Akatori Is A New 2D Action Title With A Martial Arts & Staff-Heavy Flair

The indie PC gaming landscape maybe chock-full of metroidvanias and search action games, but seeing Contrast Games’ new title Akatori puts it in a whole new light.

For one: its pixel graphics. They’re beautifully animated, cheery and bright, as well as tapping into Buddhist-style mysticism as it takes place in a martial arts-tailored fantasy setting. You play as Mako as she uses her monk fighting style and staff to go from left to right (and up to down, and vice versa) to help fight off the Amber Storm that is threatening her people in Firebird Temple.

The 30-minute demo we were given early by the developers showcased a few stages, from a vertical-savvy tree and mountain region filled with platforming and hazards, to a chase sequence as Mako swims away from a sea serpent. The level is capped off with a demon bee boss fight in an ethereal realm, where we use all of Mako’s moveset and agility to dodge and counterattack the bug onslaught. While the controls are floaty and takes time to get used to, especially with some slight startup on her fast moves, it is serviceable in the grand scheme of things as enemies are just as slow and accomodating enough to complement the difficulty.

Akatori seems less fast-paced when compared to its search action contemporaries, but that’s part of its mystical charm and aesthetic. Check out the full gameplay below:

Akatori is slated for a 2026 release for PC (Steam).