Echoes of the End vs Castle of Heart: Retold

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Fantasy world of Aema (Iceland-inspired)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
• Release Date: August 12, 2025
• Unique Feature: Cinematic adventure with full motion capture, Iceland-inspired fantasy world, and magic-sword combat combination

• Perspective: 2.5D Side-Scroller
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Slavic Mythology
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 (TBA)
• Unique Feature: A unique curse mechanic that acts as a timer, where the player's health constantly depletes and must be replenished through aggressive combat, creating a timed-runner feel.

• Hidden History Items: Throughout the ten chapters, players can discover items that reveal the hidden history of Aema and its ancient conflicts.
• Magical Artifacts: Items related to enhancing Ryn's magical abilities and understanding the vestige powers scattered across the Iceland-inspired landscapes.

• Crystals of Mokosh: Four hidden gems are scattered throughout each of the game's 20 levels. Collecting them extends Svaran's maximum health.
• Stone Hearts: Floating pickups found throughout levels and dropped by enemies. These are essential for replenishing Svaran's constantly draining life bar.

• Fantasy
• Iceland-inspired
• Totalitarian Empire
• Rescue Mission
• Conspiracy
• Trust
• Redemption
• Sacrifice
• Magic
• Cinematic Adventure

• Dark Fantasy
• Slavic Mythology
• Action Platformer
• 2.5D
• Indie
• Curse

• Magical Powers: Magic Abilities
  Ryn's volatile yet powerful magical abilities including gravity manipulation, destruction powers, and illusion casting. These powers grow stronger throughout the journey.
• Swordsmanship: Melee Combat
  Traditional sword-based combat that can be combined with magical abilities for devastating combos and creative combat interactions.

• Sword: Primary Melee
  Svaran's main weapon for close-quarters hack-and-slash combat.
• Secondary Melee Weapons: Torches, Hatchets
  A variety of melee weapons that can be picked up and used for a limited time. Svaran drops his secondary weapon if his first health bar is depleted.
• Secondary Ranged Weapons: Javelins, Crossbows
  Ranged weapon options that can be found in the levels for engaging enemies from a distance.

• Knight's Armor: Svaran wears a suit of armor, but there is no traditional armor system with defensive stats. His durability is determined by his health bar, which is extended by collecting Crystals of Mokosh.

Ryn grows in magical strength and confidence throughout her journey, gaining access to a vast array of devastating powers. The progression system allows players to master both magic and swordsmanship, with character upgrades expanding abilities across different chapters. Combat and traversal abilities become more sophisticated as the story progresses.

Progression is based on in-level pickups and collectibles. Players can find dozens of different melee and ranged secondary weapons throughout the levels. Collecting the four 'Crystals of Mokosh' hidden in each level will extend Svaran's maximum life bar. There is no traditional skill tree; progression is tied to player skill and health upgrades.

The game features hand-crafted environments inspired by Icelandic landscapes across ten chapters. Each chapter introduces new locations with unique traversal challenges, enemies, and story beats. The world includes diverse terrains from fiery lava fields to icy mountain peaks, creating an immersive and reactive environment.

The game is a linear 2.5D platformer. Players will travel across 20 levels set within four distinct, Slavic-inspired landscapes. Most levels have been completely rebuilt for the Retold version, featuring new animations and more detailed environments.

• Ryn: Playable Protagonist
  A powerful vestige born with volatile magical abilities. Voiced and motion-captured by Icelandic actress Aldís Amah Hamilton, known for Katla and Black Sands.
• Abram Finlay: Companion
  A scholar and explorer haunted by his past who becomes Ryn's partner in the quest. Voiced by Karl Ágúst Úlfsson with full motion capture performance.
• Cor: Key NPC
  Ryn's brother who gets captured during a border patrol ambush, serving as the primary motivation for the rescue mission.
• Zara: Antagonist
  A powerful vestige like Ryn who works with the neighboring kingdom of Reigendal and serves as a major combat encounter.

• Svaran: Playable Protagonist
  A noble Slavic warrior who is cursed and turned to stone. He must fight against time to defeat the evil sorcerer and save his beloved.
• Mira: Key NPC
  A priestess and Svaran's betrothed. Her tear brings Svaran back to life, and her rescue is his primary goal.
• The Sorcerer: Antagonist
  The main villain of the game. A servant of the evil god Chernobog who cursed Svaran and rules the land with dark magic.

• Main Story Campaign
  Follow Ryn's journey across ten hand-crafted chapters to rescue her brother and uncover the conspiracy threatening Aema. Each chapter introduces new challenges, enemies, and story developments.
• Environmental Exploration
  Explore breathtaking Iceland-inspired environments using traversal mechanics like double-jumping, dashing, and gravity control to discover hidden areas and secrets.
• Puzzle Challenges
  Solve engaging puzzles using Ryn's magical abilities in collaboration with Abram, incorporating gravity manipulation, destruction, and illusion powers.

