RIN: The Last Child is a Fairytale Metroidvania that Tells a Story of Creation
Jul. 25, 2023RIN: The Last Child is a Fairytale Metroidvania that Tells a Story of Creation
RIN: The Last Child is a new fairytale Metroidvania that focuses on spellcrafting and creation.
Metroidvania fans definitely have it good recently. They are spoiled for choice and have seen a massive surge in well-made games in the genre. What they have in common is usually great gameplay, mixed in with dazzling visuals and a compelling story. But each tries to do something different (for the most part).
We are all familiar withBlasphemous 2, which releasesthis August– the highly anticipated sequel to the gothic horror Blasphemous. Or evenSilksongwhich will release “when ready”, whenever that is. Other Metroidvanias shine in part because of the massive IP backing them, like Ubisoft’sPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Sometimes we get charming gems like Sophie:Starlight Whispers.
Now, though, we get to take a look at RIN: The Last Child, which releases this September. What’s it all about? Let’s see what fairytales are made of!
RIN: The Last Child has players taking on the role of its titular character, Rin. She is one of the last daughters of the Teller of Tales, who is the Creator of the world.
The Teller aspired to mold a harmonious World that would reflect his very essence. However, his grand endeavors were met with futility, and the once pristine lands began to crumble apart at the seams. In a bid to salvage his Creation, the Teller made a momentous decision—to breathe life into his final offspring, Rin. Bestowing her with the precious gift of free will, capable of reshaping the destiny of these once beautiful lands.
As the player embarks on a new adventure as Rin, the motivations of both the Teller and his Children remain shrouded in mystery. Throughout this odyssey, players will encounter other Children of the Teller, delving into their poignant narratives that unveil forgotten secrets. The art of exploration shall be your guide, unearthing the veiled truths of the past. Embrace Rin’s unbound free will as your steadfast companion, for you shall wield the power to dictate the course of action.
The story follows the myth of creation, of how things came to be. Mankind has not started to take hold of the world, and thus magic and mayhem are quite normal in the world. Developers Space Fox Games claim that the story they’re telling draws inspiration from many sources. The first of which is the story of Cronus, the ancient Titan that birthed the Greek Gods. Much like that mythos, RIN: The Last Child will be a tale of belief leaving the old gods, while new ones rise to power.
As with most Metroidvanias, RIN: The Last Child is a 2D sidescrolling action platformer. What sets the game apart is its very flexible elemental magic system. As Rin is a child of the creator, so has she been blessed with access to magic. As such, she will eventually be able to learn 18 different spells that are divided into three categories: offensive, defensive, and utility.
RIN: The Last Child touts a total of 10 offensive spells. It also looks like Rin will have mostly arcane magic in her repertoire, though with a few elemental goodies tossed in for good measure. Rin will be able to cast classic spells such as Magic Missile, Phantom Blades, Spectral Spears, or Arcane Blast. Defensively, she will get 5 spells such as Frost Aura, Wind Wall, and the blinding Flash of Light. Last is the Utility spells, which can trap enemies or even steal their essence.
Another thing the game will feature is five different Aspects that can be used for spell crafting and enhancement. Lesser and Greater enchanting runes will be one of the aspects: Life, Death, Space, Time, and Matter. Lesser runes grant minor changes to existing spells, such as increasing damage or effect duration. Greater runes, on the other hand, are much more complex and can change a spell’s effects entirely. Some examples are making some spells leech life or fire off more projectiles, among others.
Rin can also equip three spells at a time, but can hot swap between equipment loadouts on the fly, promoting even more diversity. The number of spells, combined with the different aspects, will lead to a hefty 7,776 possible combinations. Talk about magical!
Interested players can pick up a demo for RIN: The Last Child right now on Steam. This version of the game is greatly scaled back, as Rin will only be able to play with 5 of the 18 spells, 4 enhanced versions, and only Aspects of Space and Time for enchantments. The demo also only has 6 enemies and two minibosses.
RIN: The Last Child releases September 21 on PC via Steam. No price has been announced, but you can wishlist the game to get notified when it does finally drop.
In other news, check outRemnant 2 Has “Secrets Within Secrets” That Even 400+ Hours Won’t Reveal Everything, andAtlas Fallen Shows Off Its Fast-Paced Beat-em-up Combat.
Auberon
Writer at Fextralife. I really like vanilla ice cream.
