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

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
(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
Australian Editor

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.

Latest in RPG
Minthara BG3 looking upset
Another round of Baldur's Gate 3 unearthing reveals Minthara can end up living in a sewer, an unused beach ending, and more
Person battling bizarre four-eyed monster with stylish UI elements surrounding them
Persona and Metaphor: ReFantazio's UI designer is open to accessibility options for players who find the stylish menus overstimulating: 'That is something we understand we'll need to work on and provide in the future'
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth money farm - Super Crazy Delivery
Like a Dragon series director sums up why sidequests are essential to a great RPG with a single metaphor: 'a good main dish alone will not earn you a Michelin star'
Image of a sweetroll with a candle in it
Bethesda marks Oblivion's 19th with a sweetroll, a candle, and absolutely no happy birthday gift for fans eager for the still-unannounced remaster
Fallout 76 ghoul screenshots
Getting to level 50 in Fallout 76 to become a ghoul actually isn't as daunting as it seems, which is why I created a new character
Koana, a main character in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, stares thoughtfully at a book in his hands.
After a controversial coding slip-up fed stalkers info on their victim's alts, FF14 wipes the slate clean to try and fix its mistakes
Latest in News
Minthara BG3 looking upset
Another round of Baldur's Gate 3 unearthing reveals Minthara can end up living in a sewer, an unused beach ending, and more
A shirtless man rides a big fish underwater
Ark devs distance themselves from AI-generated trailer: 'we did not know that they were doing it'
Team Fortress Spy being shocked
An FPS studio pulled its game from Steam after it got caught linking to malware disguised as a demo, but the dev insists it was actually the victim of a labyrinthine conspiracy
Neighbors Suburban Warfare screenshot a child aims a slingshot at a man from across a cul-de-sac.
A beta of backyard FPS Neighbors: Suburban Warfare is out now, and the balance discussion is hysterical: nerf trash can lids and children
Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer still - woman in the front seat of a car, looking out the back window while holding a wad of cash
The specter of a GTA 6 delay haunts the games industry: 'Some companies are going to tank' if they guess wrong, says analyst
Screenshot from Wreckfest 2
Wreckfest 2 has hit early access for your car-obliterating combat racing enjoyment