The publishers PQube Games and PixelHeart are partnering up with the Ganryu 2 and Golden Force developer Storybird Studio to release Beyond the Ice Palace II — a new sequel to the 1988 Commodore 64 game Beyond the Ice Palace.
The original Beyond the Ice Palace was an action platformer from Elite Systems that was reminiscent of Ghosts 'n Goblins, and focused on the adventures of a hero who is summoned by a magic arrow to restore balance to a warring land. In addition to the C64, it was also released for the Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC, receiving a somewhat mixed reception from media outlets.
It's not exactly clear how this sequel will tie into these previous events, though a short story synopsis provided with the announcement reveals that you will be playing as "a cursed king" on a mission to reclaim your rightful throne.
The announcement was made last week, but somehow managed to slip us by at the time. Nevertheless, it looks to be pretty promising from the trailer, with the game clearly taking a lot of inspiration from the Castlevania series and other more modern Metroidvanias, with plenty of epic boss fights to beat, secrets to find, and upgrades to unlock.
Beyond the Ice Palace II will be released across Nintendo Switch, PC (via Steam), Xbox Series X|S, and PS5, and is expected to launch later this year. There will also be physical editions for Nintendo Switch & PS5. We'll keep you posted once we know more.