Move Over CrossCode: Alabaster Dawn's Steam Demo Might Be Even Better

Quick detour from the film-and-TV beat to flag a game that has my attention: Radical Fish Games, the studio behind the much-loved CrossCode, is trying to one-up itself with a new action RPG called Alabaster Dawn. I spent a couple of hours with the Steam demo, and yeah, early days, but it feels like they might actually pull it off.

How the demo works (and what carries over)

• The demo runs a couple of hours and is split into two chunks. Part one is the literal start of the game, and Radical Fish says your progress there will move to the final release.
• That opening stretch is heavy on tutorials and ends with a straightforward mini-boss. It is mostly sword-and-shield fundamentals: bash, block, parry, get out alive.
• Part two jumps forward in the story, so nothing from it will carry over. In exchange, the map opens up, there is more non-linear exploring, and systems start talking to each other in interesting ways. Also: you get a crossbow.

The combat feel (and why it works)

Even in this small slice, the fighting clicks. Movement is slower and more deliberate than CrossCode, which makes every swing count. The sword hits with a crunchy, tactile thud that made me think of smashing rocks in Donkey Kong Bananza — yes, that is a weird comparison, and yes, it is because Bananza is my current time sink.

'The sword lands like a sledge on stone; heavy, loud, and weirdly satisfying.'

You've got standard slashes and a heavy spinning strike that not only hits harder per swing but splashes damage around you. Once the crossbow shows up, ranged combat maps to the right stick for aiming. It does not thump with the same impact as the blade, but it feels natural to use, and if the default layout is not your thing, the controls are fully remappable.

Depth check: skill trees and big swings

The real promise sits under the hood. Each weapon gets its own skill tree, which hints at a lot more build tinkering than the demo can show. I also popped a few Divine Art abilities once their gauge filled; they are perfect momentum resets when a fight starts to drag. Add in future unlocks, combos, and new weapons, and it is pretty clear this demo is the appetizer, not the meal.

Exploration and vibes

Platforming across ledges and climbs has a slight slipperiness to it — noticeable but not a dealbreaker. Everything else is easy on the eyes: some of the cleanest pixel art I have seen in a while. The scenery does not vary much here, but that is the limitation of the demo, not the art direction.

The important part: Cabbage

I am very ready to see more of the world, but mostly I am counting the minutes until I reunite with my water pig companion, Cabbage. If something happens to that little one, I will not take it well.

Early verdict

Too soon to declare it a definitive evolution over CrossCode's retro-fantasy action RPG formula, but I am optimistic. The fundamentals feel right, the systems look layered, and the demo leaves just enough on the table to make the full release feel like a no-brainer to watch.