Resident Evil and Dead Space writer's cyberpunk Metroidvania RPG has already doubled its Kickstarter goal with romance "echoing the depth" of Mass Effect

Altered Alma has already more than doubled its Kickstarter funding goal, and after playing its early demo, I can totally see why.

Altered Alma is a Metroidvania that mixes acrobatic action-platforming with some RPG progression, all wrapped up in a gorgeous cyberpunk art style that has layers of small details hidden in the background just waiting to be soaked up. I could gush about the way it looks some more, but I'll just leave the trailer down below so you can do that yourself.

What makes Altered Alma stand out slightly more than its other, similar contemporaries is that it's also taking inspiration from Mass Effect - specifically Mass Effect 2's - crew management and romance. You're basically in charge of a large space ship with an ever-growing party that you can befriend, and eventually romance if you fancy. Oh, and the story comes from Still Wakes the Deep's Emma Beeby, alongside Dead Space and Resident Evil Village writer Antony Johnston, which should bode well for Altered Alma's dour world.

Altered Alma's Kickstarter has already more than doubled its $40,000 initial funding goal, and has rocketed past multiple stretch goals to add a boss rush mode, a new area, and Hollow Knight singer Amelia Jones as a guest artist - the next stretch goal promises to add a hard mode for when the game comes to PC, Xbox, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch next year.

If you'd like to try the game before pledging anything, then there's a free demo currently up on Steam that takes you through the opening. I thought it was a pretty competent action-platformer, at least until I got the sick Quantum Blade that'll teleport you to anywhere you throw it. It's a super cool tool that adds so much speed to combat and potential for puzzley bits.

 Why not check out the 25 best Metroidvanias while we wait? 

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