Game: Fallen Tear: The Ascension
Developer: Winter Crew Studios (Philippines)
Genre: Hand-Drawn Metroidvania
Status: 1.0 — out now on Steam
Price: $24.99 · £21.99 · €24.99 · 10% off for 14 days
Early Access: March 2026 – September 2026
Length: 35–40 hrs story · 80+ hrs completion
Reception: Very Positive in Early Access
⚔️ Fallen Tear: The Ascension has reached 1.0. Winter Crew Studios’ hand-drawn, JRPG-inspired Metroidvania leaves Early Access with a conclusion to Hira’s story — and roughly double the content it had before. There’s a 10% launch discount running for 14 days.
⚖️ In This Metroidvania, Your Movement Upgrades Are People
Metroidvanias run on gated progression: you find an item, the item grants an ability, and the ability opens a door you walked past three hours ago. It’s a formula that has worked for decades.
Fallen Tear changes where those abilities come from. Its Fated Bonds system has you forging relationships with allies across the world of Raoah, and each one grants distinct combat and traversal abilities.
So the thing unlocking the map isn’t a relic in a chest — it’s a person you chose to bring into your story. And because the game has multiple endings shaped by the bonds you form, the same decisions that determine where you can go also determine how the story ends.
Progression and narrative are the same system. That’s an elegant way to build a Metroidvania around JRPG storytelling, and it’s what makes this one worth a look.
A child fated to stand against ancient gods
Hand-drawn animation, full voice acting, 80+ hours for completionists — and it’s the studio’s first original game.
Independent developer Winter Crew Studios has released Fallen Tear: The Ascension in 1.0 on Steam for $24.99 / €24.99 / £21.99, with a 10% launch discount running for 14 days.
The hand-drawn, story-driven Metroidvania launched into Early Access in March 2026 and earned a Very Positive rating from players during that period. The full release brings the journey of Hira — a mysterious child fated to stand against ancient gods in the high-fantasy world of Raoah — to its conclusion.
1.0 Roughly Doubles the Game
10New Regions
21New Bosses
11New Fated Bonds
3New Ascensions
26New Skills
📦 Everything Added at Full Release
Winter Crew say 1.0 roughly doubles the content available during Early Access, and the breakdown backs that up:
• 10 additional major regions with interconnected areas
• 5 new main bosses and 16 new optional side bosses
• 11 new Fated Bonds, each with their own abilities and story moments
• 3 additional Ascensions for Hira’s progression
• 6 new Hunter Skills, 4 new Elemental Imbuements, and 16 new Mastery Skills across Tier III and Tier IV
The result is 35 to 40 hours of story content, rising to more than 80 hours for players chasing full completion — a lot of game for $24.99.
Key Features
🤝 Fated Bonds
Allies across Raoah, each granting unique combat and traversal abilities that change how you fight and explore.
🖌️ Hand-Drawn World
Lush forests, lost cities and forgotten ruins in traditional hand-drawn animation, with full voice acting.
⚔️ Skill-Based Combat
Slash, parry and dodge through Ascension and Hunter skill trees, switching tactics mid-fight.
🏛️ The Temple of Oras
Customise a personal hub high above Raoah and fill it with the allies you’ve met.
Shaped by Early Access
“Fallen Tear: The Ascension has grown tremendously through the support and feedback of our Early Access community. Their input helped us refine the combat, deepen the Fated Bonds and shape the journey we wanted players to experience. With the full story now in place, we’re excited to finally share the world, characters and conclusion we’ve been working toward with players everywhere.”
— Stephen Manalastas, Creative Director, Winter Crew Studios
🇵🇭 A Debut Original Game From the PhilippinesWinter Crew Studios is the original game development team under CMD Studios, based in the Philippines and founded in 2020.
Fallen Tear is the studio’s debut original title — but not the team’s first rodeo. Through CMD Studios they’ve worked with international clients ranging from AAA game developers to world-class animation studios, which goes some way to explaining how a first game arrives with this much hand-drawn animation and full voice acting attached.
For a debut to exit Early Access at Very Positive with 80+ hours of content is a genuinely strong result.
Languages and Availability
📅 Out Now on Steam · $24.99 / £21.99 / €24.99
Fallen Tear: The Ascension is available now on Steam, with a 10% launch discount for 14 days.
It ships with full audio in English and text localisation in English, German, Brazilian Portuguese and Simplified Chinese. Winter Crew say Spanish, French, Italian, Turkish, Korean and Japanese will follow after launch.
Hi there! I’m Marie, also known as CtrlQueen. I’m passionate about keeping up with the latest in gaming news and sharing my insights. RPGs steal my heart with their rich narratives and immersive worlds, but I also love unwinding with fun, casual games. Whether you’re here for deep dives into game mechanics or just to chat about your favorite casual game, you’ve found the right place! Let’s game and explore together.
