ASTRA: Knights of Veda Preview – Art meets melee in this beautiful 2D hack and slash adventure

thesixthaxis.com:

Things are not going well in the kingdom of Planis. Once a thriving, bustling place, it’s now teetering on the edge of destruction as a lethal plague devastates its populace and its mad king Magnus watches the destruction unfold. You’re chosen by the goddess Veda to save this world, and alongside the other Knights of Veda you must set things right, battling against the forces of evil in order to restore Planis and set its people free.

We have to talk about the visuals when discussing Astra: Knights of Veda. This is a beautiful 2D RPG, and one that brings to mind the decade old Dragon’s Crown with its bold, hand-painted style and hack and slash gameplay. It feels as though you’re watching paintings come to life, and that extends from the central characters up to the bosses that you’ll face. During our hands-on at this year’s Gamescom, I asked developer FLINT how they created such impressive visuals: “the best artists of Seoul in Korea came together, that’s why the artwork is so brilliant,” they replied.

We were able to experience the opening of the story mode, with animated cutscenes setting the tale in motion. These look fantastic, mixing artwork and motion in an evocative way. You’re sailing into battle, setting landfall with the army host.

You’re dropped straight into the midst of this brutal battle, with the defenders decimating your attacking forces. Still, you’re able to make your way to the castle walls and climb the battlements, even when many of your fellow soldiers are cowering behind the walls. You’re then put straight to work, and here the feeling of Dragon’s Crown becomes even stronger, with hack and slash action the order of the day. Alongside your standard attack you have a series of skills which are on