Publisher Pqube, Pixel Heart and Developer Storybird Studio have announced the sequel to Elite System’s 1988 side scrolling action game Beyond The Ice Palace. Beyond The Ice Palace II was set for release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch and PC within 2024 but as of the announcement it has been delayed to March 13, 2025. Sources at Gematsu indicate that a physical release will only be made available for the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch versions of the game.
Timeextension shares that the original Beyond The Ice Palace was also an action platformer more reminiscent of Ghost ‘n Ghoblins released on the Commodore 64, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, ZX SPectrum, and Amstrad CPC, released to a mixed reception.
The setting of Beyond The Ice Palace II is a dark fantasy world of the ‘Cursed King’. Core gameplay elements center around exploration, solving puzzles and combat. You can use your primary weapon to entwine enemies as well as attach to rings allowing you to make traverse across gaps. Upgrades come by way of fragments of celestial arrows, strengthening your chains for combat abilities like slash and repel. One thing notable about Beyond The Ice Palace II is the soundtrack’s composer Allister Brimble; known for his recent works in The Plucky Squire, PowerWash Simulator as well as his work on XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the RollerCoaster Tycoon series and the Worms series.
Beyond The Ice Palace II is fulfilling the desire for a sequel nearly 36 years after its predecessor. Based on the trailer, the work completed by Storybird Studio looks to be promising. The game appears to be heavily influenced by Castlevania and other modern Metroidvanias. The game is a multigenerational leap beyond the first game and given that the game is multiplatform it may strike the right type of audience seeking the right type of game.