Owlboy Dev Reveals Action-Packed Remaster of Its Little-Known First Game, Savant – Ascent

Owlboy developer D-Pad Studio is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its debut title with Savant – Ascent Anniversary Edition, a remastered version of the team’s original shoot ’em up platformer that is set to come to PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, and mobile devices summer 2023. D-Pad revealed the celebratory project today with a trailer that highlights its animated gothic visuals. Thankfully, the original experience seems to be intact, with this version simply offering a way for players to check out an upgraded view of the experience that got the Owlboy developer started. See the Savant – Ascent Anniversary Edition reveal trailer for a good look at its gameplay below.

D-Pad says that this new version “enhances the game in every way.” That means new abilities, new bosses, and a Survival Mode for players who played the original game when it launched in 2013. Every hellish encounter is set on top of fitting tunes that players can customize by collecting music and creating a soundtrack full of bops and remixes.

“Our studio is well-known for creating Owlboy, but I think a lot of people don’t realise that we released a game before that,” D-Pad artist and Owlboy creator Simon Stafsnes Andersen said in a statement. “Savant – Ascent Anniversary Edition is a fantastic way to introduce that title to a new audience and offer a completely revamped experience for fans of the old title. I hope everyone enjoys trying out the game that birthed D-Pad Studio when it launches this summer.”

You can wishlist Savant – Ascent Anniversary Edition on Steam now, but a list of specific mobile platforms has yet to be confirmed, so stay tuned for updates from D-Pad. This is the kind of game that is a gameplay experience above all else, but you can read a bit more about its story in the synopsis below:

In Savant – Ascent Anniversary Edition, you play as the Alchemist, who’s been cast down from his tower by an unknown force. Your goal is to ascend back to the top, with your movement limited at all times to two platforms, be they moving elevators or space debris. By using rapid volleys of magic missiles to take out attacking enemies and precise dashes and jumps to move between the two platforms, you must try to survive the deadly journey back to the summit.

Simultaneously, D-Pad is developing the beautiful and silly Vikings on Trampolines.