Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube795kCape Cosmic, the developer behind the fabulous Phoenotopia: Awakening, has announced its next project Star Iliad, a Metroidvania set inside a star whale. And, par the course, the pixel art looks gorgeous. Platforms have yet to be announced yet.In a blog post on the developer's tumblr, Cape Cosmic reveals that its new game leans much closer to a Metroid game rather than Phoenotopia's Zelda-esque trappings. The map is much larger, with the devs promising 40 hours of gameplay, and guns are your weapon of choice.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube795kWatch on YouTube While the map gets bigger, the story gets more focused you are Blythe Braves, who responds to a distress signal, which takes her to a rock formation shaped like a whale. Unfortunately, her ship is destroyed by aliens, and she's left with a bunch of other castaways to try and escape this unusual star whale.Here's a rundown of what to expect from the game's Steam page, along with some lovely-looking screenshots:Game Features:- A Tale of Mystery and Wonder : Immerse yourself in a single-player journey where narrative, intrigue, and romance intertwine. -Dynamic Communication System : Engage with a charismatic cast of characters using a codec-inspired system. Forge new bonds and deepen your connection to uncover their stories. -Spell-Powered Combat and Puzzles : Master 40 unique spells to combat foes and unravel puzzles. Transform with the flame cloak, shatter with missile spells, and pierce with magnum shells. -Deep Suit Customization System : Tailor your abilities with a comprehensive computer chip system featuring over 30 unique chips, each altering your capabilities in unique ways. -Spell Gun Evolution : Hunt for more than 50 gun shards to craft and customize a powerful spell gun that suits your playstyle -Vast Enemy Variety : Face off against over 150 distinct enemy types and engage in over 25 epic boss battles. -A Living, Colossal Microcosmic World : Explore over 20 awe-inspiring biomes within the Star Whale, from storm-lashed peaks to fiery stomach pools, each teeming with secrets to uncover. -An Epic Original Soundtrack - Enjoy over 50 songs featuring a fusion of synth and orchestral elementsfrom storytelling symphonic pieces and energizing rock to melodic folk and adventurous synth. -Achievements and Replayability: Earn over 30 badges through an in-depth achievement system, encouraging exploration, challenge, and replayability. -An Expansive Campaign: Dive into a campaign estimated to deliver over 40 hours of gameplay, with even more for completionists.Images: Cape CosmicBelow the announcement, Cape Cosmic also thanks fans for reaching out over the studio's previous game. Admitting that Phoenotopia was not a "strong seller", it's not "as bleak as I previously believed", with a small group of dedicated fans and steady income keeping the studio funded, along with family support.As a result of this, and good word of mouth, the team has managed to "stay afloat" and start working on its next project. We're extremely glad! And if you want to keep up with Star Iliad development, you can follow the dev log.We hope Star Iliad comes to Switch (or Switch 2) in the future, but for now, only Steam has been confirmed. We're pretty hopeful, and since we loved Phoenotopia, we would love to get our hands on this.Let us know what you think of Star Iliad in the comments. Almost phoenomenal[source tumblr.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:01 Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Reconfirms Release Windows For Major Upcoming Switch Games... and the Switch 2!Ex-PlayStation Boss On Switch 2's Name: Nintendo Created So Much "Brand Value""Why would you mess with that?"Rumour: Switch 2 Game Cases Might Take Up More Space On Your ShelfHere's how they could compare to the current Switch cases"Nintendo Is Probably The Easiest To Scam" - Devs Discuss The Current State Of The eShopThe rise of "eSlop"PlatinumGames Wipes Several Games From Its Website's PortfolioIncluding Star Fox Zero and 'Project G.G.'