Nephil’s Fall Twists the Metroidvania Concept Backwards
Classic Metroidvania style dictates a steady progression in power, either through finding better weapons and items or upgrading trademark skills like the double jump. But Croatian studio Exordium Games takes an unusual twist on the genre in Nephil’s Fall, an upcoming 2D fantasy platformer with JRPG elements.
The world was once in balance with the four elements, and rivers, forests, and mountains blossomed peacefully. Then unknown, dark forces meddled with the balance, corrupting aspects of nature one by one. The guardian Nephil wakes up much later after the corruption robbed nature of its four essences, and the protagonist witnesses the decay, though is unaware of the reasons.
Nephil’s Fall turns Metroidvanian tropes on their head, and running from right to left is one example of that design. More intriguingly, the protagonist starts out with all powers enabled and equipped, so the full moveset is available to vanquish foes. The game stands out with a sacrifice mechanic, which pops up at key moments in each level. In order to enter certain portals, the player needs to temporarily give up a certain power. Nephil leaves behind a chosen part of the armor, requiring the player to think about which ability he or she will need least. But when the time comes to heal an aspect of nature, the hero has to permanently sacrifice the corresponding elemental essence from within — meaning, Nephil gets progressively weaker as the player restores the world.
The main focus of the story is looking to the past and figuring out what happened to the world, rather than focusing on the future. Other than those aforementioned aspects, Nephil’s Fall offers the standard features of the genre. There will be multiple paths to embark on, secrets to find, abilities to master, and enemies to vanquish.
Nephil’s Fall recently launched its Kickstarter campaign to gather funds for the game as well as garner feedback from fans. Another way they’re looking for votes and comments is via their Steam Greenlight page. Follow the game’s Facebook and Twitter accounts for more updates on this Metroidvania with a twist.
