Alwa’s Legacy

Alwa’s Legacy is a fantasy-themed Metroidvania game where players explore the magical land of Alwa, defending it from the evil Vicar. As a sequel to Alwa’s Awakening, it features intricate 2D side-scrolling levels, puzzle elements, and non-linear exploration. Players utilize magical abilities to progress through dungeons and an overworld, all presented with detailed pixel art and a retro-inspired soundtrack.

Alwa’s Legacy: A Masterclass in Modern Retro Design

In the ever-expanding sea of indie Metroidvanias, few sequels manage to not only honor their predecessor but substantially elevate every aspect of the experience. Alwa’s Legacy, developed by the small but fiercely dedicated Swedish studio Elden Pixels, stands as a testament to the power of listening to player feedback, refining a vision, and executing it with palpable love and precision. Released in 2020, this title is a masterfully crafted love letter to the 16-bit era that simultaneously feels refreshingly modern.

Development History & Context

Elden Pixels, founded in 2016 in Gothenburg, Sweden, emerged from a shared passion for the classic games of the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. Their debut title, Alwa’s Awakening (2017), was a deliberate homage to NES-era action-adventures like Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and Faxanadu, characterized by its authentic 8-bit aesthetic, challenging gameplay, and chiptune soundtrack. While well-received, the team was acutely aware of its shortcomings.

The genesis of Alwa’s Legacy was remarkably candid. As designer Mikael Forslind stated, the development began with a simple yet powerful exercise: “We made a list of the ten most common criticisms we received [for Awakening] and we built our design foundation with the goal to fix all of those issues.” Chief among these were a convoluted map, excessive backtracking, and a somewhat sluggish movement speed for protagonist Zoe.

Funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign, the project represented a significant technological and artistic leap. The team abandoned the strict 8-bit constraints for a “16-bit” vision, leveraging the Unity engine to create more detailed pixel art, dynamic lighting, and modern effects while retaining the soul of a retro experience. The shift to self-publishing across multiple platforms posed a challenge, notably delaying the Nintendo Switch port. However, this delay proved fortuitous; upon release, Switch sales dramatically outpaced those on Steam, cementing the console as a haven for meticulously crafted indie gems.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Alwa’s Legacy begins precisely where its predecessor ended. The heroine, Zoe, once again awakens on the shores of Alwa, her memory erased. She recalls only a blinding light from an altar—the very event that concluded the first game. This cyclical opening is immediately imbued with a sense of enigmatic foreboding. The elderly sage Saga hands Zoe a mysterious blank book, cryptically stating, “This time around, let’s hope she makes the right choices.” This suggests a tragic twist: Zoe may have failed her original mission and is trapped in a cursed cycle of repetition.

The plot is a classic, manichean tale of good versus evil, as Zoe must once again confront the sorcerer Vicar. However, the narrative’s strength lies not in its originality but in its execution and atmospheric world-building. The land of Alwa is populated with quirky, memorable characters—a necromancer girl who raises the dead for fun, a wizard who trades upgrades for collectible orbs—who provide pockets of humor and warmth. The story is deliberately light, serving as a vessel to facilitate exploration and discovery rather than dominate it. Themes of memory, legacy, and the weight of responsibility are gently explored, asking players to consider what it means to truly “save” a world and break free from a predetermined fate.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, Alwa’s Legacy is a masterclass in non-linear, ability-gated exploration. The game immediately establishes its primary loop: explore, discover new magic, unlock new paths, and repeat. Zoe controls with a satisfying precision, a marked improvement over the floatier physics of Awakening. Her moveset is built around three core spells acquired early on:
* Green Block: Summons a block that can be used as a platform or to weigh down switches.
* Blue Bubble: Creates a temporary platform that pops after a short ride, essential for reaching higher ledges.
* Lightning Bolt: A projectile attack for hitting enemies and activating distant switches.

The magic system is governed by a quickly regenerating meter, preventing spell spamming and encouraging thoughtful, puzzle-oriented use. The true genius, however, lies in the upgrade system. By collecting 99 hidden blue orbs, players can visit an NPC to invest in branching upgrade paths for each spell. These aren’t mere stat boosts; they fundamentally alter how Zoe interacts with the world. Upgrades can make blocks float on water, cause bubbles to shoot spikes upon popping, or transform the lightning bolt into a homing, multi-shot barrage. This system allows for profound customization, letting players tailor their approach to be more explorative, offensive, or strategic.

