Prepare your nostalgic gushing for maximum power.
Imagine, if you will, a world in which gaming never really moved away from the art style of the SNES era, but rather continued to advance the technology that fuelled it to its fullest potential. Had that world come to pass, we may have received many games like Owlboy.
Because it did not, however, you're just going to have to settle for the latest trailer for this lovably retro platformer.
Owlboy is a name you may remember if you often find yourself thinking of one-off video game stories from about 10 years ago, but in the likely event that is not the case, then just know that this game from Norwegian development studio D-Pad Studio has suffered a painful development history that led many to believe that the project was simply never going to be finished.
This latest trailer proves that is not the case. Owlboy's narrative follows a young boy named Otus who has received the power of flight and must use it to navigate a treacherous world full of sky pirates and treasure. The real story of Owlboy, though, are its visuals. In the same way that Shovel Knight managed to perfectly recreate the looks and charms of an NES title with its expertly done art style, Owlboy harkens back to such 2D SNES titles as The Lion King and Actraiser with its stunning sprites and rich color palette. Of course, SNES games didn't have today's technology to work with which is why Owlboy manages to blow those classic titles out of the water from a visual standpoint while retaining the looks that made them great.
The gameplay itself is pretty great as well. Owlboy features all the running, jumping, and combat that you'd expect from one of these titles, but does a terrific job of reminding players how great the genre can be when it is done well. You can try the game out for yourself via this demo on the official website, but please note that the website has been taking some major traffic hits as of late so you might have to wait to get your hands on it.
Although Owlboy is permanently locked in "We'll believe it when we see it" release status, it is currently projected to launch for Windows sometime in the fall.
Take the Den of Geek 2016Reader Survey for a Chance to Win a $100 Amazon Voucher Right Here!
