Deal | Steam: Action adventure with unique fire sword mechanic (91% positive) drops below $2 for the first time

A warrior with a flaming sword and a Mist that devours nearly everything – Nocturnal might not sound all that unique at first, but it delivers this setup in a stylish and atmospheric 2D sidescroller. The fire sword isn’t just for effect – it’s central to the gameplay. Developed by Sunnyside Games, the action-adventure follows Ardeshir, a soldier of the Eternal Flame, who returns to his homeland after years away to find it swallowed by a dark, creeping Mist. Luckily, the Mist responds to fire – and it’s up to Ardeshir to drive it back and restore his homeland.

Ardeshir’s sword acts as a weapon, shield and key all in one. Every strike sets it ablaze, driving back the Mist, opening new paths and creating safe ground. But once the flame dies down, the Mist returns – so standing still is not an option. Combat is quick and direct, with enemies rising from the Mist and needing to be dealt with swiftly before it closes in. Fallen foes drop ashes, which can be used at phoenix statues to unlock new abilities and upgrades.

In its German review, PlayFront gave Nocturnal an 8 out of 10. The testers highlighted the game’s unique fire mechanic, atmospheric visuals and smooth, challenging gameplay. However, they criticized the lack of a tutorial and felt that some mechanics were a bit unclear. The story also stays relatively shallow. On Metacritic, the game holds a Metascore of 81 and a User Score of 7.3. On Steam, it has around 500 reviews – 91% of them positive. Handheld players are covered too: according to Steam, the game is “Verified” on the Steam Deck (which currently sells for about $570 on Amazon).

First time hitting 90% off

Nocturnal was released by Dear Villagers in May 2023 and usually costs around $17 on Steam. According to SteamDB, previous discounts went up to 80%, but the latest sale goes even further. For the first time, the game is 90% off, dropping the price to about $1.70. The deal is available until February 2.

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.