Atari’s Bold Move: Releasing a Metroidvania on Silksong’s Launch Day
▼ Summary
– Several indie games rescheduled their releases to avoid competing with Hollow Knight: Silksong’s launch on September 4.
– Adventure of Samsara, a challenging Metroidvania game, released on the same day and achieved a peak of only 12 concurrent players.
– Despite its low player count, the game received positive feedback for its graphics, movement, and combat mechanics.
– The game’s poor performance is attributed to its release timing and minimal promotional efforts by publisher Atari.
– Professional reviews for Adventure of Samsara were scarce but favorable, with scores of 8 and 7 from two outlets.
The gaming world witnessed a remarkable clash of release dates when Hollow Knight: Silksong launched on September 4, drawing immense attention and causing many smaller titles to postpone their debuts. In a surprising turn, Atari chose to stand its ground, releasing the challenging Metroidvania Adventure of Samsara on the very same day. While Silksong attracted over half a million players within hours, Samsara’s peak concurrent player count reached a mere twelve, a stark contrast that raises questions about timing, marketing, and the brutal realities of the indie game market.
Developed by Brazilian studio Ilex Games, Adventure of Samsara is a hardcore platformer inspired by classic Castlevania titles, featuring detailed pixel art, responsive combat, and a weighty sense of movement. Despite its clear qualities and positive reception from the few who played it, the game found itself overshadowed by one of the most anticipated sequels in recent memory. Early Steam reviews describe it as “wonderful” and “awesome,” while professional outlets like Video Chums and Nintendo Life awarded it scores of 8 and 7 respectively, praise that went largely unnoticed.
The decision to launch against Silksong appears puzzling, especially given the lack of promotional support from publisher Atari. No significant marketing campaign, press releases, or visible hype accompanied the game’s arrival. Announced just three months prior, it slipped quietly onto consoles and PC with little more than a whisper. This stands in sharp contrast to the thunderous reception for Silksong, leaving many to wonder whether a different launch window could have offered Samsara the recognition it deserved.
It’s possible that more copies sold than the player count suggests, with buyers opting to try Silksong first. Still, the numbers tell a sobering story. In a different month, this well-crafted Soulslike experience might have found its audience. For now, it remains an underappreciated gem, a casualty of unfortunate timing and minimal visibility. We’ve reached out to both Ilex Games and Atari for comment and will provide updates if more details emerge.
(Source: Kotaku)