Complementing these are special abilities found in the world, such as a temporary spike-walk, an air dash, or a time-slowing clock. These are equipped one at a time and must be recharged within a room after use, adding a layer of resource management to environmental puzzles.

The world design is sprawling and intricately interconnected. Five major dungeons, each with a unique central mechanic (e.g., a water temple with adjustable levels, a castle with alterable gravity), can be tackled in almost any order. The map system is a vast improvement, clearly marking unexplored paths and, with an optional setting, revealing collectibles. The introduction of “Tears of Alwa,” which allow players to place custom warp points at save statues, brilliantly mitigates the backtracking that plagued the first game.

Combat is often cited as the weakest element. Standard enemies are simple and can feel like obstacles rather than engaging threats. However, the boss fights are a highlight, demanding pattern recognition and clever use of Zoe’s entire toolkit. An optional “Assist Mode” allows players to respawn instantly in the same room upon death, a welcome accessibility feature that respects the player’s time without diminishing the challenge for those who seek it.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Alwa’s Legacy represents a monumental visual leap from its predecessor. While Awakening authentically replicated the NES’s limited palette and chunkier sprites, Legacy evokes the grandeur of the Super Nintendo era. The pixel art is exquisite. Backgrounds, handled by artist Vierbit, are breathtakingly detailed and lush, featuring majestic mountain ranges, decaying castles, and vibrant forests that create a profound sense of place. Character sprites are fluidly animated and full of personality, from Zoe’s determined strides to the idle animations of quirky NPCs.

The audio design is equally impressive. Veteran chiptune composer RushJet1 (of PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist fame) delivers a stellar soundtrack that perfectly complements the adventure. The melodies are catchy and evocative, enhancing the exploration without becoming repetitive. Sound effects are crisp and satisfying, from the thwack of Zoe’s staff to the electric crackle of her magic.

Together, the art and sound create an atmosphere that is simultaneously nostalgic and fresh. It doesn’t just imitate 16-bit games; it captures their spirit and refines it with modern sensibilities, resulting in a world that feels alive, cohesive, and utterly charming to inhabit.

Reception & Legacy

Upon release, Alwa’s Legacy was met with widespread critical acclaim, garnering an average score of 81% from critics based on 21 reviews. Publications like Nintendo Life (9/10) and Nintendojo (91/100) praised it as a “brilliant addition to Switch’s library” and an “excellent example of how to do a proper sequel.” Critics universally highlighted its vast improvements over Awakening, its clever puzzle design, gorgeous visuals, and tight controls. The primary criticisms were minor, focusing on occasionally simplistic combat and a narrative that, while serviceable, took a backseat to gameplay.

Commercially, it found its strongest footing on the Nintendo Switch, where it became another success story for an indie Metroidvania on the platform. Its reputation has remained solidly positive, often cited as a high-quality, if somewhat traditional, entry in the genre. Its legacy is one of refinement. It didn’t seek to reinvent the Metroidvania wheel but instead to polish it to a brilliant sheen. It stands as a case study for how a developer can listen to feedback and evolve, delivering a sequel that respects its origins while confidently stepping into a more modern and accessible light.

Conclusion

Alwa’s Legacy is a triumph of thoughtful design and heartfelt execution. Elden Pixels took the solid foundation of Alwa’s Awakening and built upon it a majestic cathedral of exploration, puzzle-solving, and retro charm. While it may not boast the brutal difficulty of Hollow Knight or the genre-bending innovation of Environmental Station Alpha, it excels through sheer polish, clever mechanics, and an undeniable, infectious love for the games that inspired it.

It is a game that understands the soul of a Metroidvania: the thrill of discovery, the satisfaction of using a new ability to unlock a path that was once impossible, and the joy of getting lost in a beautifully crafted world. For veterans of the genre, it is a highly satisfying and expertly crafted adventure. For newcomers, its accessible systems and optional assist mode make it a perfect gateway into the world of exploratory platformers. In the vast pantheon of indie Metroidvanias, Alwa’s Legacy has firmly earned its place as a respected and beloved classic.