Speak softly and carry a big-ass sword!
My first appointment on day 2 at PAX East was at the Akupara booth to check out a game called Gigasword. This game is in the Metroidvania family but there is one major twist. You will have to solve puzzles with the help of Ezra. Ezra is the main character and he is carrying one massive sword, the Gigasword! I was able to play the demo on the show floor and I think this game could be one of the best games at PAX East. Do yourself a favor if you happen to be at PAX East and play this game. If you had told me that Gigasword was originally on the NES I would have believed you. The music and graphics scream retro 8-bit goodness. But the fun doesn’t stop there as the platforming is really good. At first I wasn’t sure what to make of the sword mechanic.
I wasn’t sure how simple or gimmicky the puzzles would be. My mind was put at ease after traveling through the first section of the game. The Gigasword is your key weapon in the game. You will have to master using it as well as master getting it into certain areas. The Gigasword is very heavy so you can’t jump super high. If you need to jump higher, put the Gigasword down. There were areas where you needed to grab onto ledges and wall climb. You weren’t going to be able to do that with your giant sword. Lucky for you, when you don’t have your sword, you can jump higher. There are also areas where you will have to set your sword down on a platform and move said platform to a new location. Usually, those new locations are higher up and remember, you can’t jump very high with the Gigasword. There are enemies strewn throughout the area as well.
We were able to attack skeletons, scorpions, and other monsters in the tower. One issue I had with the combat was every time I tried to set up a combo to kill a skeleton, after the kill shot I would take damage. The other enemies were easy to take care of but you might need extra health against a boss fight. I think I have a knack for finding minor issues in demo builds of games like this. There was an area in the tower that didn’t have music. Every other area in the game had music so I let the developer know and they said it was a slight glitch/issue. You’ll be able to collect currency to upgrade your sword with special abilities. I wasn’t rolling in money during the playthrough but I was able to find enough to buy the first upgrade. Getting the first upgrade adds a beam that travels along the ground when you attack. There will be plenty of enemies that this attack will help you with. Gigasword has the charm of an 8-bit retro classic with puzzles, sounds, and music. Add a cool attack system and you have something to keep an eye out for!
