The Followup to CrossCode Looks A Lot Like CrossCode — And That’s Great
Don’t fix what’s not broken.
The 2018 RPG CrossCode won over players with its fantastic combat and gorgeous, shockingly massive world. Now, developer Radical Fish Games has revealed the title of its next game — Alabaster Dawn — along with more details on the project and an update on when players will actually be able to get their hands on it. The announcement also coincides with the launch of the Alabaster Dawn Steam page, where the game can now be wishlisted.
With all the vibes of an SNES RPG, CrossCode blends The Legend of Zelda-inspired puzzles with more kinetic action, set in a lush pixelated world. Also befitting its old-school style, CrossCode is an enormous game, which fans can easily sink upwards of 100 hours into.
Alabaster Dawn already looks like an expansion of everything that made CrossCode great.
From what’s been shown of the followup so far, Alabaster Dawn — previously known as Project Terra — seems like it’s aiming to replicate a lot of what made CrossCode a cult hit. According to Radical Fish, Alabaster Dawn follows “Juno, the Outcast Chosen,” on a quest to restore the world after its ruin by a mysterious being called Nyx. Alabaster Dawn’s story is estimated to take between 30 and 60 hours.
While only hints of its story have been revealed, there’s already a good deal of information about how the game will play. Like CrossCode, Alabaster Dawn is an action RPG, and this time it looks even faster and more dynamic than its predecessor. Radical Fish says both Kingdom Hearts and Devil May Cry are major inspirations for Alabaster Dawn’s combat, which mixes fast-paced melee attacks with elemental magic. Skills and equipment can even be changed mid-battle, so it seems that Alabaster Dawn is aiming to keep combat flowing quickly and allow for changes in strategy even in the heat of battle.
Alabaster Dawn is rendered in gorgeous pixel art just like CrossCode.
A new trailer that dropped with the announcements shows Alabaster Dawn in action. Even from this short glimpse, it’s easy to see how it’s building on the foundation set by CrossCode. Combat and traversal alike look speedy, with spectacular animations accompanying Juno’s skills. It also offers a look at some of the game’s bosses, which seem just as inspired by The Legend of Zelda as its puzzles, forcing players to dodge devastating attacks and find an opening to strike back. Even in this early state, it’s already impressive to see, adding some gorgeous graphical flourishes to combat that should feel just as satisfying as it looks, if CrossCode is anything to go by.
Just as interesting is the world Alabaster Dawn takes place in. When the game begins, it’s been corrupted by Nyx (whatever that is) and turned into a barren wasteland with little aside from creepy polyps and tendrils growing on its surface. But as you progress through the game, you’ll be able to restore life to the world. Clearing the corruption brings back plants of the non-evil variety, and eventually you can help rebuild towns, which both changes the environment visually and makes more activities available there. Artist and animator Thomas Fröse shared a short video on social media showing how dramatically Alabaster Dawn’s environments can change over time.
For now, players eager to get their hands on Alabaster Dawn will just have to be patient. According to Radical Fish, the first two hours of the game are nearly playable, but it’s not quite ready to let the public test it out yet. Radical Fish is currently planning to release the first public demo in early 2025, with a launch on Steam Early Access later in the year. CrossCode also hit Early Access before its full release, and Radical Fish says taking that path will allow it to incorporate player feedback while financially supporting the game’s continued development.
There’s no word yet on how much it will cost at launch, or other Early Access details. Radical Fish also hasn’t announced any console release plans, but CrossCode did make its way to Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox, so it’s not out of the question. If you’ve already played CrossCode, that’s probably enough to get you excited for Alabaster Dawn. And if not, now may be a good time to check out the CrossCode demo to see what you’ve been missing.
