An ancient Kristal fell from the sky and struck the planet of Ailur. The fall shattered it into six shards, each possessing its own unique magic specialty. The six feline-like Anagativa gravitated to the Sacred Kristal that spoke to them the loudest. Thus, the six clans of Ailur were formed. Only a few Anagativa possess the rare gift of Kristala: the ability to communicate with the Sacred Kristals.
Sharpen your claws. You are destined to uncover the truth behind a spreading curse. Are you ready to become the Raksaka Warrior?
A Feral Soulslike Fantasy Forged in Shadows
First of all, let’s take a look at the immersive world behind the Kristala. Developed in the Unreal Engine 5, the game blends dark fantasy, punishing combat, and feline agility into one stunning ARPG. And the mastermind behind the project? Astral Clocktower Studios – a Northeast US-based women-led indie game development studio. Founded in 2018 by Alexis Brutman, Tiffany Gomez, and Sarah Schaffstall, but has since grown into a rich and culturally diverse family of 30+ creators. The studio focuses on crafting immersive, story-driven fantasy games that speak to players on a deeply personal level. As a matter of fact, Kristala is their debut title.
Coupled with AdLibPiano, whose beautifully dark and whimsical tracks created the tone world of Ailur, Kristala has an original soundtrack. Another important mention goes to several prominent metal vocalists whose vocal work brought to life enemies, bosses, NPCs, and characters.
We hope to share our unique voice and fresh perspective with the gaming industry and strive to inspire gamers from all walks of life.
Astral clocktower studios
Journey to Become the Raksaka Warrior
As previously mentioned, an ancient Kristal fell from the sky and struck the planet of Ailur. The drop has shattered it into six shards – each possessing its own unique magic speciality. All of a sudden, a few Anagativa possess the rare gift of Kristala: the ability to communicate with the Sacred Kristals. From six Kristal’s shards, the six clans of Ailur were formed, each mastering unique type of magic. Henceforth, your journey begins as a fledgling feral warrior from three of six clans: Nisarga (nature magic), Myrtuna (spirit magic) or Tandara (ice magic). This choice determines the type of ancient magic you are going to level.
Furthermore, you are one of the Anagativa who possess the gift of Kristala! As one blessed with the gift, you must embark on a perilous quest to become a Raksaka Warrior – a powerful protector of your species. Your mission is to master all six clans’ ancient magic by defeating the six powerful Shard Guardians that stand watch over the Kristals. At the same time, you battle to complete your Proving. Then again, you must simultaneously uncover who (or what) has cursed the creatures of Ailur and mutated them into monstrous, murderous beasts bent on destruction.
To conclude, once you’ve successfully completed your Raksaka Proving, defeated not only all enemies, but also uncovered who’s responsible for the curse, you will have won Kristala.
Kristala Gameplay: Combat & Customization
To begin with, in the Early Access there are six different classes. You can browse between Assassin, Battlemage, Knight, Shaman, Spellblade and Warrior. The choice you make determines your starting stat loadout, weapon type, and armor set. Yes, you can customise your character! As a matter of fact it goes to details such as Character Creation, Stat Leveling, Magic Leveling, and an innovative Feline Skill leveling tree.
Combat in Kristala is both strategic and fast-paced, inspired by Sekiro and Dark Souls. In like fashion, players chain light and heavy attacks, time parries, and deflect blows with perfect precision. Mana regenerates through melee engagements, rewarding aggressive play and fluid movement. Whether you are into wall jumps, leaps or acrobatics – Kristala takes it to another level. It’s parkour system uses feline agility to full effect to create a sense of constant motion. Each new ability opens new paths, encouraging exploration and experimentation. You can expect 4-12 hours of gameplay pro chapter, with story-rich quests, side missions, and fresh challenges.
We have one more important thing to point out! Kristala is translated to 8 languages. You get to choose between English, Spanish, German, French, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, Japanese and Chinese. In a word: MEOW, right?!
Kristala Early Access is Availible MEOW!
Kristala released in Early Access on Steam in June 2024 and will be continue to be released via individual Chapters, with Chapter I & II currently available on Steam. Your Day-1 purchase unlocks access to all 7 Chapters at a discounted, one-time price. Moreover, the full release is planned for PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
To find out more about Kristala you can check out:
In other words, this dark fantasy has claws – and they are ready to strike!
