As part of today’s Future Games Show, Fireshine Games has revealed a Switch 2 version of Duskfade, a 3D action-platformer that looks back to the PS2 for inspiration.
The game was revealed with a 2026 release date months ago on other platforms, but it’s now got a 13th August date attached, which includes Switch 2.
With shades of Kingdom Hearts and Jak & Daxter, the team at Spanish developer Weird Beluga are clearly channelling that early-to-mid-2000s era to recapture some of the magic of the PlayStation 2/GameCube/Xbox; publisher Fireshine is calling it “a love letter to the PS2 classics”.
The new trailer above is worth a watch if the above whets your whistle. As for the story (which you’d hope would be appropriately in-depth and a little cuckoo with Kingdom Hearts as a touchstone), here’s a synopsis from the PR blurb, plus some screens:
After the world has been plunged into an eternal night and his sister trapped in the mysterious Clock Tower at the heart of this mysterious darkness, Duskfade’s leading hero, Zirian, must explore the corrupted lands to uncover the ancient secrets of the Master Clockmakers, in hopes of finding a way to free her from the clutches of Despair. From ethereal forests and underwater realms, to the sunscorched dunes and lands above the clouds, there’s always a new vista begging to be explored.
Joined by his mechanical companion Cuckoo, Zirian will learn to slash, grind, jump and grapple through breathtaking environments that call back to the classic platformers of the past. Each stage provides unique challenges that blend precision platforming and action combat, as well as rewarding exploration that encourages uncovering hidden secrets off the beaten path.
Duskfade’s coming-of-age journey is layered with emotional depth and heart in every detail. Each enemy and challenge Zirian will face represents a deeper emotional hurdle our hero must overcome to complete his high-stakes quest to save his loved ones and the world.
The developer’s previous game, Clid the Snail, was a top-down shooter released in 2021 on Steam (“Mostly Positive”) and PlayStation (“Mixed or Average” on Metacritic), so fingers crossed for Duskfade, which feels a tad more ambitious. PC and PS5 owners can access a demo from today, so let us know below how it feels if you’ve got access and you’re sufficiently intrigued.
No word on a Switch 2 physical version yet – we’ll keep you posted when we hear more.
Excited for this one? Let us know in the usual place.
