If you’re looking for your next action-adventure outing, you might want to keep an eye on Phoenotopia: Awakening — Cape Cosmic’s gorgeous 2D game which arrives for Xbox players later this month on August 25th as a reboot of the original Flash game. We reached out to Cape Cosmic founder Quang Tran for more information on Gail, gameplay, and the Great War. Read on to find out what we learned about the beautiful Phoenotopia: Awakening… What is Phoenotopia: Awakening?Phoenotopia is a beautiful indie action-adventure from Cape Cosmic, and a reboot of the 2014 Flash game.When does Phoenotopia: Awakening launch?Phoenotopia: Awakening is already out on Steam, where it met with very positive reviews, and is set to arrive for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on August 25th. What’s it about?We play as Gail, who sets out to solve the mysterious disappearance of all the adults from her village. “I like stories that evolve and twist, so the abduction of all the adults in her village starts the main character’s journey,” explains Tran. “But that’s just how it starts. Where it goes will hopefully be a pleasant surprise to the player.” Gail’s world is set after the Great War, which raged until the creation of a supremely powerful weapon known as the Phoenix. “The Great War was definitely inspired by World War I and II,” says Tran. “That was a time when humans were actively researching and improving ways to kill each other. Phoenotopia plays with that idea, but instead of people developing better and stronger guns, people were developing better and stronger monsters. Then, instead of one side winning the war in the World War, Phoenotopia asks the question – what if the world just got destroyed?” The Great War caused such destruction that humanity had to retreat underground until the planet recovered. “Then jump forward half a millennia, and that’s where Phoenotopia takes place,” Tran concludes. “The monsters from that great war went on to create their own civilizations. Some die out and that’s what resulted in a lot of the temples and ruins that you see.” Gail’s story takes place here, long after the planet has healed from the devastation of the Great War, with the player “unravelling the mystery behind the secretive Phoenix.”What’s the Phoenotopia: Awakening gameplay like?Don’t be fooled by the game’s “cutesy” graphics, Tran warns. “As for combat, expect a challenge… it’s actually really tough. I did aim for an element of Dark Souls when I created it, so there’s even real-time healing. However,” he adds, “we did hear feedback that the game could stand to be easier, so we’ve introduced a bunch of accessibility options as well. Don’t hesitate to use them!”Combat and exploration are a major part of the gameplay. Phoenotopia: Awakening boasts over 50 enemy types and 12 boss battles. Over on Steam, the devs estimate the main campaign to take around 30 hours, or 50 for completionists. Either way, you’ll have a chunky amount of content to sink your teeth into when Phoenotopia: Awakening arrives later in the month. Phoenotopia: Awakening takes inspiration from Cave Story, and the Zelda games as well. “Zelda isn’t something you think of when you think of Xbox. So perhaps there’s a bit of an audience mismatch here, so I’m excited to see how Xbox players will receive the game,” Tran adds.What’s the world like?The gorgeous pixel world of Phoenotopia: Awakening ties the medieval together with sci-fi elements for a game that feels full of exploration potential. “That was one of our goals – a hybrid genre of fantasy and sci-fi,” Tran explains. “When it comes to exploration, look forward to variety! There’ll be forests, dark dungeons, desert ruins, sun-lit temples, misty ravines, futuristic locales, and more,” says Tran. “If you find satisfaction in discovering new places and secrets, and solving puzzles, you’re in for a treat!” Any news on Phoenotopia: Awakening achievements? Yep, we’ve got them — the full list of Phoenotopia: Awakening achievements. Each one is tied to getting a certain badge, and Tran says this is because Phoenotopia: Awakening first launched on Nintendo Switch. “Since the Switch doesn’t have an achievement system, and this was our first commercial game, we ended up with a somewhat odd implementation,” Tran explains. “Now that I’m more experienced, I’d probably follow the more standard practice next time.” One important thing to note is the icon for each achievement. “We wanted our achievements to feel a little unique,” says Tran. “So rather than reward the player with a sword icon or trophy for defeating a bunch of enemies, we rewarded the player with the picture of an NPC who was badass. So in that way, our achievements could tell a little story, and the player could feel they were discovering the world of Phoenotopia a little more. We took it a little further as well,” adds Tran. “After the player beats the game, each achievement is tied to an art gallery unlock!”What do you think? Will you be picking up Phoenotopia: Awakening later this month? Let us know in the comments!
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