Indie developer Contrast Games has launched a free demo for its upcoming metroidvania game Akatori on Steam. The demo allows players to experience the pixel-art adventure as Mako, a teenage girl battling Amber Storms across five unique worlds. It arrives just before Steam Next Fest, offering a preview of the game's exploration and combat mechanics.
Contrast Games, an indie developer and publisher, has made a free playable demo available on Steam for Akatori, its forthcoming metroidvania platformer. The demo coincides with preparations for Steam Next Fest, enabling players to sample the title immediately.
In Akatori, players control Mako, a teenage girl raised in the Firebird Temple, on a quest to rescue worlds corrupted by Amber Storms. These storms distort living things, spawning monsters and altering landscapes. Mako is joined by a mysterious red bird sealed within a staff, which serves multiple purposes: as a weapon against foes, a tool for solving puzzles, and an aid for traversal, such as gliding from heights or sliding down slopes.
The game features five distinct worlds, each with unique biomes, narratives, and obstacles, including vivid landscapes, levitating buildings, cave catacombs, and twisted natural environments. Since the Amber Storms emerged, crystals known as Amber have become central to civilization, acting as both a boon and a curse. Players will confront over 20 types of regular enemies and several bosses in this pixel-art style enhanced by 3D elements.
The demo provides an early look at these mechanics, emphasizing exploration, combat, and self-discovery as Mako uncovers ancient secrets and harnesses powers. The full game promises a blend of classic metroidvania elements with intense action-platforming challenges.