Pronty: Fishy Adventure is a brand new metroidvania in the vein of Hollow Knight (read more here and here), except everything is underwater and Bioshock vibes loom over every corner of the map. You play as Pronty, essentially a miniature version of the fish man from the Shape of Water. Alongside Pronty is Bront, a mechanical swordfish who doubles as your in-game weapon.
This is a single-player game that has you controlling two characters simultaneously. Pronty is also able to equip ability-enhancing powers, being a biomechanical creature themselves. You start out with three slots, and slowly expand both your inventory and slots. Upgrades are found scattered throughout the game world, and can fit a variety of playstyles.
I personally went for the Kung Fu Dolphin — a two-slot ability that allowed me to flit around tight corners and increase the range of my dash. Metallic Outburst was my other top choice, a companion shark with knives for fins that decimated everything in my dash path. Bronty was soon fitted with a head-bashing upgrade which allowed them to destroy Brick Lairs, which are home to Brick Clowns. It is exactly what you think it is — Nemo and Lego fused into a single creature living inside a bigger Lego.
Pronty: Fishy Adventure allows players to play with both mouse and keyboard as well as controller, and I absolutely enjoyed maneuvering through the post-apocalyptic world of Royla in my quest to save the decimated city. Developer 18LIGHT GAME has filled this world with plenty of secrets and a secret ending — one which is not for the faint of heart.
As Pronty and Bront traverse deeper into the shell of Royla, they come across 007 ETA, a rather boisterous cleaning robot whose codename is the only thing they share with their famous spy namesake. They also meet M.I.N.A, an AI tasked with defending Royla, and the one who sets them off to eliminate the threats still ensconced within the city’s walls.
The story’s tone also takes a much darker tone the deeper the pair travel. Amongst the ruins are documents and videos, revealing both history of Royla and its downfall. Without giving too much away, Pronty: Fishy Adventure had me sobbing as much as the tender moments in the Shape of Water.
I would absolutely dive into Pronty: Fishy Adventure as many times as I can, for my love of the sea cannot be tamed. It is a game that breaches the boundaries of what can be called art.
Grab Pronty: Fishy Adventure on Steam and find out more about the game and devs on their Twitter.