Never has a robot — a fish-controlled robot, much less — so quickly warmed the heart with so brief of an introduction. Meet Attu, the hero of Czech Republic-based studio Attu Games‘s recently-released Feudal Alloy. Feudal Alloy launched on January 17 and swiftly wormed its way into many featured lists with its unique, handmade spin on the metroidvania genre. Set in a medieval timeline populated by robots that can safely be described as having fish for brains, Feudal Alloy has players exploring an unfriendly world, smashing dangerous ne’er-do-well robots, and seeking out valuables stolen from an already struggling town.
Attu, a sunflower farmer, spends his days treating aging robots with the oil from his sunflower harvest. When bandits make off with the town’s valuables and Attu’s important geezer-greasing oil, Attu has a decision to make: stay behind and perish, or give chase and possibly perish anyway. Since rarely does a story begin with a coward unwilling to venture into the unknown, Attu decides upon the inevitable — take back the goods, or die trying.
Feudal Alloy features metroidvania exploration elements and a simplistic combat system with upgrade capabilities and experience gains. The mild platforming is clean and crisp, and your map helps you to keep track of where you’ve been and where you’ve yet to go. Hidden rooms proffer rich rewards, and dastardly enemies are varied and explode into satisfying piles of parts when conquered. Cute, clever, and artfully minimalist, Feudal Alloy is a tasty wintertime treat that cleanses the palette and leaves one wondering what the studio will be up to next. Available now on PC and Switch.
Game Pilgrim 