DEV DIARY: Kristala Turns Up the Volume with Metal Artist Kasey Karlsen

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KRISTALA TAKES SOUND IMMERSION TO A NEW LEVEL WITH DEV DIARY RELEASE - WATCH HERE

Kasey Karlsen and Jessie Grace Uncover The Use Of Heavy Metal Influences To Create The Most Immersive Game Sound Design And Score Yet.



Los Angeles, CA (February, 12, 2026) – Today, Kristala, the upcoming dark fantasy from Astral Clocktower Studios, unveils the fourth installment of its Dev Diary series, The Sounds of a Cursed World - watch HERE. The latest digital diary explores the game’s immersive sound design and the voices behind its characters, featuring heavy metal icon and musician Kasey Karlsen.

Alongside Kasey, the diary spotlights contributions from lead vocalists David Simonich, Joey Sourlis, Jessie Grace (Full Metal Jessie), and Paxton Grizzle, who brought Kristala’s cursed enemies and bosses to life with guttural screams and growls.

“I think Saphael’s design really did it for me because I’m a very visual person,” said Kasey when discussing her approach to voicing one of the game’s bosses. “You can tell she’s tethered to something deeply painful. I tried to convey that while she may be evil, she’s also someone who is suffering.”

Metal influences extend beyond the characters’ voices and into Kristala’s score, shaping a world that doesn’t just look alive, but sounds alive.

“Hearing those gritty, distorted screams and roars really gave me the confidence to push metal influences in the soundtrack, especially during boss fights,” said Kristala composer Adeel Jafree. “It’s been really fun leaning into those inspirations to create hard-hitting drums and driving rhythm guitar sections that heighten the intensity.”

Set in the unforgiving realm of Ailur, the title combines the swift, punishing combat of Dark Souls and Sekiro with a dynamic difficulty system. This system adapts to your performance, adjusting in real-time to your wins or failures. Elements such as enemy aggression, timing windows, and combat pressure shift based on player skill, which allows the story and gameplay to evolve alongside the player, creating a unique adventure each and every time:

Adaptive Difficulty: Play on Kristala’s innovative dynamic difficulty mode, which actively adapts the game's difficulty to the player’s skillset, opening up the famously unpassable difficulty of the Soulslike genre to all types of gamers.

Customize your Cat - Create your feline warrior by choosing fur color, fur length, your clan, and your starting class. All of these choices will factor into building your unique playstyle. The paw-sibilities are endless!

Comprehensive Magic System - Each clan specializes in an ancient/elemental magic, sourced by the Sacred Six Kristals. Unlock and level powerful spells and spell perks for each clan on a comprehensive, branching magic tree to customize your playstyle.

Atmospheric, Story-Driven Worldbuilding - Immerse yourself in the mystical realm of Ailur, where ancient prophecies, cursed creatures, and lost civilizations weave a dark and emotional narrative.


Players transform into elite cat warriors, mastering fluid parkour, pulling off precise aerial finishers, and using clan-specific magic. Kristala provides a fresh and unforgettable experience, boasting six clans, each with its own magical system, extensive customization possibilities, and a rich backstory. The game's PS5 demo recently soared to the #2 position on the PlayStation Store, a clear sign that its development is resonating with players.

Ready to pounce into the grimdark world of Kristala? Wishlist the game and play the free demo now on PlayStation, or dive deeper with the Early Access version—available now for purchase on Steam and The Epic Games Store, with all early supporters to receive the deluxe version of the game come Kristala’s 1.0 release. To stay up-to-date on all things Kristala, join their Discord and subscribe to their official subreddit. Follow them on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, BlueSky, X, Facebook, and Twitch.

About Kristala

Unleash your arcane power in Kristala, a dark fantasy Action RPG featuring challenging combat, fluid parkour, and deep exploration to uncover a detailed story. Step into the role of a feline warrior destined to master Ailur's ancient magic and uncover the source of a deadly curse threatening your world.

About Astral Clocktower Studios

Astral Clocktower Studios is a US-based women-led indie game development studio dedicated to crafting immersive, story-driven fantasy games that speak to players on a deeply personal level. The studio’s debut title, Kristala, blends dark fantasy themes with fast-paced combat and fluid parkour. Set in a rich, lore-filled world, Kristala’s feline characters and unique mechanics offer a fresh take on the soulslike genre. Kristala is currently in Early Access on Steam, with release plans for PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch following a full PC release this year. For more information, visit https://www.astralclocktowerstudios.com/.