Cult psychedelic action game El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is coming to PC

(Image credit: Ignition)

Released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2011, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron was a gorgeous (albeit polarising) anime-style action game that has been wanting for a PC port for a very long time. Well, that time is soon: Japanese studio Crim has confirmed that it's currently working on a Steam version.

The news comes via the game's original director Sawaki Takeyasu, who humbly confirmed the Crim port is in development on Twitter. No release window was announced, but players will be able to switch between English and Japanese audio and subtitles via a launcher.

Crim is a studio operated by Sawaki Takeyasu. It acquired the El Shaddai series from its former publisher, Ignition Entertainment, in 2013. Back then there was vague talk about a continuation for the series, and it did spawn a spin-off in the form of Crim-developed The Lost Child, which released for PlayStation consoles in 2018 but has yet to spawn a PC port. But when it comes to mainline El Shaddai games, this PC port is the first strong hint of a revitalisation for the series since the acquisition.

And it definitely deserves attention. While reviews were divided, nearly everyone is in agreement that its art style was fantastic, and there's really nothing else that looks like El Shaddai in action. Check out some PS3 footage below, and pour one out for another console exclusive saved from terminal obscurity.

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.