There are such a lot of indie throwbacks to outdated Nintendo consoles nowadays, it takes numerous juice for one to essentially catch my eye, however Recreation Boy Advance-style RPG Tako no Himitsu: Ocean of Secrets and techniques (beforehand reported on by Rock Paper Shotgun) seems to be prefer it has the proper stuff. Tako no Himitsu (actually “Secret of the Octopus”) has notably attractive artwork, in addition to soundtrack contributions from GBA and SNES vets Motoi Sakuraba (Golden Solar, Darkish Souls) and Masanori Hikichi (Terranigma, Danganropa 2).
Tako no Himitsu comes out of the gate with a generously lengthy demo masking the intro sequences of two members of a deliberate six-character ensemble forged—it looks as if the sport’s taking a web page from Dwell a Dwell or Octopath Traveler with how our heroes come collectively, with every one getting their very own highlight introductory sequence and fewer emphasis on a single one in every of them because the protagonist. It took me about 45 minutes to complete only one character in Tako no Himitsu’s demo on Steam.
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And what’s right here is absolutely attention-grabbing mechanically: Tako no Himitsu feels lots like Secret of Mana, with actual time fight and light-weight puzzle fixing blended up with a tactical menu the place you choose particular strikes and spells tied to magical octopi you gather all through the story. The little buddies will be blended and matched with totally different celebration members to unlock synergies and combos, however within the demo portion I performed I used to be restricted to a projectile assault and enemy scan. The octopus system’s completion is a house base fountain the place your little guys hang around, and you’ll handle the critters to construct up your bond with them—it jogs my memory numerous the Chao Backyard from Sonic Journey 2.
My favourite factor right here is certainly the aesthetic. Tako no Hitsume actually nails the gentle strains and vibrant colours of GBA pixel artwork, and the sound results even have a distinctly GBA je ne sais quoi that I dig. The soundtrack from Sakuraba, Hikichi, and lead composer Anotine Archer, in the meantime, is simply beautiful, the form of factor to essentially evoke a protracted automobile journey sat within the again seat taking part in Golden Solar.
Tako no Himitsu has already handed its preliminary funding objective on Kickstarter, however you continue to have 27 days to again the sport when you’re , and lead developer Christophe Galati is aiming for a 2026 launch window. You can too take a look at Tako no Himitsu’s demo for your self and wishlist the sport on Steam.
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