Following a decade of cult following and console-exclusive status, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is finally coming to PC.
2011 saw the release of the “biblical-esque” title on both the PS3 and Xbox 360. Despite its wondrous label, the game was mostly overlooked by the gaming community. Boiling down to issues of incoherence in its many moving parts.
However, those who appreciate the game’s artistic direction put it as one of that year’s finest. Subsequently kickstarting a cult following among circles and whose pleas for a port to PC echoed over time.
Request granted
That request is finally heard as game producer Sawaki Takeyasu confirms El Shaddai’s port to the personal computer. Coinciding the announcement of the game’s revival in a new platform is a thanks towards “PC gamers and fans of the game.” Seemingly, the driving force that led to the decision to finally bring the game to a more modern platform.
Although the producer gave word that the port is indeed happening via Steam, the date, however, remains inconclusive. Leaving anticipating fans clinging to the idea that El Shaddai will see a modern remaster “soon.”
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron revolves around the Book of Enoch, featuring a reimagining of Enoch himself as the protagonist. A play from the events told in the book, the game sees the hero valiantly attempts to stop the onset of the Great Flood. A feat that involves dealing against seven angels who fell into inequity by sharing God’s forbidden knowledge with humanity.
Gameplay design
An action game by design, El Shaddai is a high-octane title that mixes between 2D and 3D gameplay elements. When playing in 2D, the game is mostly resemblant to Castlevania with its side-scrolling action. Put in 3D, the game shifts to a third-person gameplay akin to Devil May Cry.
For a game that draws inspiration after an epic book, the game is unsurprisingly plot-driven, although linear. This means that players are likely to be moving from one chapter to the next because of the pull of the game’s storytelling.
It is uncertain why it took so long for the developers of the game to consider bringing the game on PC. Perhaps, the better question is why did they consider it in 2021 at all. With issues that are glaring to the audiences back in 2011, seeing an exact same game 10 years later would only prove more problematic. That is, unless the developers are willing to put in the effort to address El Shaddai’s many concerns, some of which are design by nature.
Image used courtesy of IGN/YouTube Screenshot