PlatinumGames' upcoming classic arcade shooterSol Crestahas finally been announced for release. Born from an April Fool’s joke,Sol Cresta’sdifficult birth has already yielded a promising release with lots of attention.
A previous untimely delay toSol Crestaleft expectant fans disappointed, but the time gap appears to have been forgiven by gamers and improved the game’s expansive progression. A recent livestream from the PlatinumGames' official YouTube channel demonstrated new gameplay in action including previously unrevealed stages from the game, stepping up the hype.
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Over the course of the two-hour livestream, the excited developers announcedSol Crestawill be released on February 22, highlighting the special number pattern affectionately known as “Two’s Day.” PC, Switch, and PS4 owners will all have the opportunity to play, and the $40 price, which is considerably low for a game coming from an AAA studio, should be enough to entice even casual players. The visual design is intended to appeal to retro gaming fans both new and old, with the most notable comparisons tolong-lasting arcade classics likeGalagathat have impacted worlds beyond gaming.
Beginning with one ship and gradually upgrading to three ships, all rendered infaux 16-bit style for that retro arcade feel,Sol Cresta’s constant barrage of bullets and baddies means players' skills will be tested. Player ships can be merged together or separated at will in a method called “Formations,” with limited boosters depending on the type of attack patterns being used at any one time while enemy ships are relentlessly returning fire. Stage 3 gameplay also showed off the varied power-ups that gradually accumulate as more enemies are destroyed and bonuses are collected.
PlatinumGames' proud history also contains the backdrop for the “free-form docking” system, a feature lifted from previous classic titles likeMoon CrestaandTerra Cresta. The cult status of the two pre-existing games meant a lot of hype was generated withSolCresta’s announcement on June 24, 2025, even after it was revealed as an April Fool’s prank. This subsequently led toPlatinumGames deciding to go ahead withSol Cresta, which will complete the trilogy after a 36-year gap.
Elements from the originalCrestaseries have been preserved very well to win favor with fans of the series such as sound design and enemy types, but PlatinumGames has also made sure to create a beautiful interface for modern consoles and PCs to hopefully win over interested first time players.
Sol Crestais slated to release on February 22 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Switch.
