Dark Savior

What if your decisions changed not just the ending but literally the whole world in which the story takes place? Dark Savior from 1996 by studio Climax, creators of the cult Landstalker, builds on exactly this idea and makes it its most striking asset. It is an isometric action-adventure with RPG elements whose true originality lies hidden in its narrative structure.

The hero Garian is transporting a dangerous prisoner to an island fortress, and depending on how he behaves and what he manages to do, a different version of events unlocks. The game works with a system of so-called parallel worlds: there are five distinct story branches you move between based on the player's actions. So it isn't just one story with several endings but several full-fledged variants of the same adventure that complement one another and reward repeated playthroughs.

In terms of gameplay Dark Savior follows the legacy of Landstalker, which was famous for combining an isometric view with platform jumping. Isometric jumping tends to be treacherous in such games because the perception of depth deceives, yet at the same time it lends combat and exploration a distinctive rhythm. Fights, puzzles and cautious traversal of the environment together form an experience firmly rooted in the nineties school of action-adventures.

On the Saturn the title stayed mostly under the radar of the wider public, and today fans rightly call it underrated. Its branching-structure idea was ambitious at a time when most games offered a single linear path, and it is precisely this courage to experiment that makes it an intriguing piece for anyone who enjoys unconventional storytelling.

Why play: For the unusual system of five parallel story worlds that rewards repeated playthroughs and sets Dark Savior apart from the ordinary action-adventures of its time.