Vernal Edge

About

Vernal Edge is a 2D Metroidvania that mixes fast combat with precise platforming and a story about clashing with a corrupt religious order. You play as Vernal, a fighter with a grudge against her exiled father, navigating floating islands in a skybound kingdom. Partnering with a forgetful robot named Chervil, you’ll upgrade abilities to access new areas while battling Church of Aloe forces. The game emphasizes momentum-based fighting and exploration, with secrets hidden behind environmental puzzles and tough boss fights. The game’s challenge stands out, both in gameplay and unlocks. Its 16 achievements have an average unlock rate of 11.7%, with the hardest requiring a 1.40% success rate. Released in 2023, it runs on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox, PC, and Switch. The floating island design and father-daughter conflict add layers to the action, though the story leans more on character drive than worldbuilding. Shorter players might find the combat loop repetitive, but fans of tight controls and Metroidvania progression will appreciate the risk-reward pacing.

Storyline

The Kingdom of Haricot stands out as a complete mystery as 20 years before the event of the story, it inexplicably took to the skies, turning into a series of disconnected floating islands, allowing the power-hungry Church of Aloe to take hold of the land. Entering Haricot by sneaking on one of the Church’s aircrafts, Vernal has a personal disdain for the Church and its agents. She is an independant adventurer, travelling through Haricot as she searches for revenge on her long-gone deadbeat dad. Blessed with an abnormal martial prowess and helped by the amnesiac automaton Chervil, she goes through the different islands of the Kingdom with her own aircraft.