Gwyn Demo

It’s no wonder that games still try to copy classics like Legend of Zelda, Metroid or Castlevania. The gameplay mechanics are almost unchallenged to this day, although that is partly because the industry took a different turn along the way. However, if you are a platformer fan and you do not mind a bit of a challenge, it’s always a good idea to try the old classics as well.

Gwyn is a very simple and initially unimpressive platformer that takes its inspiration from some of the games mentioned above, while also adding a few original concepts to the mix. In short, the game is pretty early in the development phase right now, which means that it is liable to change a lot until the final release. However, it’s definitely on the right track.

The action takes place underground, in a cave of sorts. You play as what appears to be a little elf girl, who carries a bow as her main weapon. There’s not much of a background story in place right now, so you’ll have to let your imagination do most of the work in this regard. The environments are quite interesting, on the other hand, even if they are rather barren at the moment.

Gameplay-wise, you mostly run around and shoot arrows at the enemies, which are awful when it comes to fighting back anyway. The range of the bow is quite short, on the other hand, so you’ll have to get close in order to hit anything. The bow can also be used to fire a teleportation arrow, which allows you to quickly teleport to where the arrow hits the wall. It’s a bit difficult to use at first, but it’s actually just a fancy wall jump, so you can get used to it.

As far as the technical side of the game is concerned, the graphics are fully two-dimensional, which is the standard for this kind of platformers anyway. The pixel art is decent, however, as are the environments and the monsters. A bit more work might be required in the level design department, but it’s a bit too early to criticize this aspect.

Gwyn might appeal a bit more to old school gamers, because the new generation probably won’t be as excited about its retro spirit. However, as long as the gameplay is refined and a nice story is added to fill the void, this could certainly turn into a good game.