Target Acquired: Valfaris

In 2016, a beautiful and atmospheric game called Slain was released, and it basically looked like a heavy metal album cover come to life in glorious 2D. Unfortunately, the game had loads of problems at release, not the least of which were a poorly-implemented combo system, cumbersome controls, bad writing, and simply awful sound design... some of which was addressed in the retitled re-release called Slain: Back from Hell. So, if you've heard bad things about the developer, this is why. Developer Steel Mantis (game tweets) has a new and similarly-gorgeous actioner entitled Valfaris, which promises to be "a heavy metal space saga". The game features melee- and projectile-based combat as the player ventures through dark gothic environments fighting detailed - and often grotesque - biological and mechanical enemies and bosses, leaving behind sprays of blood, gobs of goo, and piles of bodies in his wake. Environments are dark and gritty and filled with moving elements and enemy creatures, and the game is accompanied by a heavy metal soundtrack.

The game is now available on PC via Steam, GOG, and Humble Store, and Switch via eShop, and is coming to PS4 on November 5 and Xbox One on November 8.