Airoheart is a new Zelda-inspired indie out today that's giving fans of A Link to the Past some serious déjà vu.
Look, I love pretty much all games like Zelda; I played one starring a brave Concord grape last year and absolutely loved it. World of Anterra looks like SNES Skyrim and it's been getting a ton of well-deserved attention lately. There's nothing wrong with taking a time-tested and well-loved template and doing your own thing with it.
Now that being said, this Airoheart looks a-freaking-lot like A Link to the Past.
Developer Pixel Heart isn't shy about naming its inspirations. A Link to the Past is mentioned three times in Airoheart's Kickstarter campaign, its core gameplay elements being described as "closely resembling" Link's SNES adventure. The game's trailer even brings in a live-action actor and retro TV to mimic the old 16-bit era commercials of yesteryear. Pixel Heart says its storytelling is inspired by the Final Fantasy series, but it's pretty clear which game served as the primary influence.
That's not to say Zelda fans won't have a good with it! It's clear that the enchanted world of Engard and its titular hero were lovingly crafted, and if the exploration and puzzle-solving elements are a fraction as compelling as a mainline Zelda game, I'm all in. The game made the rounds on Reddit a few months ago and folks mostly seemed to feel the same way. Yes, it looks exactly like A Link to the Past, and yes, I want to play it right now.
Airoheart is out now on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
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