Publisher Thunderful has today given us a closer look at the innovative combat system behind the upcoming metroidvania Worldless and we must say, we are rather intrigued.

Developed by Noname and set to release on Switch on 21st November, Worldless is a 2D adventure platformer with some immediately eye-catching visuals and a battle system that combines turn-based and real-time combat. Yes, this does sound a little paradoxical, but having checked out the above deep-dive video, it seems to be a fairly straightforward process of pulling off real-time moves in a set period, then bracing for an oncoming attack as your enemy does the same.

All of this appears to be wrapped up in an abstract story of good vs. evil, as two sides of a mysterious world battle over the concept of their very existence — pretty intense, right? From the new footage above, it looks like you will be exploring this environment in typical metroidvania fashion (following available paths, unlocking upgrades, backtracking, you know the drill) and getting into some interesting-looking scraps along the way. Oh, and there's also an RPG-style upgrade system.

For a little more information on what this one is all about, check out the following from Thunderful:

Worldless is set at a time where the rules of existence remain undefined. In this abstract setting, players will discover entities with opposing goals. One half is fixated on the virtue of their nature, the other is seeking to exchange it for their demise. This inevitably thrusts them into conflict as they battle for transcendence and you will find yourself embroiled in that fight, left to interpret the game’s mysterious narrative and its themes of growth and understanding for yourself.

Worldless will be making its way to Switch in late November, so we can expect to see more of these abstract visuals and tactical combat systems over the coming weeks.

What do you make of Worldless? Think it might be up your street? Let us know in the comments.