• Q: What is Echoes of the End?
  A: It is a cinematic third-person action-adventure game set in a fantasy world inspired by Iceland, featuring magic and sword-based combat, puzzles, and a character-driven story about rescuing a brother from a totalitarian empire.
• Q: When will Echoes of the End be released?
  A: The game is scheduled for release on August 12, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
• Q: What engine does the game use?
  A: Echoes of the End is developed using Unreal Engine 5, having been upgraded from the original Unreal Engine 4 version for enhanced visual fidelity.
• Q: Is there multiplayer in Echoes of the End?
  A: No, Echoes of the End is a single-player experience focused on the personal journey of Ryn and her companion Abram.
• Q: How much will the game cost?
  A: Echoes of the End will launch at $39.99, positioning it as a mid-range title from the Icelandic developer.

• Q: What is Castle of Heart: Retold?
  A: It is a complete remake and definitive version of the 2018 Nintendo Switch exclusive action platformer, Castle of Heart. It features massively improved graphics, rebalanced combat, and a reimagined story.
• Q: What is the 'curse' mechanic?
  A: The protagonist, Svaran, is cursed to turn to stone. This translates into a unique gameplay mechanic where his health constantly drains like a timer. He must stay aggressive, killing enemies or finding pickups to replenish his health and survive.
• Q: Is it a hard game?
  A: Yes, it is designed to be a challenging 2.5D action platformer, similar in feel to classic games like Super Ghouls and Ghosts. Precision platforming and strategic combat are required.
• Q: What's new in the 'Retold' version?
  A: Almost everything has been enhanced. Most levels are rebuilt, graphics and lighting are overhauled, controls are more responsive, combat is rebalanced to be more tactical, and every line of dialogue and every cutscene has been remade.

• OFFICIAL AND EXTRAPOLATED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS for Echoes of the End. This information is based on the official PC specifications from developers Myrkur Games and publisher Deep Silver, adapted to the requested JSON structure. As an Unreal Engine 5 cinematic adventure game, the requirements are moderate to demanding, with modern hardware recommended for optimal performance. Laptop and future-generation GPU listings are extrapolated based on performance benchmarks.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop versions of the listed desktop GPUs require comparable performance, which is highly dependent on the laptop's TGP (Total Graphics Power) and thermal design. For a cinematic adventure game like Echoes of the End with Iceland-inspired environments, a laptop with sufficient cooling and power delivery is important for maintaining stable performance during exploration and combat sequences.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A reasonable TGP is important to maintain consistent framerates while rendering the detailed Iceland-inspired landscapes, magic effects, and cinematic sequences without throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Unreal Engine 5 can stress both CPU and GPU during intensive scenes. A decent cooling system helps prevent thermal throttling during extended play sessions and demanding traversal sequences.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A capable CPU with good power delivery is needed for handling the game's physics, AI, and world streaming without creating bottlenecks during exploration and combat.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is recommended to reduce input latency and ensure smoother gameplay, which is beneficial for the game's magic and sword-based combat mechanics.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: As a modern Unreal Engine 5 title, the game is expected to support upscaling technologies like NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS to help achieve higher framerates at 1440p and 4K resolutions.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Performance will be impacted by Unreal Engine 5 features including global illumination, reflections, and particle effects for magic abilities. The detailed Iceland-inspired environments may be particularly demanding on GPU resources.
• Game Name: Echoes of the End

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS from the game's Steam page. These specifications are for the rebuilt 'Retold' version and are relatively modest.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will be excellent on modern hardware. Most gaming laptops from the last few years will run the game at high settings without issue.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Not a critical factor for this title, as it is not graphically intensive.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game is not demanding enough to stress modern cooling systems.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Any modern mobile CPU will handle the game with ease.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Not a critical feature, but beneficial for reducing latency in any game.
• Game Name: Castle of Heart: Retold

• Upscaling Tech: As a modern Unreal Engine 5 title, the game is expected to support upscaling technologies like NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS to help achieve higher framerates at 1440p and 4K resolutions.
• Key Settings Impact: Performance will be impacted by Unreal Engine 5 features including global illumination, reflections, and particle effects for magic abilities. The detailed Iceland-inspired environments may be particularly demanding on GPU resources.

• G P U T G P: A reasonable TGP is important to maintain consistent framerates while rendering the detailed Iceland-inspired landscapes, magic effects, and cinematic sequences without throttling.
• Cooling Thermals: Unreal Engine 5 can stress both CPU and GPU during intensive scenes. A decent cooling system helps prevent thermal throttling during extended play sessions and demanding traversal sequences.
• C P U Power Limits: A capable CPU with good power delivery is needed for handling the game's physics, AI, and world streaming without creating bottlenecks during exploration and combat.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is recommended to reduce input latency and ensure smoother gameplay, which is beneficial for the game's magic and sword-based combat mechanics.

• G P U T G P: Not a critical factor for this title, as it is not graphically intensive.
• Cooling Thermals: The game is not demanding enough to stress modern cooling systems.
• C P U Power Limits: Any modern mobile CPU will handle the game with ease.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Not a critical feature, but beneficial for reducing latency in any game.