9. Heart Forth, Alicia
Who doesn't love a good Metroidvania? The non-linear structure of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, itself inspired by the likes of Super Metroid, has in turn inspired any number of indie projects over the past decade. But Heart Forth, Alicia has already gone a step beyond most of the others — the main character uses an honest-to-God whip!
Alicia is a young wizard who was tossed from her home in the clouds to the old world below, and now she must use a combination of physical and magical attacks to return to her land and hopefully undo the curse that has prevented her people from conceiving children. Developer Alonso Martin clearly gave a lot of attention to the story and world building in this game — there will even be curious live-action cutscenes of a nameless woman, whose own tale has some as-of-yet unknown connection with that of our heroine.
Once again, an incredible amount of Kickstarter donations ensures that Heart Forth, Alicia will arrive on Wii U and 3DS in addition to PC platforms, PS4, and PS Vita. Even better, that extra cash has allowed Martin to bring on board famed composer Manami Matsumae, whose work can be heard in such games as Mega Man, U.N. Squadron, and most recently Shovel Knight!
