The team behind this Hollow Knight-inspired Metroidvania is absolutely stacked

Upcoming metroidvania Venture to the Vile is the debut release of a new studio stacked with AAA talent and drawing inspiration from some of the best that the genre has to offer.

Venture to the Vile is a story-focused Metroidvania set in a playful but sinister world. In the town of Rainybrook, the arrival of 'the Vile' has thrown the town's residents into disarray and left our protagonist with a mutated arm. On the plus side, however, that mutation offers the ability to absorb the powers of The Vile - powers you'll definitely need to save your town.

The team behind Venture to the Vile boasts some serious gaming pedigree, having worked on series including BioShock, Assassin's Creed, and Grand Theft Auto, but it's also taken inspiration from the likes of Hollow Knight and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. In an interview with GamesRadar+, producer Masao Kobayashi says: "I think what sets us apart from other Metroidvanias is that we incorporated elements from other genres. We took our inspirations for things like quests, persistent worlds, and world narratives, from open world and action-adventure games."

When asked whether the team's previous experience adds to the game's development, creative director Paul Green said: "We are able to take what we have collectively learned in our previous studios, such as how to create a breathing world from GTA, how to create a realized setting from BioShock, or apply production processes we learned from working at Ubisoft. I think our experience is what gave us the skills to make our game, but it was working in an indie environment where we are able to move fast and work freely that has allowed us to make the game what it is."

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As you can see from its trailer, Venture to the Vile has a very distinct look. It almost feels like a 2.5 platformer as players are able to adventure through different layers of the game. There's also a lot of animal themes scattered throughout including hares and deer, something Green tells us was intentional: "Coming from the UK and growing up in old towns, inspiration is lurking in every side alley and crooked doorway. Small towns and big cities have a lot of history and a real feel of folklore. Our game is a love letter to the old stories. We wish to recreate those feelings in our own world."

Another interesting thing about Venture to the Vile is that the town of Rainybrook changes with the weather and the time of day. "These dynamic systems will change the enemies that you see and present new quests that will become available," Green explains, "returning to areas feels fresh and exciting because there are surprises and discoveries that weren’t there before." The Developer adds: "Different characters will appear and give quests, encounters with new monsters will allow for harvesting new resources for upgrades, all depending on the time and weather."

Venture to the Vile is set to release next year on PC and consoles. Until then, we suggest wishlisting the game on Steam, and following the developer on Twitter to stay up to date with the game's progress. 

To find out what other hidden gems are on the way, take a look at our upcoming indie games list.