The Curse of Issyos
The curse of Issyos is a free action-platformer steeped in Greek mythology from developer Locomalito who previously brought us the spiritual 8-bit tribute to Ghouls 'n Ghosts and the cult classic Super Hydorah. The game follows the story of Defkalion, a fisherman who is told by the Goddess Athena that Olympus has cursed his home island of Issyos and that it is sinking to the sea floor. He heads back to save his daughter and encounters the gods of Olympus.
The gameplay is functionally very similar to early Castlevania games with minor alterations. Defkalion starts out with a sword that can be upgraded to have an even longer reach and an arrow attack as well as armor upgrades that can resist damage from some enemies. He can also pick up items to increase his health or restock his ammo as needed. Bottomless pits and lava fields are common in the level design, shops to buy health or arrows can be found, and the bosses will be familiar to anyone who has played a game from this era.
The Curse of Issyos is surprisingly fun and challenging. It is definitely not for everyone due to its abysmal difficulty, but it manages to pull off the hard-as-nails, learn-from-your-mistakes gameplay style in a way that feels fair and just. It is a must for fans of the genre and should be considered a very worthwhile release for gamers to download. You can find it on the Locomalito website along with DVD inlays, posters, a downloadable soundtrack and more.