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Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£9.99View Summer Game Fest New games for 2025 Upcoming Switch 2 games Switch 2 stock Recommended reading Action RPGs Oblivion Remastered is cool, Clair Obscur is good, but I just want this bizarre Legend of Zelda disciple that emerged from the sea of RPGs like a fish with legs Adventure Games Shovel Knight devs unveil the demo and release date for the Castlevania meets Zelda: Link's Awakening game I've wanted for years, and I can tell you it's every bit as good as that pedigree suggests The Legend of Zelda It's been 32 years since The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening launched, but the Switch remake makes it feel like yesterday I said I wouldn't play anything until I beat Oblivion: Remastered, but this Elder Scrolls-inspired AA RPG with stellar Steam reviews is mighty tempting: "Skyrim in a world that looks like Elden Ring, without the Souls-like difficulty" Survival Horror Games Deep Sleep: Labyrinth of the Forsaken puts an Inception spin on PS1-era survival horror games, and I totally get why it's winning pre-launch awards Adventure Games This indie mashup of Zelda and Studio Ghibli is gorgeous, though its creator didn't want to "mimic" the iconic animation studio, but to "find out what makes it special, and recreate those watercolor movies in a game" Platforming Games Naughty Dog won't do it, so this AAA dev and his wife made their own Jak & Daxter-inspired retro platformer – it feels great and crushed its Kickstarter goal Action RPGs My dream The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time successor is finally playable in Steam Next Fest, and I'm pleased to report it nails the Nintendo 64 vibes Oscar Taylor-Kent 12 June 2025 Within minutes I had that classic Zelda N64 feeling when playing the Azaran: Islands of the Jinn demo – this 90s homage feels like a homecoming When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Benji) I'm not made of stone, of course I loved The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – yet at the same time, I do dearly miss the dungeon-heavy adventures of old. Which is why, playing Azaran: Islands of the Jinn during Steam Next Fest, I was overjoyed to find out it's a 3D adventure that pays direct homage to that classic Nintendo 64 Zelda structure. Indeed, squint while you look at Azaran: Islands of the Jinn, developed by Benji, and you'd be forgiven for thinking you were looking at The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Azaran definitely has its own unique twists and designs, but its heart piece is one that beats for those classics. You can play a chunk of the game's opening dungeon for yourself as well (check out our Steam Next Fest guide for more on this season's demo hunting). Great fairy's mask (Image credit: Benji) Wrecked in an archipelago and on the hunt for a magical astrolabe, the demo for Azaran: Islands of the Jinn throws you into the tutorial dungeon with nary an item to your name. Which mean this opening slice plays out like a lot of early Zelda dungeons, having you track down simple items to unravel your route through the dungeon. Eventually, though, I pick up both a sword and shield, a bow, and some bombs – Azaran throws a lot at you quickly, meaning I wonder how it will be paced past this point. You may like Oblivion Remastered is cool, Clair Obscur is good, but I just want this bizarre Legend of Zelda disciple that emerged from the sea of RPGs like a fish with legs Shovel Knight devs unveil the demo and release date for the Castlevania meets Zelda: Link's Awakening game I've wanted for years, and I can tell you it's every bit as good as that pedigree suggests It's been 32 years since The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening launched, but the Switch remake makes it feel like yesterday Plenty scratches that Zelda itch, from the puzzle design to the little roll you can do as you run around, and even the way the camera acts when you walk from room to room. In combat, the lock-on even feels an awful lot like Z-targeting in the Nintendo 64 Zelda games. Even the sound design has a crunchy, compressed edge. I love it. Yet, at the same time, the Arabian-nights style theming gives Azaran it s own personality, and a friendly approach to how arrows, bombs, and the like are doled out keeps things moving. I do wish there was a map, though, which seems curiously absent in the demo. While this opening dungeon ends right before what seems to be its final boss, teasing the full experience, there is a mini-boss encounter. It's a fun encounter with a bit of a gimmick to it beyond the shield-blocking and sword-slashing that you use to deal with other enemies. Spinning around, it's a bomb-flinging jar. Having to pick up the exploding projectiles and throw them back in feels like peak 90s boss design to me, which is exactly what Azaran is going for. (Image credit: Benji) There's still a lot I don't know about Azaran, but this short but sweet opening dungeon is off to a promising start. Just having the controller in my hands and running around the space felt like a homecoming to the Nintendo 64 style classic games of old – and exactly what I've been craving modern Zelda returns to for a long time. That's why I ended up spending over $400 on a Nintendo Switch 2, after all – just to play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker again. I can't wait to see more from Azaran – which promises lots more dungeons and items, and a "tropical-themed" overworld. Azaran: Islands of the Jinn launches on PC at a date to be announced. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You can play the RPG that inspired Undertale during Steam Next Fest and it even features the work of Toby Fox himself See more PC Gaming News Steam Next Fest Oscar Taylor-Kent Social Links Navigation Games Editor Games Editor Oscar Taylor-Kent brings his Official PlayStation Magazine and PLAY knowledge to continue to revel in all things capital 'G' games. A noted PS Vita apologist, he's always got his fingers on many buttons, having also written for Edge, PC Gamer, SFX, Official Xbox Magazine, Kotaku, Waypoint, GamesMaster, PCGamesN, and Xbox, to name a few. When not knee deep in character action games, he loves to get lost in an epic story across RPGs and visual novels. Recent favourites? Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree, 1000xResist, and Metaphor: ReFantazio! Rarely focused entirely on the new, the call to return to retro is constant, whether that's a quick evening speed through Sonic 3 & Knuckles or yet another Jakathon through Naughty Dog's PS2 masterpieces. 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Oblivion Remastered is cool, Clair Obscur is good, but I just want this bizarre Legend of Zelda disciple that emerged from the sea of RPGs like a fish with legs Shovel Knight devs unveil the demo and release date for the Castlevania meets Zelda: Link's Awakening game I've wanted for years, and I can tell you it's every bit as good as that pedigree suggests It's been 32 years since The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening launched, but the Switch remake makes it feel like yesterday I said I wouldn't play anything until I beat Oblivion: Remastered, but this Elder Scrolls-inspired AA RPG with stellar Steam reviews is mighty tempting: "Skyrim in a world that looks like Elden Ring, without the Souls-like difficulty" Deep Sleep: Labyrinth of the Forsaken puts an Inception spin on PS1-era survival horror games, and I totally get why it's winning pre-launch awards This indie mashup of Zelda and Studio Ghibli is gorgeous, though its creator didn't want to "mimic" the iconic animation studio, but to "find out what makes it special, and recreate those watercolor movies in a game" Latest in Action RPGs Stellar Blade beats God of War and Ghost of Tsushima to become PlayStation's most-popular single-player Steam launch As Stellar Blade PC gets booted off the Steam Next Fest charts, a sci-fi FPS that's everything I actually wanted from Starfield is rising up to take its place Starving husband collectors declare victory as Zenless Zone Zero adds a buff furry guy with pecs so big they jiggle like pudding: "I’ll take 6 of them, thank you" Yoko Taro jokes maybe he shouldn't have done the Nikke x Nier: Automata collab after all as cosplayers are now dressing up as Shift Up's characters instead of his own Elden Ring Nightreign player beats the final boss solo using nothing but a bell, after presumably giving the guy tinnitus by ringing it so many times Elden Ring Nighreign patch makes the Nightlords fight fair, stopping one from tanking your framerate and another from performing a combo of "72 consecutive attacks" Latest in News Superman star to lead new season of Jake Gyllenhaal's Apple TV crime drama Hollow Knight: Silksong dev deals psychic damage, hinting at future "DLC" for the Metroidvania which fans aren't convinced won't "turn into a full-fledged game that takes 8 years to develop" Apple takes inspiration from controller haptics as it rolls out new F1 trailer that makes your phone vibrate with the race cars – but you need an iPhone to get the full experience Stellar Blade beats God of War and Ghost of Tsushima to become PlayStation's most-popular single-player Steam launch The previews for Death Stranding 2 are so good, Hideo Kojima's worried too many people will like it: "Maybe this is a problem" As Splatoon 3 gets a Switch 2 upgrade, Switch 1 players see a visual downgrade to "reduce differences in game operation speed as much as possible" GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS Splitgate 2 review: "A slick and enjoyable free-to-play FPS, but a disappointing sequel" Date Everything review: "A masterclass in character design full of wonderful faces I love meeting, but juggling so many means sacrificing depth" Deltarune review: "This Undertale successor is an unapologetically weird RPG epic, where each chapter is a new canvas that doesn't have to conform to any rigid rules, style, or logic" Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege X review: "Bigger, better, and more user friendly than it's ever been – it's the perfect time to dive in" Lost in Random: The Eternal Die review: "This sequel's roguelike shift squanders the potential of its Burton-like world, yet I can't stop rolling the die for one more go" Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation" From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu" Karate Kid: Legends review: "Better than Karate Kid (2010), nothing on Karate Kid (1984)" Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning review: "Wraps up this spy franchise in spectacular style with Tom Cruise in peak condition, even if its villain lacks terror" Final Destination Bloodlines Review: "Meticulous murderous mayhem" Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling" Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision Rick and Morty season 8 review: "Largely plays it too safe after years of crossing boundaries" Doctor Who season 2, episode 6 spoiler review: 'The Interstellar Song Contest' is "a blast and sets the stage for a thrilling season finale" Doctor Who season 2, episode 5 spoiler review: 'The Story & The Engine' is "one of the most original and ambitious episodes this show has produced in years" GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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