RibCage Games has confirmed that their rhythm-action roguelite Alpha Nomos will be released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, following its launch on PC.
The console announcement was accompanied by a new gameplay trailer highlighting one of the game’s musical weapons. Known as the Xyloblades, the weapon consists of two swords modelled after a xylophone. Each successful strike produces a note, allowing players to build a musical performance while fighting their way through an arena. Chaining attacks in time with the rhythm increases their effectiveness as protagonist Cello battles groups of corrupted puppets.
Alpha Nomos applies its rhythm system to attacks, dodges and abilities. Players who remain on-beat will deal more damage, while falling out of rhythm can make encounters more punishing. Its weapons have been created using live studio recordings instead of sounds taken from a sample library.
RibCage Games CTO Emil Lager said the studio placed considerable importance on preserving the sound of the musicians behind each weapon recording.
We recorded every weapon with real players in a real room. You can hear someone’s hands in it. That mattered more to us than almost anything else, and it’s what we wanted people on console to hear
The combat and soundtrack can also be modified through audio-effect powerups. Reverb, Flanger and Delay are among seven effects planned for the full release, with each one changing both Cello’s abilities and the sound of the music. The game uses FMOD to adjust its mix in response to the player’s actions.
Its roguelite structure will see players fight through advancing arenas while collecting upgrades that carry between runs. The original soundtrack has been composed by Totem Warriors and recorded live to operate within the game’s rhythm systems.
Alpha Nomos takes place in a world where time and space have collapsed. Cello travels through abandoned cities and a corrupted circus while searching for the cause of the destruction and attempting to discover what happened to her friends. During the journey, she will also begin to understand what music is. RibCage Games describes the game’s visual style as “puppetcore”, combining clown-like faces, empty streets and environments that become increasingly unsettling. Enemies encountered throughout the world are puppets that were once part of something whole.
RibCage Games CEO Itamar Berner said the console versions form part of the studio’s effort to make Alpha Nomos available to a wider audience.
We always wanted to put Alpha Nomos in front of as many people as possible. Bringing it to every console is how we get there, so anyone who wants to pick up a controller and feel the beat can
