What is widely considered one of the best indie games of all time is now completely free to download on the Epic Games Store for the next seven days. From week to week, the quality of the free titles that Epic Games gives away on its PC storefront tends to vary wildly. While Epic occasionally hands out some truly fantastic titles, more often than not, each week’s rotation tends to be somewhat forgettable. Fortunately, to kick off September, Epic happens to be handing out one of the better games that the platform has seen in quite some time. ย
What’s Free on the Epic Games Store This Week?
Beginning today, August 31, and lasting until September 7, Cave Story+ is free to own in perpetuity on the Epic Games Store. Originally released all the way back in 2004, the original Cave Story went on to become one of the first major indie titles to come about and helped establish the burgeoning market. Since then, it has been re-released as Cave Story+, which features various improvements that weren’t seen in the first version of the title. Despite being somewhat dated by this point, Cave Story is still looked back upon fondly by many and boasts an impressive 89/100 aggregate score on Metacritic.ย
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What Is Cave Story?ย
In short, Cave Story is a 2D Metroidvania that is meant to harken back to titles from the NES and SNES era. The game is very fast-paced and gives players the ability to use a variety of different weapons to take down foes. Given that this is a Metroidvania game, Cave Story has quite a bit in common with franchises such as Metroid and Castlevania. As such, those who are fans of these games should definitely look to give Cave Story a shot if they haven’t already played it.ย
You can learn more about Cave Story from its official description here:
“Arguably the most well-known indie game of all time, Cave Story features a completely original storyline wrapped with personality, mystery and hours of fast-paced fun. Cave Story is an action-adventure game from the critically acclaimed independent designer, Daisuke Amaya–or Pixel to his fans. Overflowing with unmatched charm and character, Cave Story takes you into a rare world where a curious race of innocent rabbit-like creatures, called Mimigas, run free.
You wake up in a dark cave with no memory of who you are, where you came from or why you’re in such a place. Uncovering Mimiga Village you discover that the once-carefree Mimigas are in danger at the hands of a maniacal scientist. The Mimigas’ only hope rest squarely on the shoulders of a quiet, amnesiac boy who can’t remember his own name.
Run, jump, shoot, fly and explore your way through a massive action-adventure reminiscent of classic 8- and 16-bit games. Take control and learn the origins of this world’s power, stop the delusional villain and save the Mimiga! “
