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While major publishers flee the impact radius of GTA 6 (and Devolver Digital sprints headlong toward it), a few others are tiptoeing around the release of Hollow Knight: Silksong, the long-awaited follow-up to our pick, and many peoples', for the best Metroidvania game of all time.
Silksong is due this year, for real this time, so some devs, especially those preparing similar games, are being cautious. That includes Fallen Tear: The Ascension developer Winter Crew Studios, which is holding out hope that Silksong isn't delayed again and promptly clears its landing zone.
Fallen Tear's new trailer is a one-minute look at the key points of the game – including some of the same points that first grabbed my attention as early as 2023, when the devs half-jokingly said they may have "the Elden Ring of Metroidvania in terms of map size" on their hands. At all times, the game's vibrant, hand-animated aesthetic shines.
I've had this game in my sights, and on my Steam wishlist, for some time, and it continues to look quite good. It's a 2D, lavishly animated action-platformer with a Metroidvania-standard focus on finding hidden paths via new exploration abilities. Shapeshifting hero Hira takes on multiple forms as you progress, and his abilities are also shaped by the companions you meet and the relationships you form, which is where the JRPG blood mentioned on the game's Steam page comes to the fore.
When Winter Crew says JRPG-inspired, it's really talking about Suikoden and Valkyrie Profile. In Fallen Tear, you'll meet seemingly several dozen companions whose character traits directly affect gameplay based on the buffs or actions they provide when added to your active party. You're still playing as Hira, but with backup dancers, basically.
It sounds like a fun mix of mechanics I've historically enjoyed, so I'll keep my eye on it as that Q1 2026 launch approaches. It's targeting PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch.
