Gestalt: Steam & Cinder Next Fest Demo Reveals Lore-Rich Metroidvania
Exploring a World of Rust and Ruin
The Steam Next Fest is in full swing, creating a staggering amount of opportunities to play several upcoming games from a full gambit of scopes, indie darlings to projects from bigger studios to strange oddities and everything in between. Out of the countless demos vying for attention, Gestalt: Steam & Cinder stood out and became the first title I played during this digital event.
Gestalt is the one that got away a few Steam events back. I even kept the demo installed just so I could remember it. Thankfully this time I was able to set aside some time to play a few demos and I’m glad I did because this is absolutely a title I look forward to as a huge fan of Metroidvania games.
What struck me most about Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is its well-realized world. Setting-wise, Gestalt rests comfortably between fantasy and steampunk, like a “swords and steam” sort of story full of heroes at the end of an era of blood and steel following a violent effort to repel nightmarish monsters. After a pleasantly deep setup that establishes the game’s rich backdrop, we are introduced to the main character, Aletheia, a swash-buckling bounty hunter type on a mission to track someone down. Rolling through pipes, slashing robots, and building up meter for a ranged attack feels solid enough already and I’m excited to see what sort of mechanics and upgrades are in store in the full release. Gameplay-wise, there’s not much to write home about, at least as far as this genre’s tropes are concerned. It feels like a DS-era Castlevania to me but the gorgeous visuals, exciting setting, and interesting soundscape is what really drew me in.
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder has been in development for several years now by Metamorphis Games and it seems like that extra time is paying off for something that will last well beyond a typical hype cycle. These are the sort of games I have always enjoyed and celebrated so we’ll see if Gestalt ends up being a refined wine or a fascinatingly unique craft beer.
The game’s release date is currently set for 2023. A demo is actively playable on Steam as a part of the Steam Next Fest.
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