Furthermore, the game features a shopkeeper named Lapis who exists in a liminal space between life and death. Using the currency collected during runs (Orbs and Heart Diamonds), players can purchase permanent upgrades: increased health, higher defense, more MP, or reduced item costs.
: A roguish archer capable of striking from a distance and scaling walls.
In an indie landscape saturated with pixel-art Metroidvanias, Astalon: Tears of the Earth could have been easily dismissed as another retro homage. Instead, developer LABS Works—the team behind the cult hit Cathedral —has delivered a masterclass in subverting expectations. It looks like a forgotten 8-bit NES cartridge, but it plays like a modern roguelite that respects your time and cunning.