There’s something about a perfectly timed dodge, dash or attack in a 2D platformer, when combined with the right visual effect, that other genres simply can’t manage. Feather’s Edge is build around that entire concept, challenging you to explore small, deadly rooms and attack with careful precision.
Feather’s Edge is, for me, all about the feeling in that one moment in movies when the hero and the villain attack each other simultaneously and we know that the hero has obviously survived, but there’s still a brief hesitation before the villain slumps to their knees. It’s that, in a long-shot, with a flash of black and white lighting as they collide.
If you know what I’m talking about then you already know what to expect: Fast, almost reflex-like action where you carefully time attack-charges against enemies that will otherwise kill you dead. A bonus then that you do it as a fox-like character, with cape, and the levels are tight and compact.
There are, of course, other things to do here, such as throwing kunai to hit your enemies and obscured targets, however, most of what you’ll be doing is bouncing from platform to platform, surging from surface to surface as you land incredibly cool hits on enemies who were foolish enough to line-up perfectly with your abilities.
In many ways it channels the tight platforming of games such as Celeste, while also having you explore in metroidvania fashion, however it largely feels like entirely its own thing thanks to a combination of the visual style, visual effects when you attack and the fantastic audio design. That main sword-dash serves as both a defensive, offensive, traversal and puzzle-solving mechanic, and – even though its not wholly original – it feels original due to how tight, but easy to read and understand, its rooms are. I also can’t underline exactly how much of a genius it makes you feel when you clear a room with zero effort.
I played Feather’s Edge while at MCM Comic Con, and – as you can probably tell – I was absolutely sucked in, only leaving the stand because I’d worked up a little bit of a queue behind me and had just pulled off a few fantastic fights, so thought it was best to leave on a high.
Feather’s Edge is in development for PC, it doesn’t currently have a release window.
