Earthblade

Earthblade is a running, jumping and fighting game from the creators of Celeste and Towerfall where you explore a ruined earth and discover its hidden past. You gymnastically traverse through the levels, fighting monsters with fast-paced attacks, and uncovering secrets and hidden areas as you go. It combines the free-flowing platforming of Celeste but adds demanding encounters and a more open world.

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You play Névoa, a mysterious Child of Fate who returns to Earth through a portal, to find it overrun by monstrous foes. You explore the different biomes, meeting friendly citizens and defeating monsters as you hunt for clues to explain the state of the world.

The platforming gameplay is similar to Celeste, as you jump, double jump, climb walls, and navigate the levels where there is little room for error. However, there are no individual screens, with the camera following you as you move, allowing you to uncover even more hidden areas and secrets. Combat is fast-paced and precise, and you use a combination of long-range and close-combat melee attacks to defeat the numerous enemies you encounter.

The result is an unusual game that combines tough combat with exacting platforming to create a multifaceted challenge while still offering a touching story. Finally making it past a particularly tricky section after countless attempts is always hugely rewarding and is often down to the clever and ambitious strategies you come up with yourself.

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Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Earthblade 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Thom Robertson and updated 12 days ago.