Nocturnal

Nocturnal is an action platformer developed by the independent studio Sunnyside Games. The team is responsible for games such as The Firm and Towaga: Among Shadows. The game was published by Dear Villagers.

Plot

Nocturnal takes place in a fantasy world - specifically, on the island of Nahran. This is the birthplace of Ardeshir, a soldier of the Enduring Flame, to which he returns after a long and arduous journey. Upon arrival, the protagonist finds the land shrouded in thick mist, which can only be dispelled with the flame. Taking up arms, Ardeshir heads out to find out what happened to his brothers and to free Nahran from the mysterious phenomenon.

Mechanics

Nocturnal is a side-scroller. The player traverses Nahran, jumps onto platforms, avoids traps and discovers secrets hidden by the mist, facing the enemies dwelling within it. The mist is extremely dangerous, obscuring the way forward and being impossible to breathe in. Breaking through the mist requires fire; the flame can dispose of it, burn the surrounding and activate the machines encountered along the way.

As for the enemies - combat is dynamic, forcing the player to remain in constant motion, observe the enemies' movements and strike once their guard is down. In addition to regular enemies, which we can dispatch with our sword, we'll also encounter creatures immune to steel, which can only be killed with fire.

Defeated enemies drop ashes, which we can offer to Phoenix statues; this unlocks new skills and upgrades, letting us face greater challenges.

Technical aspects

The visuals of Nocturnal have been made with the use of a cartoonish, though rather gloomy artstyle.