Pixel Heart Games' loving tribute to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and 16-bit adventure classics Airoheart has a confirmed Switch release date of 30th September.
Publisher Soedesco has announced that it's bringing the action RPG to the Switch later this year, and this announcement follows closed beta testing from the game back in February.
From the adventure gameplay, sword slashing, grass cutting, and SNES-style pixel art, Airoheart wears its inspirations proudly, but with a humble, homely feel. But our hero Airoheart must still save the world like the Hero of Time, but unlike Link, he must face family to do so.
The game has been a labour of love for the Australian development studio since 2017, and after a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2020, the team have managed to complete and craft a fully-realised world that encapsulates everything we love about the classics.
Soedesco shared some more details about the game with us in a press release, so here's what to expect from this link to the past:
About Airoheart
Our story begins in the land of Engard, where our beloved hero Airoheart sets out on a journey to stop his brother's diabolical plan to unleash an ancient evil that has been sealed in the shadows for generations, and to trigger a war using the power of the Draoidh Stone.
Will you confront your own brother and stop him from executing his wicked plans?
Features
Engage in real-time combat
Fight your way through dangerous monsters in real-time combat. Plant bombs, cast spells, drink potions, and overcome the dangers of Engard.
Journey through an enchanting open world
Discover a beautifully handcrafted retro-inspired pixel art world featuring an overhead perspective that will take you back in time. Immerse yourself in a vast and captivating world bursting with life and unique characters.
Conquer dungeons and solve puzzles
Acquire weapons and armor, and learn magical abilities to overcome complex puzzles and unlock new areas to explore. Navigate your way through murky dungeons and watch out for deadly traps and vicious enemies.
Embark on a quest to save the world
Unravel a tale of betrayal, tragedy and redemption piece by piece. Embark on an adventure to stop your brother from unleashing an ancient evil.
If you're a fan of classic top-down Zelda games, we think this is one to keep an eye on.
Airoheart launches this September on the Switch. Will you be grabbing this when it launches? Let us know in the comments!
Comments 19
Looks like something I've seen a hundred times, but that's not really a bad thing. And it's coming out right around my birthday, so a nice little bday present to myself might be in order.
As it's Pixel Heart, hopefully they will create a physical. Do love a SNES Zelda rip off
I've played this before. It's called Zelda III. You should try it. :/
Looks promising... consider me intrigued.
@Bunkerneath I can tell you it is getting a physical! =)
This is a little too blatant about copying Link to the Past in many places.
Might be a little too close to LTTP then I like. Would be more interested if it was doing it's own thing kind of like how Link Between Worlds was. Will be very curious about reviews on release.
I've been waiting for this for a long time, i thought it would never come to the Switch.
Day 1 for me.
Ive played a few really good Zelda imitation games and a few really bad ones. I’ll therefore wait for reviews to happen
Looks like a fun clone.
@Friendly I'm curious what the really good ones are.
I amways enjoy this kind of games. Zelda ALttP is one of my favourite games ever. I'll keep an eye on this!
//This is not
The greatest game in the worrrrlddd
Noooo
This is just a tribute//
I found that game from play-asia when I was browsing the games from Switch category and once I saw the trailer, I immediately stopped playing the video when I saw classic 2D style graphic.
Not interested at all.
@Chaoticwhizz blossom tales, hyper light drifter, death’s door, moonlighter and turnip boy are the ones I’d recommend but there are a lot more, such as these:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ELiNI47NKH4
The LoZ is a phenomenal series. Any of the main line games from TLoZ to Breath of the Wild (except Zelda 2) are an absolute delight to play from start to finish and all have bags of charm and personality. The problem I have with Zeldalikes, like this, is that yes they do look very good, but straight away I am unfairly comparing them to LoZ and I struggle to get over this, 😞especially as I know that there are some highly regarded Zeldalikes out there.
When I was a kid in the 8 and 16 bit eras, it was commonplace to see game clones. What one looked for in a good clone was similar gameplay and functionality, but new maps, puzzles, and bosses. The story and the graphics can be extremely similar, vaguely reminiscent, or totally different. All together, it should FEEL like it could just be additional levels/areas of the same game. I've seen a number of Zelda inspired games recently that are decent in their own way, but none that quite hit this mark for me. This one looks like it could be exactly what I've been hoping for, but I'm not 100% convinced yet. I'll definitely want to give it a play and find out, though!
I struggle so hard with Zelda-likes, and this one is blatantly LttP. It looks great but I really don't see me playing it. Yet I can do a Metroidvania in a heartbeat. Go figure...
The menu looks so confusing, but the other images look pretty good.
I hope it plays well
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