Gravity-defying platformer Dandara launches today
Don't let gravity keep you down
Here's one that nearly flew under my radar: Teensy tiny Brazilian studio Long Hat House have been working on Dandara for a few years now. Envisioned as a platformer that can be played equally well on touch-screens and gamepad (although probably not so hot on keyboard), a look at the launch trailer within should be enough to convince most that they've at least created something that looks very striking in motion.
You don't have long to wait to try it yourself, if the video tickles your fancy. The PC version rolled out today, alongside a release on the Nintendo Switch.
The core gimmick of Dandara is simple enough to describe, although likely a lot more demanding to control. You move solely by jumping. Or, rather, launching yourself like a projectile from one marked surface to another, with your personal gravity aligning to whatever floor, ceiling or wall you launched yourself onto. In some cases, the world will rotate around you, while in others, the platforms you crash into will spin and rotate freely.
It's not just hopping from ledge to ledge - there's a fair chunk of combat as well, and the developers claim a metroid-like structure to it all. It all looks pleasantly ninja-ish, and reminds me of Capcom's classic Strider series in the nicest possible way, blending high mobility platforming and creative abuse of gravity . In fact, the strange world shown in the trailer and the occasionally off-kilter colour schemes used remind me of the lesser known Osman, spiritual successor to Capcom's platformer.
Obscure references aside, looking at both Steam and console version reviews for the game, it seems like this may just play as good as it looks. I hope to get my hands on it before long and at least share my initial opinions on it, but in the meantime, it's out now and available on Steam for £13.49, with a 10% discount available near launch.