Fans of the old school The Legend of Zelda game has a new top-down action adventure journey to experience Elementaliswhich not only revives retro nostalgia Zelda but shaking things up with a magical dose of elemental powers a la Avatar: The Last Airbender. Elementalis launched for PC via Steam, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S on April 28, and gamers have already started making positive comparisons between the newly released adventure title and classic hits like A link to the past.
Despite the dominance of top-down perspectives and simple pixel graphics in 80s and 90s games, the modern industry has shifted heavily towards hyper-realistic visuals brought to life in 3D worlds. Ironically, there has been a noticeable shift in audience appreciation for releases that buck these trends of modernism and instead focus on offering fresh experiences with familiar gameplay and retro visuals. Elementalis is one of the latest titles to focus on this old-school vibe, and early reviews seem to indicate that it's done a good job of igniting nostalgia while differentiating itself from its predecessors.
New Steam Game Is Like The Legend of Zelda Meets Octopath Traveler
This upcoming Steam game mixes the familiar gameplay of The Legend of Zelda with the stunning visuals of Octopath Traveler.
Elementallis adds Avatar: The Last Airbender Powers to a Zelda-style world
Developed by AnKae Games and published by Top Hat Studios, Elementalis sees players embark on a guilt-driven journey to restore the rogue elements and put an end to the dangers enveloping a dying world. By harnessing and mastering the elemental powers, players will be able to battle enemies, solve puzzles and explore vast lands filled with temples, offering dungeon games similar to The Legend of Zelda series. Real-time combat will test players' ability to exploit enemy weaknesses, choosing between using their standard sword and shield or resorting to the powers of fire, water, electricity, rock, ice, wind and earth to overcome any challenge they may face. As these elements are restored and their abilities unlocked, players will gain access to new locations, tougher puzzles and secret areas.
Going through Elementalis will require traveling across eight unique biomes and conquering their eight respective temples, each filled with dangerous enemies and boss battles. The elements will play a key role in navigating through these temples and their surrounding lands, with special abilities such as walking on water, burning brushwood and lighting beacons, breaking stone barriers, growing climbable vines, and summoning ice to slide blockades out of the way. Outside of the temples, players will be able to find and interact with various inhabitants of the biome who will offer additional quests, sell useful items, and upgrade the player's equipment. Along the way, fans will experience a journey of self-discovery that aims to heal a broken world and a broken heart plagued by guilt through a story that sets Elementalis apart from others Zelda-similar games on PC and consoles.
With its mix of retro Zelda games and Avatar: The Last Airbender elemental forces, Elementalis is receiving strong early reviews, with a 100% positive rating on Steam and a 5-star rating on the PlayStation Store at the time of writing. There has been a growing catalog of games that Zelda for Nintendo Switch, and the inclusion of launches for PC and other consoles could come into play Elementalis', as it allows the game to reach a wider audience. Elementalis is now available on PC, PlayStation, Switch and Xbox.
