Lots of love for 8-bit! The pixel art ACT “Gabriel’s Shadow Lords of Exile”

PixelHeart and PID Games released the 8-bit action game Lords of Exile on February 15th .

This work is an 8-bit style 2D side-scrolling action game developed by Squidbit Works, an indie studio whose homepage proclaims “Retro is our passion!”

In this article, we will deliver a play report of the same work, which is a must-see for fans of retro games and pixel art. Please note that the button descriptions in the article are based on Xbox controllers.

Lots of love for 8-bit!

When you start the game, the opening demo will start with some cool sounds. The main character, Gabriel, was raised by a Western aristocratic family and learned swordsmanship and chivalry. After learning from a certain experience that “the weak suffer at the hands of the strong,” Gabriel vows never to submit to anyone again and becomes a bloodthirsty executioner.

However, a person named Gallagher, who was afraid of Gabriel’s ferocity, killed his fiancée as a warning. Feeling hatred towards him, Gabriel decides to take revenge on Gallagher and bring the darkness to its knees.

The controls are simple, with only two types to use: the A button to jump and the X button to attack. The jumping behavior is a little heavy, but the attacks are large, so you can defeat enemies comfortably. Not only that, you can also perform stylish actions such as sliding while holding down and pressing A, or doing a downward thrust by holding down and pressing X while in the air.

Basically, the only weapon is a sword, but special weapons can also be equipped. Although the number is limited, there are knives that fly in a straight line, sickles that draw a parabola, and high-power bombs. It’s not just a slightly stronger weapon… there are many situations where it’s useful. It’s exhilarating to defeat enemies attacking from a distance with a sickle, or instantly kill a mid-boss class boss with a powerful bomb.

When it comes to action games, it’s definitely the boss battles. This game also features many bosses with an impressive Japanese atmosphere, from bosses that look like courtesans, to bosses that look like samurai, to bosses that look like spiders with Noh masks. Each one releases a different attack, so what kind of attack will be waiting for you? It makes me excited.

The boss battles are quite challenging, and it’s quite difficult to get through them on your first try. However, this game has no concept of remaining lives, so the good thing is that you can play the game over and over again.

Defeating bosses will unlock new skills and expand Gabriel’s actions. Additionally, by filling up the purple “curse gauge” you can carry a spirit with you, allowing you to perform actions such as destroying blocks that cannot be broken with normal attacks.

What is impressive about this work is its pixel art. The key point is the coloring, which is detailed and beautiful, and uses plenty of rich effects such as multiple scrolling and afterimages, while still maintaining the “Famicom-like” feel. If you just look at the character graphics, you’ll get the impression that it’s similar to Castlevania, but there are a variety of locations that appear, from Western-style castles to eerie cursed mountains.

Some of the songs on the soundtrack were provided by Yuzo Koshiro, a famous composer known for many masterpieces including “Ys”. There are also composers who have worked on indie games, such as Mr. Pentadrangle and Mr. Dominic Ninmark, and all of them have good songs that will get you excited.

Gabriel’s Shadow Lords of Exile is a game with a love for 8-bit, but with modern, easy-to-play gameplay. The quality of the work is such that you will be convinced by the developer’s message, “Retro is our passion!”

Even after clearing the game, there are elements that allow you to challenge speedruns and boss rushes, so those who like a retro feel, those who like 2D action, and those who have an eye for pixel art will definitely be satisfied with this work. It should be there.