2D action side-scrollers and beat-em-ups are always a favorite of mine, especially when they’re heavy on the fantasy side. They’re fast, stylish, over-the-top, and they don’t have a lot of rules other than just beating up bad guys.
And Aeterno Blade, by Corecell Technology at Bangkok, is just that: a side-scrolling beat-em-up that’s heavy on fantasy elements, but with modern takes like dynamic combos and 3D polygonal characters traversing in a 2D plane.
The game is heavily inspired by the likes of 2D action favorites like Castlevania and Muramasa: The Demon Blade with a time-traveling twist, as seen in games like Braid and the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time trilogy. And having grown up with Castlevania and Prince of Persia myself, I can easily say that it’s something I want to see happen.
So Aeterno Blade tells the story of Freyja, who seeks vengeance against a powerful sorcerer after he slaughtered her entire village. With the titular Aeterno Blade in hand, she crosses through different dimensions, and manipulates time to defeat her enemies.
Freyja can reverse time for various purposes, like fixing mistakes before dying, solving puzzles, and extending attack combos against enemies. The game has a dynamic combat system that allows you to perform light, medium and heavy attacks, and link them together on the ground and in mid-air. So, with the right amount of talent and timing, you can be an unstoppable combo-ing fiend.
The game also has a deep upgrading system that lets you get stronger from basic stat boosts, action upgrades, and a Relic system that strengthens Freyja’s abilities and time reversal techniques.
Aeterno Blade is a dream project by the folks at Corecell Technology, who are fans of console-based games like we are. They have about 10 years of experience in the video game industry and were involved in games like Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, Crazy Strike Bowling, and other titles. Aeterno Blade is their first major game. The game is initially in development for the Nintendo 3DS, and is 90% complete for a Japanese release; but the team needs additional funding via Indiegogo for extra polishing, and to release the game to western markets.
According to one of the game’s producers, the gaming market is very small in Thailand. As a consequence, Corecell does not have the appropriate budget to release the game worldwide. Looking at the chart below, we can see that localization is a huge obstacle, making up 70% for their need of money:
Right now, the team has a $30,000 initial goal to cover localization and polishing costs for the 3DS version alone. But with additional funding, the team plans to port Aeterno Blade over to other platforms and add some additional content.
Meeting the $35,000 goal will give us an extra DLC costume for Freyja. Reaching $60,000 will warrant a PlayStation Vita release, $150,000 will grant a PS3 and PC release in HD, and $200,000 will allow for a Wii U release, also in HD.
So if you’re a fan of side-scrollers, beat-em-ups, and games like Castlevania, Braid, or Prince of Persia, and you want to see this game reach multiple platforms, try chipping in for the guys at Corecell to see their project become a reality around the world, and in a platform near you. You can click on the link here to get started.
