image via Rock, Paper, Shotgun
I think it’s high time that we talked about Secret Legend. I know we’re only a little ways off from seeing a trailer (coming tomorrow! more on that later) and currently have but a few butterfly-evoking screens and gifs, but… oh my. Truly. And just when I thought it was safe to hang up my green tunic *wink… to the past…*. But before we make too many Zelda references and comparisons (because, you know, they will be as ubiquitous as the Undertale/Mother connection), let me reassure you that it is a high hope of mine that this little wonder of a game is established as having it’s own iconic presence. But first, let’s back up a bit and recap.
image via Andrew Shouldice
Developer Andrew Shouldice (@dicey for twitter-folk) had begun fashioning Secret Legend originally as a labor of love, building upon a fondness of the various adventure genres, particularly the triangle-seeker type. Quitting his job as a programmer provided the impetus to pour himself lovingly into the development of the game. Secret Legend features some of the best things going in independent games today, in my opinion:
- a clean isometric view
- a color palette that makes me feel warm and agreeable like a scalding ramekin of french onion soup
- sun-bathed low-poly models
- a focus on wilderness exploration
- Did I mention that the player character is a fox? With a tiny sword and shield, no less!
I read a lot of Redwall growing up and I was charmed as hell by the Mouseguard comics, so getting to play Secret Legend is going to take me to a place that feels both cozily familiar and exuberantly ready for adventure. I also have a deep appreciation for the no-fuss HUD that compliments the gameplay and visual style very well.
The environments of the game are really just cleanly inviting, and I think that really matters for a game like this. Obviously, if the world doesn’t seem cohesive and alive, players won’t want to poke it to see what happens! The lighting in Secret Legend makes me want to bask in a meadow. Also, I’ve always had this savory taste for games that provide a vast world to explore, rife with secrets, variable terrain and unimaginable challenges but offer the player a meager/minimalist set of tools. This encourages the player to contend with opposing forces with everything they’ve got and requires creative solutions. That contrast is felt strongly with this particular indie gem. TLDR: When I look at this game, I try to even. But, I can’t.
image via Kill Screen
What brought this game to mind today in particular was something that happened when I checked my email this morning. A few months back, when I first saw Secret Legend, I was directed to the game’s site and prompted to send my email address along for game updates. To my delight, today brought the game’s first email delivering some exciting news! Tomorrow’s (11/7/15) Day of the Devs (hosted by iam8bit and Double Fine – a treat in it’s own right!) in San Francisco will feature an amazingly talented host of game devs, musicians, indie game fans and players of all kinds. It will also feature our beloved Secret Legend and its very first trailer! I look forward to seeing it in action and wish I could make it to the event. Over on my side of the map? No worries! Double Fine has us covered with a twitch stream of the event, starting afternoon-ish, pacific time. So for us east-coasters, that will let you get a late lunch in before we settle into the stream!
Get on Secret Legend, & keep your fox sword sharp!
-Ryan