All you need to do is remove the colours in Helix: Descent N Ascent, and I’m putty in your hands. Oh, you mean you’ve already done that, Badass Mongoose? That’s not me referring to the developers in a derogative way; that’s their name, y’all.
We’ve already seen how visually compelling art can help make a game so immersive (Hauntii), and the monochrome artwork here is just as engaging. However, gameplay is key, and this puzzle game is full of secrets and revelations. it also tucks in a story that ‘challenges your intellect’.
Key features in Helix: Descent N Ascent include:
- Venture in search for the truth – Awakening in a world of contrasts, you dive into a cryptic adventure, unearth secrets, investigate the fate of a lost civilization, collect artifacts, and respond to the haunting call that beckons. This is a tale interwoven with threads of melancholy and the undying spirit of the past.
- Unravel the mysteries – Your exploration reveals a world responsive to your unique abilities, allowing you to interact meaningfully with your surroundings. Meticulously observe and experiment to decode the numerous puzzles that stand before you, each one a step closer to uncovering the world’s truths and realizing your destiny.
- Combine your powers – Traverse a melancholic, soul-stirring realm with a unique system empowering you to progressively combine your 5 abilities in 25 distinctive ways, and through multiple layers of complexity. Discover how to use them to solve puzzles and progress with thoughtful and non-violent gameplay. Even though you’re the last remnant of your own kind, you are not alone.
- A deep emotional odyssey – Beyond adventure, Helix invites you to confront your perspectives on identity, solitude and emotions, weaving each mystery and reminiscence of a past existence with personal, cultural, and spiritual threads. Uncover overlooked details in a story worth revisiting.
- An artistic journey – Live a tale not told through words but through an immersive adventure, enriched by a stunning 4K black and white artistic style, 2D living scenery, evocative paintings, and powerful atmospheric music. Influenced by 80’s black and white indie comics and 90’s mangas, as well as the Franco-Belgian comics of the 70’s, the monochrome imagery is also symbolic, representing the duality of light and darkness. This is a story whose artistic style invites you to explore and reflect.
The developers had this to say:
Helix is a story we’ve wanted to tell for a long time, one that offers a rich narrative enveloped in an original art style dear to our hearts. With our game, our purpose is to surprise players with deeper meaning and thoughtful story layers.Cedric De Muelenaere, co-founder of Badass Mongoose
As stated, 2024 is an excellent year for indies, but Helix: Descent N Ascent won’t be out until 2025, so wipe that drool and add it to your wishlist on Steam, or seek it on the Nintendo eShop in due course.
