Classic platformers like Mega Man X and Castlevania inspire this stunning new side-scroller

There’s always been something so satisfying about a pure, expertly-made side-scrolling platformer. Sure, ever increasing numbers of platformers are looking to pinch mechanics from other genres to spice things up, but there’s still room for more classic experiences to break through. Speaking of, meet The Eternal Life of Goldman, a beautiful-looking platformer that was just revealed during the THQ Nordic Showcase.

The first thing that you’ll immediately notice are the visuals, which are inspired by ancient fables. It’s safe to say it’s one of the most stunning platformer games I’ve seen in a long time. The new gameplay trailer released today does a great job at showing that, but I also got to see some extra footage at a preview event which showcased just how detailed and varied the background and foreground environments are, even as you move through the same level. Everything in The Eternal Life of Goldman is done by hand, and during the preview THQ Nordic producer Andreas Schmiedecker was quick to assure there was no computer-generated art or AI assistance.

The second thing that’ll probably catch your attention is that, despite the exotic and striking backdrops, the main character is surprising and unassuming. It’s a little, spectacled old man in a brown cardigan with a cane. Not much was really said about why this choice was made and what an elderly fellow is doing ‘hunting down a deity on a tropical island ravaged by a disaster’ (this is the premise of the game’s story, in a nutshell), however he’s clearly not just any old guy – he runs a bit like Sonic, after all.

His cane is also the game’s core mechanic, and it is upgradeable with new abilities that will help you in traversal and in combat. As well as navigating through levels and taking on rank-and-file enemies, there will be multi-stage boss fights throughout. The word ‘classic’ was used a lot to describe the overall feel of the gameplay – you can bounce on enemies’ heads to kill them. But there’s no Metroidvania-style backtracking to unlock new areas in previous levels, and there’s no corpse running either.

“[The Eternal Life of Goldman wants to] get you back to the 16-bit era of platformers,” Schmiedecker says. “Think like your Donkey Kong Country, your Mega Man X, your Super Castlevania.”

There was sadly no mention of a release date or rough launch window for The Eternal Life of Goldman, but it’s definitely established itself as one of the most visually-impressive upcoming PC games. For more beautiful hidden gems, be sure to slide into our best indie games guide.

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