (@exok_games) November 30, 2022

Earthblade's gameplay is predominantly platforming with a touch of combat and exploration. This is relatively different from Celeste, where the protagonist didn't have characters named after her. Instead, the environment provided plenty of obstacles for the player to maneuver around. In contrast, Earthblade will have you dodging and fighting foes as you untangle the mystery behind Earth's dilapidated state. Also, the challenging platforming witnessed in Celeste may either go up a notch or down a notch with the inclusion of combat. 

Moreover, EOK Games Ltd retains exploration where you navigate the lush pixel-drawn environment in a Metroidvania way. It would be interesting to see puzzles and challenges included in the exploration, as witnessed in Celeste. This way, players can marvel over the intricate, magical 2D backdrop while keeping up with the challenging gameplay. 

As the trailer starts, we see Nevoa appearing from a magic mirror of some sort before dialogue ensues between her and the guitar-playing character. The character remarks about Nevoa's sudden appearance and calls it “travel fate.” Perhaps this means that the game will include portal travel that gets you to already explored areas.

Furthermore, the game sticks to EOK's theme of simplicity with thorough details. For instance, the game's backdrop changes as you navigate the multi-directional world. What's more, the enemies seem to be mutated creatures brought to life by the murky green water, occasionally receiving lightning bolts from an orb that hovers above. 

Speaking of enemies, oh boy, will you be busy in the game! The trailer reveals a boatload of foes, from sword-hurling knights to one-eyed monstrosities. The good news is you won't be defenseless, as the game's title suggests. The trailer shows the protagonist slashing her way through the desolate lands using a blade. Moreover, a recent GIF posted by the developer gives an insight into the action, which had the caption “accept your fate.” The looped video showcases a hidden character hurling glowing swords at two orange-eyed monsters. The video also shows the damage levels the monsters take. 

Development

Extremely OK Games has announced the release of a new game in 2021. Fast forward to 2022, when the developers gave their fan base a peek into the upcoming title during the Game Awards 2022. Speaking during a Q&A livestream session on YouTube, EOK developers said the game draws much inspiration from the Metroidvania genre. Still, they prefer not to classify the new title in the genre. Moreover, the developers mentioned games such as Dark Souls, Breath of Wild, and Skytorn as the biggest influences on the game's world and map design. 

Furthermore, unlike Celeste, Earthblades's concept took longer to finalize. The developers cite one of the reasons as being external factors, such as the pandemic, that have slowed down the process. Moreover, Celeste's game features simple gameplay of traversing mountains and maneuvering around obstacles. Earthblade's inclusion of combat has a hand in its release as the developer's fourth prototype. 

Trailer

Now that you have a vivid idea of what Earthblade entails, you should see the game in action. EOK revealed the game's first look in a 1-minute 52-second trailer. The trailer is an accurate representation of what Earthblade's gameplay will be in the lustrous, hand-drawn pixel world.

You can check out the trailer above. 

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

It's still unclear what platforms the game will be available on. However, we know that it'll be available on PC through Steam. Since Towerfall and Celeste featured console releases, we anticipate the game will also release on console. The game's release window has been slated for 2024. As far as editions go, it's too early to tell whether they'll be available.

You can follow the developer's official social handle here for more details on Earthblade's debut. We'll be sure to let you know everything on gaming.net if anything even the slightest bit newsworthy happens between now and then.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Earthblade when it eventually releases? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.