Check out those Link's Awakening vibes!
Written by Jason Venter
Published Aug. 16, 2024
The Legend of Zelda has been around for a long time, and it has offered a surprising variety of experiences while remaining true (sometimes more than others) to its core goal of letting players explore vast fantasy worlds. Players tend to gravitate toward particular entries in the series that meant the most to them at one time or another, and for those fans who especially loved The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, there is a new game called Castaway for consoles and PC that harkens back to that bite-sized adventure.
Castaway, which comes from Canari Games and was developed by an apparently talented indie team, promises to let players dive into a pixelated, retro universe. They'll play Martin, who has crash landed on an uncharted island and now is working to recover his abducted pet. Plot-wise, it sounds a bit like both Link's Awakening and another retro classic, Blaster Master.
In the game's “Story Mode,” players must defeat three bosses. This mode is described as “concise,” a warning that you shouldn't expect a sprawling adventure to rival Link's Awakening. But for players who prioritize quality over quantity, there could still be a lot to like.
Once players clear that initial campaign, they'll gain access to “Survivor Mode,” which features a 50-floor tower packed with “increasingly challenging trials.” The idea is probably to offer something nice for beginners before setting them loose in something to truly test their mettle.
Across the campaign, players should look forward to a 2D retro world designed to mimic the art and atmosphere of classic adventures such as Link's Awakening. There were actually a fair few games on platforms in the Game Boy line that sported similar visuals. Castaway also boasts an “enchanting” soundtrack consisting of both heroic and haunting chiptune compositions.
I haven't played Castaway myself, but it looks like exactly the sort of experience I might enjoy. It's available starting today on a variety of platforms for $7.99 USD and equivalent, including Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms. A developer post about Castaway on X/Twitter (which is where I found out the game even exists) offers links to each marketplace, if you're ready to learn more and maybe buy the game yourself.
