Dance could be considered an underrated form of artistic expression, so it is great to see it featured in video games. Dance has the power to heal. Mentari was announced today; it is an action-adventure game with a dance-based combat system. In its world, dancers are seen as second-class citizens. It is a coming-of-age story about self-discovery, connection, and healing.
Developer stellarNull is an Indonesian development team that focuses on creating unique experiences. (Mentari does seem different from today’s violent action games.) The team loves retro gaming and is inspired by nostalgic, classic gaming eras — think Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the original PlayStation. It is still early days, but in the trailer, it seems that Mentari uses classic gameplay (minus the dance part, which is certainly not a classic combat technique) and graphics that retro-contemporary. There’s an eerie atmosphere created by muted colours, but it also seems like it could be soothing.
Mentari is about healing the world through movement and connection — no destruction is required. Only one girl can fix that world frozen by The Stillness. Guide the titular heroine, Mentari, across the Bead Isles. The people that Mentari heal from The Stillness along the way will open new paths and uncover secrets.
She uses dance-based powers to restore life to the archipelago. As you progress, unlock new dance moves to customize your choreography. In time, there will be hundreds of possible combinations. Mentari will heal through dance, not combat, and dodge rejection attacks on her path to restoring the Bead Isles.
Developed by stellarNull and published by indie.io, Mentari will be released for PC via Steam. No launch information, including a release date, has been announced.
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