Cresata preview: a side-scroller in the PlayStation 1 style
Amid an endless assault of open-world behemoths, a simple side-scroller is a real treat. Cresata aims to be exactly that: a 90s-style action platformer. I got to try it out at Gamescom, and I’m a fan already.
Sometimes I don’t want a 100-hour open-world odyssey, but a game where I walk from point A to point B, beat up some enemies and I’m done. Cresata promises exactly that. The action platformer draws visual inspiration from the PlayStation 1, deliberately featuring a level-based design rather than an open world. Why? Simple: Rocket Panda Games CEO Mikey McNamara, who shows me the game, doesn’t have time for long-winded adventures. I feel the same way.
Phaedon is driven by revenge
You play Phaedon of Arsica. His former allies have betrayed him, and now he seeks vengeance. His target: the Reclaimers, led by the power-hungry Leo Vennghast. He doesn’t have much time, however. The Reclaimers are on their way to the mysterious island of New Arsica to seize a supernatural source of power.
During the demo, I still had to read text. However, McNamara promises an English dub – featuring some big-name voice actors at that. Aleks Le, who voiced characters such as Zenitsu in Demon Slayer and Jin-woo in Solo Leveling, will be starring as Phaedon, for example. Ben Starr will play his adversary, Leo Vennghast. Starr is known for his work on Final Fantasy XVI and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Source: Rocket Panda Games
So far, the story doesn’t sound very original. But I’ve only played the first three short levels up to the first boss in Cresata. I got to see more of the gameplay – and it’s impressive.
Smooth combat
Using my Crescent Claw – a chain attached to Phaedon’s hand – I strike out in all directions, even in midair. At the same time, I attack from a distance with my secondary weapon. Niftier tools will be added in the future. Naturally, I can defend myself too. I use precise timing to fling projectiles back at my enemies.
Source: Rocket Panda Games
The game distinguishes between basic and strong attacks, and I have to charge up the latter by using the former first. If an enemy is reeling, I unleash a brutal finisher. Those really get my blood pumping. Early on in the demo, I still face relatively easy opponents. But they grow stronger quickly, and by the time I face the boss – the Reclaimer Storm Knight – I have to really give it my all.
Platforming requires a light touch
The platforming is also fun and requires a fair amount of precision on my part. In addition to the usual running, jumping and sliding, my Crescent Claw also doubles as a grappling hook. I use it to cling to yellow hooks and swing across wide chasms. In doing so, I can control my swing to more precisely pick my takeoff angle. Violet hooks, in contrast, catapult me right back in the direction I came from. And if I ever fall into the abyss, there are generously spaced respawn points available.
Source: Rocket Panda Games
The moveset is simple, as McNamara points out as well. He describes the system as easy to learn but hard to master. When he finally shows me Ghost Racing mode – where you have to finish levels faster than other players – I realise what he means. Even though I felt like I had the game pretty much in hand after my half-hour session, McNamara completely outplays me. When someone truly knows Cresata, the game looks even cooler.
McNamara compares Cresata to challenging side-scrollers like Celeste or 10 Second Ninja X. Yet he emphasises that, despite its visuals, Cresata isn’t a Metroidvania in the style of Castlevania. Instead, the game remains linear: from location to location, enemy after enemy, with challenging boss battles in between.
That PlayStation 1 style
Speaking of design, the art style is something special: Cresata uses 2.5D. Characters and objects are made up of sprites, while backgrounds are rendered in subtle low-poly 3D. It all draws my gaze exactly where it should: to what’s happening in the foreground. The surroundings still craft a nice atmosphere.
I also especially enjoy whenever Phaedon rounds a corner. The entire screen rotates, and I really begin to appreciate the three-dimensionality of the background. During moments like these, the game quite literally takes on unexpected depth.
Source: Rocket Panda Games
I couldn’t really hear much of the soundtrack or the sound effects in my small booth at the bustling Gamescom convention. But what I did hear really captures the atmosphere of the Arsican Depths, the underground realm of Valeos, where Cresata takes place.
Short but sweet
For about half an hour, I rush through a tower. A boss battle awaits me at the end. That’s enough to get a good feel for the core mechanics. All in all, Cresata should only take about six hours to complete – which, for me, is almost a breath of fresh air in this era of open-world behemoths. A Kickstarter page is already online; they’ll definitely get my money.
Cresata will be released in 2027 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
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