Assemble Entertainment has released the first look at Tiny Roar’s colourful top-down action-adventure XEL. In XEL, players take control of Reid, an individual who wakes up on the titular planet with no idea how she got there. Trying to solve this mystery will take her deeper and deeper into the secrets of the planet itself.
Billed as “a love letter to classic Zelda titles,” Tiny Roar are attempting to create a title that gives the player the best of both worlds. With a top-down dungeon crawl reminiscent of old Zelda games, combined with sophisticated combat encompassing dodging and parrying mechanics that players might be more familiar with in games like Dark Souls.
Gadgets will add a Metroidvania aspect, allowing the player to advance to previously inaccessible areas, and weapons will be able to be upgraded to give a bit more of a kick in combat scenarios. This along with time-travel mechanics seems it plans to give a player plenty to think through. This combines with vibrant toony graphics and an original soundtrack from composer Gidon Wolff, to create a very aesthetic-looking adventure.
XEL is scheduled for release on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam and GOG this Summer, with releases for Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S expected later in the year.
