Vernal Edge is a Stylish Action Game with Metroidvania elements where you fly out into the sky to find new places to explore and monsters to beat up.  You juggle enemies, explore mysterious islands on your airship, and fight ruthless bosses, all with a combat system inspired by deep technical actions games like Devil May Cry. These were the words used to describe the promising indie title when it came to Kickstarter last year. It is certainly a promising-looking title, and one of my most anticipated games yet to be released.

Our hero, Vernal, has taken to the skies of  Haricot, a kingdom that one day mysteriously broke off from the ground and rose into the sky,  to exact revenge on her long-lost father. In her search, she comes across Chervil, a strange cyborg with the mind of a brilliant scientist but no memory.  Both of them decide to team up and explore the sky in search of answers.  Along the way, they clash with the monster and the newly risen Church of Aloe, uncover hidden truths about the world, and run into a mysterious and powerful woman named Alstroemeria, who is also searching for Vernal’s father.  All while Chervil attempts to keep Vernal out of trouble everywhere they go.

While those two are off on their adventure, things shift and move on the islands.  Unexplained catastrophes have occurred on the islands, monsters are appearing and wreaking havoc, and some mysterious figures have appeared traveling throughout the kingdom.  The struggle for control seems to be fought from many sides, and there is much more going on than would seem.

• Vernal

The art of the sword is a difficult one to master, taking years of practice until you are truly a proficient killing machine.  Vernal does not actually know how to use a sword, she just hits people with it.

At age 22, Vernal is on the hunt for her deadbeat father to deliver righteous punishment.  She’s recently discovered that he is somewhere in the Kingdom of Haricot, and flung herself up there to find him.  She isn’t exactly a bountiful harvest of wisdom or information, being unable to even read.  What she lacks in the knowledge she more than makes up for in raw emotional energy.  She gives every attack her all, and won’t tolerate anyone standing in her way.

• Alstroemeria

In the language of flowers, the Alstroemeria symbolizes devotion and friendship. Unfortunately, neither of these qualities accurately describes Alstroemeria herself.

Age 19, Alstroemeria is a mysterious woman, appearing time and again seemingly on her own quest, and no vessel around that she would travel with.  Not to be messed with, she seems to have a strong proficiency in channeling magic without a ring-shaped catalyst to do so and has the strength of 10 men.  She looks down upon the weak and feeble-minded that she comes across and treats Vernal with, especially nasty disdain.  She’s cold, intelligent, and staying out of her way would be the smart thing to do.

• Chervil

Magical energy flows around and inside us constantly like a current.  It is theoretically possible to record one’s inner current and make a template with which your very soul could be recreated, or at least that’s Chervil’s working theory.

Age unknown, Chervil is a man in a machine, with no memory of who he originally was.  He is seemingly brilliant, quick to learn, and hungry for knowledge, but quite reserved.  He pairs up with Vernal, in the search for answers as to who he is and why the islands rose from the earth.  Being the only one who can pilot the ship (or read), he is a vital part of the duo.

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Vernal is just the kind of hero that we here at the (new) One Angry Gamer love to see in games. A strong independent woman with agency. She is fueled by her pure rage and anger that she directs at her enemies, but especially her deadbeat father. I love how angry Vernal looks as she slays the monsters who dare to attack her. There is no silly message here about how it’s wrong to unleash your anger on enemies who are trying to kill you. If there is one thing that everyone here at the new One Angry Gamer can agree upon, it is that strong women protagonists who are justified in their anger are way cooler video game protagonists than the stereotypical dude with a gun who slays anyone at the slightest provocation. While loser alt-right trolls (Billy and Spencer) may complain about strong women, the type of retrograde video game heroes they prefer is not the future of gaming.

Vernal Edge will come out in 2022!