Highlights:
* Nekki’s Spine game blends gun-fu action with a cyberpunk world made in Unreal Engine 5.
* The upcoming game is heavily inspired by gun-fu movies, as indicated by its cinematic approach in story and gameplay.
Nekki seems to have found a magical recipe for combining gun-fu mechanics with a futuristic setting. The developer, renowned for the Shadow Fight series, is set to take the action to the next level with Spine. The upcoming title has aroused the curiosity of both gamers and movie lovers. Not only does it promise cinematic gunplay but the developers are also planning to make film adaptations.
Ahead of the anticipated release of the game, Nekki released a nine-episode webtoon to promote the ‘Spineverse.’ Spine: Bullet Dancers introduces players to the dystopian world that will serve as the background for the game. The practice of releasing a webtoon that adds to the lore and news of a game seems to be inspired by CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. As it turns out, it is not the only area from which Nekki’s game seemingly draws inspiration from Cyberpunk.
Spine Introduces Us To Redline & Her High-Tech Spine Implant
Spine is set in the cyberpunk Tensor City ruled by the autocratic Tensor AI regime. Players step into the shoes of Redline, a street artist, who bears a vendetta against the ruling regime because they have taken her brother. She cannot complete the rescue mission by herself but thanks to Spine, a high-tech implant, she gains powers and reflexes that only few could match in the cyberpunk world.
The first impressions of Spine clearly highlight a Cyberpunk 2077 kind of plot. Instead of V, Johnny Silverhand, and the Arasaka corpo empire, we have Redline, Spine, and the Tensor regime. What makes Spine stand out from Cyberpunk while also retaining some of its best qualities is its combat. The action sequences are inspired by gun-fu movies and the cinematic approach reminds one of the John Wick movies.
Nekki Aims To Deliver A Cinematic Experience
Nekki’s upcoming Spine game is made with Unreal Engine 5. While this is good news for current-gen console users and high-end PC gamers, the game still needs a few polishes in its visual details and combat. The early gameplay teaser showcased Redline beating a few goons with dual handguns Red Hood style and disarming an enemy to pop a shotgun blast on one’s head.
Notably, the movement speed seemed slow for a high-tech fighter while the graphics seemed unrefined. There is also the issue of AI enemies attacking individually rather than collectively. Since it was early footage, we expect a more intelligent AI, faster combat, and an improvement in the graphical details when the game finally ends development.
Nekki has plans for making Spine into an expansive franchise that includes DLCs, board games, and merchandise. The latest step to achieving the goal is a collaboration with Story Kitchen to produce film adaptations of the game. The company is keeping up with the trend of making cinema in games and making cinema out of games.
Spine Game Release Date & Platforms
Although Nekki’s upcoming game has no release date, the developer did reveal that Spine will be available on PlayStation 5, PC (Steam) and Xbox. The platforms for Xbox weren’t disclosed though. One can expect it to be exclusive to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S since the game runs on Unreal Engine and last-gen consoles may not support the title.
Steam gamers who are interested in more action-based titles can try the latest installment in the Hades franchise. Hades 2 Early Access fan reviews are overwhelmingly positive with many users commending its level design and gameplay.
