It is often said that if you remember the sixties, you weren’t really there. The same cannot be said of the eighties, which has been highly romanticised in many popular works such as Gone Home and Stranger Things. Crossing Souls is a Zelda styled action RPG was originally funded via Kickstarter in 2016, and is the latest game to provide homage to the beloved decade, providing dozens of subtle and blatant references to TV shows, books and video games that die hard 80’s fans will love.

The story of Crossing Souls is designed to be like a kids television show from that era, even having the artefacts that usually appear on recordings made on video cassette, commonly known as VHS. At the beginning of the summer holidays, five young pre teens uncover a mysterious stone which unlocks the ability to see the spirits of the dead. By uncovering the artefact, they unknowingly attract the attention of a powerful military organisation, who are determined to retrieve the stone by any means necessary. The storyline stays true to the style of family entertainment at the game, with a ruthless lead villain, hard headed emotionless minions and goofy antagonists who are more comedic than threatening. Despite the family friendly approach, there is quite a bit of adult language which heavily suggests that this is meant for adults who lived through the era.