The Ancients is a 3D action-adventure fantasy platformer developed by PyroPhantom Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Surge. The game follows the Ancients, a team of magical god-like beings aligned to the different elements of their realm, uniting under the leadership of sorcerer Cade to save their world from the evil Rancor. The game was announced at E3 2022, and released on September 7, 2022 as an exclusive title for the Surge. A Switch version was under consideration, but was cancelled due to the console's hardware limitations.
The Ancients received universal acclaim from critics and is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time. The game was praised for its gameplay, graphics, physics engine, consistent frame rate of 60fps, voice acting, and soundtrack. Although, criticism was aimed at some of the game's glitches, which were fixed through post-launch patches. By December 31, 2022, the game had sold 5.1 million copies worldwide, currently making it the Surge's fourth best-selling game behind Metroid: Annihilation (9.5 million), Mario Kart 9 (17.2 million), and Super Mario Galaxy 3 (29.3 million).
Gameplay[]
The gameplay follows a style similar to that of other 3D platformers like Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Skylanders, and Ratchet and Clank. Players must take control of one of ten characters known as Ancients to explore the vast world of Aeternus and put an end to the sinister warlock known as Rancor. All ten of the Ancients: Chivalra, Enfuego, Root Shoot, Gizmo, Sliceberg, Archo, Boulda, Kamau, Alina, and Darkblade, have their own unique powers and abilities. Chivalra is the Mystic Ancient, giving her magical attributes for long-range attacks or to confuse her enemies. She also has a magic sword that can be used for close-range combat. Enfuego is the Fire Ancient, giving him pyrokinetic attacks for both long-range combat and hand-to-hand fighting. Root Shoot is the Nature Ancient, giving him access to many objects in the environment to aid him in battle. Ranging from summoning spiky vines from out of the ground to bringing trees to life to fight beside him. Root Shoot also carries with him a pair of Life Pistols that can be used to stun enemies and revive fallen allies. Gizmo is the Tech Ancient, possessing complete control over technology. Gizmo carries around a giant bazooka and flies around using a jet pack, which he can use to ram into his enemies. Additionally, Gizmo can use his elemental powers to take control of his enemies' technological weapons, such as guns, and disable them; in the case of enemy explosives, Gizmo can also cause them to explode right in their hands. Sliceberg is the Aqua Ancient, and is a master of water-based attacks. If Sliceberg is near a large body of water, he can use it to wash away his enemies or freeze them in place; Sliceberg can also freeze certain bodies of water in order to gain access to secret areas in the game. Additionally, Sliceberg carries a magical dual-blade staff that he can use to slice and dice his opponents, as well as create a snow storm by spinning his staff over his head. Archo is the Wind Ancient, having access to all powers associated with the wind class. His attacks mainly involve his bow and arrows, as he uses them not only for long-range attacks, but also to create mini tornadoes and call down a fierce thunderstorm to electrocute all enemies on screen and stun them for a brief period of time. Boulda is the Terra Ancient, granting her power over anything made of earth, ranging from stones, sand, and even metal. Boulda can even form stones around her own body to create enchanted rock armor that will make her impervious to enemy attacks for a brief period of time. Kamau is the Undead Ancient, and has dominance over the supernatural. He can summon undead minions such as skeletons, ghosts, and zombies to fight alongside him in battle. Kamau can also transform into a shadow version of himself and use it to perform sneak attacks on enemies. This technique can also be used to phase through certain solid objects to gain access to secret areas in the game. Alina is the Solar Ancient, giving her control over light elemental abilities that are mainly used for long-range attacks. Alina also carries around a light-infused club that she uses to smash her opponents or blind them with a huge flash of light. Darkblade is the Darkness Ancient, giving him complete control over dark elemental powers. Darkblade's attacks focus on his twin blades, which are infused with the powers of darkness that he uses to hack and slash his way through enemies.
The game's HUB world is the Ancient Citadel, a giant fortress set in a timeless reality that can link itself to multiple areas throughout Aeternus. As the player progresses, repairs will be made to the Citadel and the player will be able to gain access to new areas. The Ancients will meet new characters throughout their quest to help them restore the peace and balance in their world. When a new mission is ready, Cade will lead the player to a new section of the Citadel; there, a portal will be activated to send the Ancients to their next mission. Cade and some of the other supporting characters will guide the Ancients throughout some levels in the game, but the Ancients will be required to complete certain missions on their own as the game progresses.