Kingdom Hearts sickos (me included) are currently experiencing the worst news draught in series history as we haven't really gotten an update about Kingdom Hearts 4 for over 1,000 days. So let me introduce you to Duskfade, an old-school-style 3D action platformer that's overtly influenced by Kingdom Hearts, plus some other PS2-era hits.
Duskfade first caught my eye with a social media post from developer Weird Beluga, who posted a clip of their indie game and "three of our inspirations behind it." Those three inspirations included Jak and Daxter, the original Ratchet and Clank, and of course, Kingdom Hearts.
Finding bits from those games in Duskfade's DNA isn't all too hard either. For one, the protagonist wields a (sort-of Keyblade) giant, almost goofy weapon with a blocky handle. He also fights (sort-of Heartless) shadowy monsters threatening to engulf the world in darkness. Now where have I heard that before.
But Duskfade does more than just riff on those classics. It looks like to be taking the platforming side of its 'action platformer' tag more seriously since - as much as I love them - Kingdom Hearts and Ratchet and Clank have put less of an emphasis on challenging traversal as the years have ticked by. Plus, I'm always happy to see a grappling hook in anything.
"Shatter the shackles of time as you jump, swing, and slash through a fantastic world in this love letter to classic 3D action platformers," the game's Steam blurb says. "Zirian, accompanied by his mechanical Cuckoo, must save his sister from a mysterious Clock Tower that has plunged the land into eternal night."
Duskfade is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S sometime in 2026.
