The hottest Metroidvania on Steam is a $6 blast from the 3D past

A new indie Metroidvania called Pseudoregalia has quickly topped Steam's new and trending tab on the back of over 900 overwhelmingly positive reviews, and it looks like exactly the 3D Castlevania game we should've gotten back in the N64 days.

Pseudoregalia is a 3D Metroidvania with lo-fi aesthetics where you explore a "perverse image of noble living" called Castle Sansa. While it very much looks like an N64 game, you can rest assured that it features modern conveniences like a 'playable frame rate,' a 'usable control scheme,' and 'no more fog than is necessary to create an aesthetic mood.'

Just take a quick look at the gameplay footage below for an idea of what to expect. The movement looks absolutely sublime, like a precision 2D platformer in the vein of Celeste has been transplanted into a 3D space. Look at those wall runs. That pogo bounce. The wall jumps. I'm not sure I've ever seen a 3D platformer look this immediately fun and fluid to play.

Pseudoregalia hit Steam just a few days ago, and it's already gathered hundreds of positive reviews. As one player says, "The gameplay videos don't do this justice, the movement in this game is stellar." Another says Pseudoregalia is "everything I want in a 3D platformer. There's no fluff, no padding, and no grinding, just straight skill-based 3D platforming."

Originally developed for a game jam, Pseudoregalia has been improved and expanded for its Steam release, but the final game is still just $6 and only a few hours long, which is music to my ears. You can still try out the original game jam version on Itch.io. Either way, this looks like an incredibly well-crafted game laser-targeted at my gaming wheelhouse, and I can't wait to dive into it for myself.

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