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Owlboy developers D-Pad Studio are swooping back in time to revisit their very first game, Savant – Ascent, originally released ten years ago. Savant – Ascent Anniversary Edition is remastering the shoot-em-up platformer in which you control Savant – avatar of Norwegian music producer Aleksander Vinter – with new stages, bosses, powerups, and a revamped soundtrack by Vinter himself. The remaster will launch on PC and other platforms later this summer.
Savant Ascent is a kind of reverse-Downwell where you ascend (duh) to reclaim your lost tower, spraying deadly projectiles to slay enemies. The left stick is used to dodge damage and jump between two preset positions on the screen, while the right stick is reserved for aiming and firing – a proper twin-sticker. In the original game, climbing your way up would grant you with CDs that unlock new abilities alongside Savant’s soundtracks (the producer, not the wizard).
The upcoming version will have new dashing abilities and different enemies to outsmart, but the real draw is an all-new Survival Mode. Here you’ll be scrambling through a never-ending gothic elevator as enemies swarm in greater numbers and bosses appear randomly, seemingly whenever they have an itch for fighting.
“Our studio is well-known for creating Owlboy, but I think a lot of people don’t realise that we released a game before that,” said D-Pad’s Simon Stafsnes Andersen. “Savant Ascent: Anniversary Edition is a fantastic way to introduce that title to a new audience and offer a completely revamped experience for fans of the old title.”
You can wishlist Savant – Ascent Anniversary Edition on Steam in preparation for its release this summer. The original SHMUP is also available for 50% off, down from the usual £1.50/€2/$2, and includes the free Void expansion, too.