Ever since some bright spark thought that fusing the names 'Metroid' and 'Castlevania' was a good idea, we've seen countless 'Metroidvania' titles appear, some of which have become genuine mainstream smash hits, like Hollow Knight.
If you're a fan of genres getting smashed together, then you might want to check out Pascal Belisle's latest game via Broke Studio's Homebrew Factory line of physical releases.
"The Trial of Kharzoid is an arkanoidvania," reads the game's official description. "It combines classic brick-breaking games like Arkanoid with Castlevania's classic elements like exploration, defeating huge bosses and eating chicken you find in walls! The goal is to navigate through the deadly levels and go back to Kharzoid's tower to defeat this son of a witch. You will learn more about the lore by talking to NPCs."
Here's the storyline:
"When Kharzoid seized control of Xyleria, he turned the realm into his twisted playground. To satiate his cruel whims, he devised a diabolical Trial. Each month, he would take a prisoner, cast his soul into a magical skull, and send it in a labyrinth brimming with deadly traps and grotesque monstrosities. Nobody ever won the Trial. The victims suffered eternal torment, with Kharzoid feasting on their despair to fuel his dark dominion.
Returning from a perilous journey across realms, our hero finds his homeland ravaged and devastated. Vowing to end Kharzoid’s reign, he embraces the grim challenge of the Trial, determined to survive, overcome the labyrinth, and shatter the necromancer’s iron grip once and for all."
The game was crowdfunded on Kickstarter earlier this year.