Japanese developer crim just dropped a brand-new game based on its cult classic action-adventure El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, but with a rather unexpected twist. Elshaddai Zero Nine Reversi, available on the Google Play and Apple App Store for free, is exactly what it says the tin – an elaborate El Shaddai spin-off with Reversi mechanics, developed by series creator Sawaki Takeyasu himself just in time for the title’s 15th anniversary.
According to Takeyasu, the game follows the story of Lucifel, who, after completing his journey with Enoch, confronts Archangel Michael over a game of Reversi, tasked with bringing order to the chaos-ridden world. During the game, the two share a casual chat, reminiscing over many different episodes which took place in the El Shaddai universe.
The gameplay itself is based around Reversi, with a couple of twists to the classic game’s mechanics. All pieces are assigned health points from 0 to 9 (hence the name Zero Nine Reversi), losing 1 HP per flip. The piece is removed from the board once its HP reaches 0. Furthermore, special new rules are introduced to the base game, some of which allow you to place pieces freely on the board, or even remove corner pieces (which are arguably the most important in a game of Reversi). The game also comes in five different difficulty modes, and features a variety of different game board sizes, including an irregular cross-shaped board.
Interestingly, the game also features a “story mode,” letting players unlock bits and pieces of lore as they progress. As Takeyasu hints, there may be some new bits and pieces to discover about El Shaddai’s lore and characters through Lucifel and Michael’s banter.
That being said, El Shaddai’s comeback as a board game-based mobile app probably wasn’t on anyone’s bucket list. And apparently,the reason why Takeyasu decided to create something so out of left field for the title’s 15th anniversary was to combine “free-to-play” and “easy to understand” gameplay that gives newcomers an overview of the original game’s lore, while still making it a treat for long-time fans.
Elshaddai Zero Nine Reversi is available for free via Google Play and the Apple App Store.
