New Action-Adventure Game on Steam Is Like Jak and Daxter With Zelda's Exploration and Kingdom Hearts Story Vibes

If you’re like me, then you’re frequently on the lookout for a new game that can make you feel like a kid again—and that often means a good-old-fashioned platformer with memorable characters, a heartwarming narrative, great exploration, and plenty of vibrant colors that bring the world to life. It’s ultimately that PS2-era feeling you’re searching for, even though you don’t necessarily want to go back to those dated visuals and deeply simplistic gameplay. Essentially, you want something that brings you back without actually bringing you back. Well, Steam has proven itself to be the best platform to find games like that, as indie developers seem to be constantly churning them out in an effort to recreate those moments for themselves and others. If that really is what you’re looking for, then Fading Skies on Steam might be right up your alley.

The action-adventure game first captured my attention when I scrolled past a post made by its developers on the official Fading Skies X account, where they said they were “making a game like Jak & Daxter, except with Zelda-style exploration and a story vibe inspired by Kingdom Hearts.” It’s rooted in a hodgepodge of inspirations, but what isn’t these days? At the very least, I’m a massive fan of all three of those franchises, and it helps that the game already looks impressive, with an ability to make me feel nostalgic without making me feel old. Currently available to wishlist on Steam, Distant Blue’s Fading Skies looks like one of those games that could offer up a genuinely memorable experience.

Fading Skies Takes a Jak and Daxter-Like Duo Through a Zelda-Like World

Fading Skies follows the story of a young woman named Ryn who awakens in a mysterious world with no memory of her past, setting her on a journey to uncover both her identity and the truth behind a planet that appears to be collapsing. Accompanied by her trusty cat-sized dragon companion that grants her magical abilities, Ryn explores a vibrant but fractured world filled with ancient ruins, remnants of a long-lost civilization, and dangerous creatures corrupted by dark forces. As she travels across diverse landscapes and pieces together fragments of forgotten technology and lost memories, Ryn gradually learns that the fate of the planet and the secrets of her own past may be connected more than she initially realized.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

Fading Skies’ Core Features

BOLD 3D PLATFORMING – Classic platforming movement with dashing, jumping, and traversal challenges across diverse environments.
OPEN-WORLD EXPLORATION – A seamless fantasy world with different regions like forests, mountains, and ruins filled with secrets and collectibles.
DRAGON COMPANION SYSTEM – A cat-sized dragon partner that absorbs energy from enemies to unlock new magical abilities.
ACTION RPG COMBAT – Hack-and-slash battles against dark creatures and bosses using an expanding set of magical powers.
UPGRADES AND ABILITIES – New movement and combat skills earned through exploration, trials, and completing challenges.
PUZZLES AND TRIALS – Environmental puzzles and spirit-led trials scattered throughout the world that reward progression.
CHARACTER-DRIVEN STORY – A narrative about Ryn uncovering lost memories and the mystery behind a collapsing planet.

With Fading Skies‘ premise clearly channeling Kingdom Hearts, it already sounds like a great time. However, Fading Skies‘ gameplay takes center stage as it clearly aims for that old-school action-adventure charm that was common in the PS2 era of gaming. It’s the colorful, diverse environments housing the classic platforming mechanics and skill progression system that really sell me on it, and the fact that those abilities ultimately come from Ryn’s adorable dragon companion make it sound even more enticing.

Ryn’s Dragon Companion Is a Conduit for Her Magical Abilities

One of Fading Skies‘ tags on Steam defines it as a Souls-like, but I would venture to say that has less to do with how difficult the game is and more to do with its progression. As players defeat enemies, Ryn’s dragon companion absorbs their dark energy, which players then seemingly use to unlock new combat and traversal abilities. It’s not clear whether players will lose that dark energy on death as they might in a traditional Souls-like, but given how Fading Skies‘ developers are aiming for an old-school platformer here, it will presumably avoid punishing mechanics like that.

Fading Skies Finds Unique Ways to Incorporate Zelda-Like Exploration

Don’t think I’m going to ignore the fact that the devs said Fading Skies has Zelda-like exploration either. As a massive fan of The Legend of Zelda, I’m always looking for something to fill that void, and if Fading Skies can do that, I’m all in. The Steam page for the game doesn’t outright say its exploration is similar to Zelda‘s, but judging by the footage, it seems like players will not only have plenty of wide-open spaces to explore, but there will also be puzzles for them to solve along the way that gate areas until certain abilities are acquired.

New challenges await around every corner: Overcome strategic boss battles by using Ryn’s growing array of magical talents.

In fact, Fading Skies‘ Steam page does mention “cheeky spirits throughout the world” that will challenge players with “trials and puzzles,” which, when completed, offer players new abilities that will help them progress even further. It also describes some of its platforming sections as “tricky,” and suggests overcoming boss battles will be key to Ryn’s growth, including what she is capable of in combat and traversal. That has Zelda written all over it, though I would also guess that Fading Skies is taking Zelda‘s modern age into consideration as well, potentially featuring curiosity-driven exploration similar to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom‘s.

For players who grew up during the PS2 and GameCube era, Fading Skies already looks like the kind of adventure that can take one back to those days in a heartbeat. With its colorful words, old-school platforming, Zelda-like exploration, and heartfelt story setup, the game feels like it understands exactly what made those classics so memorable in the first place. If that blend of Jak and Daxter charm, Zelda-style discovery, and Kingdom Hearts-inspired storytelling sounds appealing, then Fading Skies might be one of the more exciting indie games to keep an eye on right now.