Having made a pact with the Titan of Death, Epimetheus, the characters are granted the power to grow stronger each time they die and must surmount the mysterious Tower of Serpents in search of answers. Players can switch between the three heroes and must utilize their unique skills to take down monsters, solve puzzles, find artifacts, and progress through the game, all while uncovering the intriguing backstory behind the Titan, the tower and the heroes.

As the first foray into the Astalon universe, Tears of the Earth is the long-awaited new title by Matt Kap (Castle in the Darkness) and Jon Lepage at LABS Works, featuring character design by famed manga artist, Ryusuke Mita (Dragon Half).

In Astalon: Tears of the Earth, switching characters and utilizing their special abilities is key to progressing in the game. Players will have to decide which character works the best for each predicament, whether it be a puzzle, platforming situation, swarm of enemies or boss.

• Arias, the Fighter: Arias is a quick, short-range character who slashes with his sword. He starts the game with greater defense than his allies, and can use his sword to cut through vein doors in the tower. He is a young fighter who is willing to jump head-first into anything that stands in his way. As the son of the warrior named Silas, the wielder of the powerful Crystal Sword, he tries his hardest to live up to his father’s legacy.
• Algus, the Wizard: Algus is a wizard who can use his magic to shoot magic bolts through walls and activate magic switches strewn about the tower. He made a pact with Epimetheus, the Titan of Death, to receive the power of reincarnation. He can use Epimetheus’ power to return again after dying, much to Epimetheus’ growing annoyance. What other powers does he possess?
• Kyuli, the Rogue: Kyuli fights using a long-range bow, and her light weight allows her to jump off of walls to reach greater heights. She is a childhood friend of Arias, who once depended on tricks and thievery to survive. She was taken in by Arias' village as a young orphan, and over time, has changed her outlook and ways.

Astalon rewards players in defeat by allowing them to exchange collected orbs for various skills and upgrades when they reincarnate. Players can power up each of the heroes’ defense and attack stats, or they can purchase a relic that grants the power to gather fallen orbs, reveals secret locations, prolongs invincibility, and more. Players can play at their own pace by exploring thoroughly and bolstering their characters’ strengths, or use risky methods to slice their way up the tower furiously.

In addition to power-up pacts with Epimetheus, players must explore and collect a variety of artifacts to progress through the game, such as the “Griffon Claw,” that will bestow their characters with new abilities to explore further into the tower. Players can use campfires to save progress, change characters and discover details about the heroes’ pasts. Astalon features hundreds of rooms to discover, hours of challenging exploration with a plethora of unlockables and secrets to reward the most inquisitive players.

Astalon: Tears of the Earth takes a lot of inspiration from specific 80s and 90s games, reminiscent of the days when you might have exchanged tips and secrets with your friends in the hallway at school, yet contains modern elements to please players of today.

“Despite looking like a normal fantasy setting, it’s actually a deep, post-apocalyptic world, with a lot of inspiration taken from things like Mad Max and Fist of the North Star. There are also things loosely-based on Greek Mythological gods and creatures, something that has interested me since childhood,” says lead developer Matt Kap.

“I play in two touring bands: Mute (melodic punk rock) and Zapovid (Ukrainian party rock), so composing the music forAstalonwas something very important to me. Although the in-game music is done in an 8-bit style, the arrangements were always planned out as fully orchestrated or rock pieces. We will be releasing an arranged album featuring a selection of music from the game, but done in higher-fidelity. It feels good to be able to release something musical while my bands’ touring is put on pause because of the pandemic.”

Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch and Xbox One are live. In addition, two music albums are planned for release: the original soundtrack and a special rock arranged album.

Astalon: Tears of the Earth arrives on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One and PC (Steam) on June 3, 2021.