Public Playtest for Recital of the Heart Now on Steam

A public playtest for Recital of the Heart is now available on Steam. With this, players get the chance to get that first look at this top-down metroidvania. The game takes players on a labyrinthian journey across a mirror dimension where works of fiction come to life.

Recital of the Heart is a game that's populated by historic figures, characters, and the phantoms of their creators. Players need to help Gregory retrieve mirror shards coveted by obsessive, disturbed, and disparaged antagonists and return to the real world, where his love Eliza awaits him.

Recital of the Heart is a top-down perspective adventure game that's full of combat, puzzles, and story. There are encounters where players experience one-on-one against a handful of strong and tactful enemies. There are also cases where the room is filled with bullets that they may need to dodge, block, or deflect.

Tools Available

There are a lot of tools available at the disposal of the players and can be used based on the situation. As they progress through the adventure, players can obtain new brushes (up-close weapons), magical instruments (ranged attacks), and tempos (movement abilities). All of these offer a unique mechanic.

For example, players may be equipped with a Quill to allow for quick strikes that chip away at the fiend. However, when they face a slow and shielded enemy, they can then swap to the Inkwell, which can be charged up and can pack a wallop. In addition, players can also collect Flourishes which can augment the way attacks behave like tripling the bullets fired or deflecting enemy bullets when struck.

Travel Companion

The game focuses on Gregory as players try to help him retrieve mirror shards that's coveted by obsessive, disturbed, and disparaged antagonists. They then have to return to the real world, where his love Eliza awaits him. The thing is, Gregory isn't alone on this journey. Serving as a companion is Kand, who also serves as a guide. However, it won't be as simple as that. That's because the game encourages players to find out whether they feel catharsis or guilt when Kand misses a target and splats against a wall.

In a statement, Honeypot Games co-founder Kiefer Nemeth revealed that the game started as a "literal childhood dream" which was remembered and recorded then kept until years later. He added that it's basically a game waiting almost two decades to be made.

Recital of the Heart is scheduled to come out within this year. Wishlist the game on Steam now.