PS5's New Indie Game Gives Zelda a Run for Its Money

A newly announced PlayStation 5 game appears to draw inspiration from the crafting mechanics and vivid fantasy art style found in recent entries of the Legend of Zelda series. While much of the hype surrounding the recent PlayStation Showcase livestream has centered on blockbuster announcements like the Symbiote gameplay in Spider-Man 2 or the upcoming remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, there were also several smaller titles showcased.

In the meantime, the iconic Legend of Zelda franchise has soared to new heights in recent years, thanks to the success of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom - the latter of which was just released on the Nintendo Switch earlier this month. Both of these modern Zelda titles have revolutionized the long-standing series by transporting players to an expansive open world rife with secrets to discover and side missions to complete. Tears of the Kingdom even features building mechanics, allowing players to construct their own custom weapons and vehicles and thus granting them even more freedom.

A new indie game titled Towers of Aghasba, developed by up-and-coming studio DreamLit, appears to be heavily inspired by recent Legend of Zelda sequels. The game was unveiled during the PlayStation Showcase event and features a young hero on a quest to rebuild their sacred city by collecting resources and restoring the natural world. Players will navigate a vast fantasy world, encountering massive creatures along the way.

The gameplay showcased in the Towers of Aghasba trailer draws clear parallels to The Legend of Zelda. Similar to Tears of the Kingdom, players must collect resources to construct homes for their people. Additionally, the combat and traversal mechanics are clearly influenced by recent Zelda games, with the protagonist shown hunting creatures with a bow, riding a horse-like creature, and gliding across chasms using a glider similar to Link's.

Towers of Aghasba boasts a distinct island-inspired aesthetic that sets it apart from other games. With the exclusive Tears of the Kingdom title available only on Nintendo Switch, there is ample opportunity for a refined, Zelda-esque experience on the PlayStation 5. While only time will tell if Towers of Aghasba can replicate the successful formula of recent Legend of Zelda games, the game's trailer appears to be highly promising thus far. The game is set to launch on PC and PS5 in 2024.