Zelda meets Stardew Valley in free Steam download

As much as I adore a photorealistic open-world, I’ve never particularly favoured the art style over anything else.

Certainly, it has its place; photorealism can majorly boost immersion due to its lifelike nature, but other visual approaches have their charms too.

A style I’m always finding myself drawn to is 2D pixel graphics.

Perhaps it’s simply because it reminds me of the titles I grew up playing.

There’s just something so comforting and magical about loading up a pixel art title, so you can imagine my excitement when a recent browse through Steam led me to the upcoming Velana Adventures: Chapter I.

Developed by Loreweaver Creativeworks, Velana Adventures: Chapter I remains without a release date, but you can currently try its new demo over on Steam.

You can take a look at the game in action below.

This retro-inspired tactical JRPG will take players to “the bright fantasy world of Velana”.

“Join Finley and Orin as they reunite with Liriana, a childhood friend returning from her studies at the magic academy for the winter,” the description reads.

“But when mysterious events begin to develop in their village, the trio must embark on a quest to uncover the truth and restore balance to their world.”

The game, or at least Chapter I, is expected to last for around 10 hours, with players taking on tactical grid-based battles and tasked with uncovering the realm’s lore, all whilst getting to grips with the three playable characters’ varying skill classes.

There’s an epilogue, hidden secrets, hidden battles and quests, and a bunch of NPCs to meet.

Essentially, it’s everything you’d want from an RPG.

The demo itself will last for around 60 to 90 minutes, so you’ve got plenty of time to familiarise yourself with what Velana Adventures: Chapter I has to offer.

Devs note that, “All objects and details have lore and text in-game, so there's a lot to discover (if you want to).”

There’s definitely a Legend of Zelda feeling to the game’s trailer and, of course, those pixel graphics will appeal to the Stardew Valley enjoyers among you.

If you fancy trying Velana Adventures: Chapter I, head on over to that Steam demo page now.