Assemble Entertainment has released a brand new teaser for the upcoming sci-fi Zelda-like, XEL. This top-down "love letter to classic Zelda" is coming to Switch this summer, but developer Tiny Roar has launched a demo on Steam to let people see for themselves what it can do with the Zelda formula.
While a Switch demo doesn't look like it's on the way, we do have a brand new teaser that showcases the game's lightning-fast combat and bright and varied environments. You won't get flamethrowers easily in a Zelda game, nor will you seem some of the mechanical monstrosities that protagonist Reid will have to explore.

The game was shown off at last weekend's Indie Live Expo, and we've got a summary of what the team shared, as well as what to expect from the game, from a press release:
In XEL, you’ll take the leading role as Reid, an amnesiac traveler stranded in a mysterious world where only a painfully deep dive into her subconscious will unlock the knowledge needed to find her way out. The ability to jump through space and time doesn’t hurt, either! A love letter to classic Zelda titles, XEL melds sci-fi fantasy with the familiarity of old-school dungeon exploration, creating a marvelously enigmatic world full of challenging puzzles, fiendish boss battles, and brimming with witty characters.
Presented during Steam’s Indie Live Expo 2022, the newly released demo showcases the first 30 minutes of the highly anticipated adventure, including an exciting look into the first mini boss fight against the menacing “Overseer.” Paired with Chap, her spunky and spirited sentient mechanical companion, Reid confronts armies of robotic enemies, as well as her own cryptic past. What is her connection to this perplexing world, and how can she regain the memories she’s lost?
Key Features of XEL Include:
- Old School Meets New School: Retro meets modern in a classic top-down RPG gameplay style, and a well-crafted combat system comprised of different attacks, dodging, parrying, and clever gadgets
- Adventure Through Space and Time: Explore the mysterious world of XEL and uncover its dark past, utilizing mind-bending time travel to unlock the secrets of the mysterious land
- A Timeless Audio-visual Experience: Composed by Gidon Wolff, XEL offers a timeless soundtrack complemented by vibrant visuals, handcrafted by a passionate indie team
XEL releases on Switch this summer, so hopefully we'll hear about a more specific release date soon. You can also check out the demo on the game's Steam page, or read through the latest Devlog from Tiny Roar, which goes over some of the game's weapons, enemies, and the inspiration behind the warp portals!
How do you think XEL is shaping up so far? Let us know in the comments.
Comments 12
Jeez, that camera shake is intense. Hopefully, there's an option to either turn it down or disable it.
@StarPoint you are so right, the camera shake is a bit much.
@StarPoint Now I can't unsee it. They would be a lot better off with some frame pauses on hit and then a shake at the end of a combo.
It seems like they are trying to get the combo feel of 3D Zeldas, but it doesn't seem very responsive. No hit response from enemies will make it feel really bad.
That seemed more like a love letter to Hob than Zelda. Action looks fun, like the grappling hook deal with all the hack and slash.
Weirdly I didn't notice the camera shake until reading the comments, now it's hard not to see.
Still it looks fun and hopefully the shaking will be an option as it's also an accessibility issue so should be standard to adjust or turn off.
It's so nice to see a Zelda inspired adventure that isn't pixel art or starring a character that just looks like Link!
@StarPoint oh no! Now I can't unsee it either. It'll hopefully get fixed before released.
Definitely seems like my jam though! Will anxiously await the reviews for this one.
More Diablo then Zelda
The description in the article says '... and a well-crafted combat system comprised of different attacks, dodging, parrying, and clever gadgets', but in the trailer the combat looks like mostly just mashing the sword button. Game could still have potential overall.
"Zelda-Like 'XEL' ". Real subtle there.
Yeah, when you have to hit an enemy 10 or 20 times to defeat it and it doesn't react at all to the hits, things don't feel quite right. That camera shake is irritating too.
@TheRealMr_Carpainter XEL..., duh!
@twztid13
Made my day!
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