We've been keeping an eye on much-anticipated pixel art Metroidvania game ANIMAL WELL by developer Billy Basso, recently recognizing the community's excitement with a nomination in our Thinky Awards. After 7 years in development, the team behind ANIMAL WELL have released a new trailer marking May 9th 2024 as the day to begin exploring this dark, dense world and uncover its secrets as a tiny, unassuming blob. Check out the surreal world that ANIMAL WELL has to offer to explorers brave enough to venture into its depths:
In the ANIMAL WELL trailer, your character is seen hatching from a flower, and making its way into the well — the animals' well. Bounce projectiles to reach new neights, scurry into tight spots to avoid being eaten, and soak in the atmosphere of this mysterious otherwordly landscape that seems to take clear inspiration from the aesthetic and mood of Hollow Knight.
Also, there are capybaras.
On the game's Steam page, players are told that they can collect items to manipulate the environment in "surprising and systemic" ways. Two such items can be seen in the trailer — a yo-yo that doubles as a kind of "fishing rod", and the bubble wand for creating platforms to access places you could not go before. With its combination of non-linear exploration and learning how to interact with the strange inhabitants of the well, it seems like a fascinating mix of FEZ and Toki Tori 2+ with some more classical Metroidvania elements thrown in.
Dive into ANIMAL WELL on May 9th on Steam, as well as Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4/5. Don't forget to wishlist the game on Steam, or head over to the official website for more info.
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