December 25, 2024, 9:14 am | Read time: 5 minutes

Green 2D-pixel visuals, turn-based battles, talking toasters – okay, up until the toaster, it all sounds like a journey into the past. And, at first glance, “The Edge of Allegoria” is just that. And at second glance? TECHBOOK took a closer look at the indie game at Gamescom.

What is “The Edge of Allegoria” About?

Just one look at the start screen of The Edge of Allegoria makes you nostalgic. The 2D graphics in various shades of green are strongly reminiscent of various Nintendo classics. The description of the game on Steam says: “Turn-based RPG inspired by the classics from the golden age of handheld gaming. But watch out: This is not a f@#%%ing kids game.” And that’s absolutely true.

The title is about exploring the game world of Allegoria. The once peaceful realm is now haunted by a demon that has driven all the guardians to flee. As a hero named Joe, you now embark on a mission to defeat the demon and free Allegoria. In the process, you have to deal with numerous monsters that you have to defeat in turn-based battles. The visuals and mechanics are sometimes very reminiscent of one of the greatest handheld classics of all time: Pokémon (even if the P-word and the comparison were jokingly banned in conversation on site).

However, the target group seems to be primarily the gamers who grew up with the old Nintendo games. They not only appreciate the visuals and sound design but are also old enough to understand the hidden allusions and find the numerous curses and twists funny. Because The Edge of Allegoria is not necessarily a game for children. There is swearing, smoking, and, of course, fighting. Here is the trailer:

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A Sophisticated Combat System

However, the monsters don’t look like Pokémon at all, and instead of using your own pocket monsters, you fight them with numerous weapons that can have a wide variety of effects. The variety of these effects is remarkable. Scaling nerds can certainly spend a lot of time pondering the right strategies in The Edge of Allegoria.

Certain attacks, for example, can cause bleeding damage with a certain percentage probability. This percentage can be increased by using other attacks before casting them. Others are boosted if the opponent takes active bleeding damage, and so on. Such effects are, of course, not uncommon in current titles, but using the old 2D look and adding the appropriate sound design works surprisingly well.

The monsters range from simple crows and harpies to goblins and minotaurs. The items you can collect on your way through Allegoria are also very varied. There are quite normal healing items, but also some that can have unforeseen side effects. You should be careful with mushrooms, for example. The various weapons you find also need to be mastered in order to use their special abilities. All in all, The Edge of Allegoria brings together many classic role-playing game elements.

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Exploration is Worthwhile

However, if you do lose, the protagonist’s faithful dog will save you. Yes, you read that right: You have a dog that can heal. His name is Jude, by the way. You can also meet him in the numerous small towns spread across the map. You can also pet him, for example.

Apart from the dog, you can also interact with many other things in the towns. For example, there are numerous NPCs, some of whom appear to have real-life role models from the developer’s environment. Exploring the houses and talking to everyone is worthwhile, especially as you can also find hidden tasks or suddenly find yourself talking to toasters.

The Edge of Allegoria by CobraTekku Games (publisher) will be released at the end of 2024, initially for PC. However, a console release for the Nintendo Switch is also planned.