Metroidvania Marko: Beyond Brave describes itself as "Slavic Silksong", and is out now
Maaaaarko
As I’m sure as is the curse of anyone who’s watched the entirety of Peep Show multiple times, I cannot read the name ‘Marko’ without hearing it in a nasally Australian accent, inquiring about cocaine. This is probably a disservice to the hero of colourful metroidvania Marko: Beyond Brave, who a quick goog tells me may be based on Krali Marko - a popular character in the folklore of Studio Mechka’s native Bulgaria. Folk hero or not, Marko certainly has some heroic facial hair: his moustache floweth so bountifully that it can’t be contained in his character portrait. Extremely powerful of him.
“Entropy has escaped its prison and threatens to engulf the world. Step into the shoes of Marko, a young warrior who uncovers a secret power hidden within,” reads the Steam page. “Brave the ancient evils, battle mythical creatures and forge powerful alliances to restore the balance. With elemental powers at your command and every decision shaping the world's fate, embark on a thrilling adventure where courage is your greatest weapon.” I particularly enjoy this last point, given that Marko’s greatest weapon is clearly a comically large sword.
Massive sword aside, here are some more features:
Traditional 2D art: The land of Zagora is brought to life in great detail, drawn, and animated entirely by hand.
Challenging, but fair gameplay: Tight, responsive controls. Jump, fight, and dash your way across challenges. Battle mighty foes and slay ancient evils.
Explore the vast land of Zagora: a huge non-linear map with hundreds of rooms. Solve puzzles and find hidden treasures, all within the Slavic-inspired fairytale setting.
Encounter mysterious characters: A cast of cute and creepy friends and foes, all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
Master New Abilities: Discover new skills, allowing you to go toe to toe with the most brutal of enemies.
Discover all secrets: Delve deep into the world and discover hidden areas and unspeakable treasures. Collect all the pieces and puzzle together an ancient mystery.
I’m definitely drawn in by the art in this one, and the Hollow Knight meets Nine Sols hoppy-slashy certainly doesn’t hurt - specifically, the press release calls it a "Slavic Silksong". A few of the currently slim number of Steam reviews are reporting technical issues, however - so might be worth holding out until they’re sorted.