Akatori | PC Demo Review
Another day, another Metroidvania has stolen my heart. Akatori is officially on my wishlist. I am counting down the days until the full launch. There is no official date yet, but I am hoping for summer 2026.
The demo is currently available on Steam. From what I understand, a Switch version will arrive at launch. This is perfect since Akatori feels right at home on a handheld. I played on both my PC and my Xbox ROG Ally. Despite a warning about Steam Deck optimization, both versions performed beautifully.
The Legend of the Staff and Bird
Akatori tells the story of Mako, a young girl from the Firebird Temple. Her world is being consumed by “Amber Storms” and industrial decay. She wields a magical staff containing a mysterious red bird. This staff is both her primary weapon and her greatest tool for navigation.
The narrative feels like an epic myth unfolding in real time. It is a journey through ancient folklore. Once I mastered the controls, I finished the demo in about 30 minutes. The mystery of the bird remains, as it doesn’t fully reveal itself before the demo ends.
The ending is quite cheeky. After defeating a boss, a chest appears containing a Steam Achievement! Picking it up sends you directly to the Steam page to wishlist the game. I loved that meta-touch.
High-Speed Kung Fu Parkour
Akatori, thus far, is a wonderful mix of action and strategy. Some areas require fast reactions or riding the wind or water currents to the next area. Some areas require planning. Rest a moment on a ledge and use the R stick to look around and see what’s coming soon.
Most cliffs and ledges can be used along with the staff to hang out. This helps you avoid projectile attacks or can also give you additional jump! Double Jump, jam the staff into the cliff, and then jump off again from there. Heights do not seem to be much of a problem unless there is a powerful enemy standing there!
While we’re talking about controls and double jumps, I love that Akatori (at least, the demo) gives you so much of your movement arsenal so quickly! Like I mentioned, the double jump, the air dash, the ability to throw your staff and call it back to drag an enemy closer to you, water dashing, and many more. Within minutes, I was able to experience a wide variety of abilities. This could just be the demo showing off, but it still gives me hope!
A 2.5D Visual Feast
The artistry in this game is stunning. The characters are drawn with a beautiful 16-bit hint of nostalgia. Meanwhile, the backgrounds are vibrant and opulent. The 2D action is layered over a 3D background that is almost distracting in its beauty.
The Asian culture, hints of Buddhism via artifacts, and lush scenery completely engrossed me and really immersed me into the world of Akatori.
The contrast is perfect, making every platform and enemy easy to see. The vibrant reds of the architecture are abundant and striking. Despite the visual depth, it never messed with my platforming precision. Everything on my Xbox ROG Ally, as well as my PC, remained crisp and effective.
The sound and music is exactly what you would expect from a MetroidVania set in this landscape. While nothing special, it adds to the immersive nature of Akatori.
Final Verdict
Akatori does not necessarily break the mold of the Metroidvania/gear-gated genre. All of the classic gear-gated tropes are here: The merchant, the resting station that restores your health and stamina, areas that are blocked from your access, etc.
What it does, it does perfectly. The difficulty is present, but not overwhelming. Any deaths that I experienced were my own fault or because I never faced that enemy before. Once you get the patterns down, it’s challenging but in a realistic way. Just don’t expect that you’ll be beating any boss on your first try.
Between the beauty of the game, the cultural environment which always pulls me in, and the wonderful gameplay (with special points for working perfectly on my handheld), Akatori is on my must-play in 2026 list.
To hear me talk more about Akatori, be sure to listen to the February 18th, 2026 episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 1:41:38 time stamp.
This review is based on a demo for Akatori on PC provided by Critical Hit PR for coverage purposes. It will also be available on Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
