Target Acquired: A Bloody Night

A Bloody Night, from Emanuele Leoncilli (game site) is a fast-paced action game about a man rampaging through the countryside, slicing soldiers into bloody heaps to avenge the death of his sister. The mechanics are simple, with a basic 3-hit combo and strong attack, but there are a number of design elements that add complexity to the experience. So, rather than simply mashing the ATTACK button from one end of the level to the other, you must lure soldiers into chasing you, make strategic use of your limited-use strong attack, know when it is best to block, bash in soldiers' brains while avoiding incoming attacks, and occasionally enter into a furious rage and slice through swaths of foes with reckless abandon. Some soldiers fall quickly to your 3-hit combo, while others have shields that must be knocked away, and others must be knocked to the ground and bashed repeatedly until they die. The game has a lot of energy, with a pumping soundtrack, spewing blood, heavy clangs of metal-on-metal combat, and a driven anti-hero that brutally slays every living thing he comes in contact with.

The game is now available for PC and Mac via Steam and Itch.io, and is apparently planned for Xbox One if the trailer below is any indication. Check our coverage here.