Baldur's Gate 3. Dragon's Dogma 2. Starfield. These are just three of the hundreds of vast video game worlds released over the past year. Fallout's meteoric rise, fueled by Amazon Prime, has brought vast open-world experiences back into the spotlight. And with the upcoming WoW The War Within and his FF14 Dawntrail, much of my 2024 will be spent on the move.but Awakening – Astral Blade is an indie platformer that plans to cut down on all the hassles associated with traveling, and that's what makes this game so appealing.
You are Tania. You are on a mission to save her current MIA investigation squad. The journey “Awakening – Astral Blades” takes you to the mystical rainforests of the Hores Islands. There you encounter twisted, mutated monsters called Anathemorphs. Now that the investigation team has been wiped out, it's your job to find the root of corruption and destroy it once and for all.
Combining platform game mechanics with the cyberpunk aesthetic of great anime games like Scarlet Nexus and Nier, you can chain together a variety of upgradeable abilities. Slow down time with Fast Stand Up and dash into the heart of the fray to tear apart your enemies.
However, senseless murders have consequences. Awaken – Astral Blade has several different endings, so it's best to think about what path you want Tania to take. She searches under every rock and reads every notepad. At the end of the day, the best choice is an informed one.
But while Awaken – Astral Blade's cyberpunk-esque aesthetic drew me in in the first place, the idea that the map was “designed to save you time” piqued my interest. Dark Pigeon Games recommends “don't waste your time traveling,” and as someone who spent over 50 hours on Baldur's Gate 3 and hasn't even gotten to Baldur's Gate itself yet, that's exactly what it says. That's what I'm looking for.
Oh, and you can also pet the cat.I feel it is important to mention – in fact, it is the most important I left it until the end because it's a part.
Awaken – Astral Blade’s release date is set for Q3 2024, but you can jump in now through the game’s ongoing Steam demo. Given that it was rated “Best Played” at GDC 2024 and is currently being showcased at WASD 2024, we think this is reason enough to check out Hores Islands' vast growth.
However, if you've already completed the demo, we have a list of other free Steam games that are easier on your wallet. Or if that ultra-futuristic aesthetic gets your blood pumping, we also have a list of the best cyberpunk games.
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