New Release: Cannon Dancer - Osman

An enhanced edition of a bombastic arcade actioner, from Mitchell Corporation and ININ Games

New Release: Hazard Saviour

An open world platformer inspired by Crazy Taxi, from Sinclair Strange

New Release: Ginsha

An open world action-adventure that takes place across multiple planets, from PolarityFlow

New Release: Haunted Lands: Burial Grounds

A tough and bloody DOS-style shooter, from Alexey Goryachev

New Release: Curse of the Sea Rats

An open world action-adventure featuring 2D animation and 3D environments, from Petoons Studio

August 30, 2018

Target Acquired: The Messenger

The world has a love-hate relationship with the original Ninja Gaiden series on NES. On the one hand, it's a cult classic series, but on the other, the games were frustrating as hell, particularly the original... but that hasn't stopped developers from mimicking this style with creations of their own. Enter The Messenger from developer Sabotage Studio and publisher Devolver Digital. The game offers similar visuals to Ninja Gaiden but gives the player a more capable hero. In addition to basic platforming, sword slashing, and shuriken tossing, the ninja can unlock new gear that allows him to swim underwater, use a grappling line to draw himself toward walls or enemies, and even use a cape to ride air currents to reach higher platforms or attack enemies from above. A robust skill tree allows players to select upgrades to increase their effectiveness in combat, or add to their navigational abilities to explore the open environments and discover secrets. Players can even shift forward in time, and the graphics shift along with them, offering enhanced visuals and audio more in line with the 16-bit era, and shifting between timelines allows players to take advantages to changes in the environment between eras.

The game is now available on PC via Steam and Switch via eShop, and is coming to PS4 and Xbox One at a later date.




August 27, 2018

New Blip: Streets of Rage 4

You read that right... Streets of Rage 4 is real, officially endorsed by Sega, published by DotEmu, and developed by Lizardcube, the studio behind the graphically-enhanced Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, and Guard Crush Games, the studio behind Streets of Fury EX. Unless you've been living under a rock, and that rock didn't have a Sega Genesis attached to it, then you know of the Streets of Rage trilogy, and you may also be aware that fans have clamored for a sequel for many years, some even going so far as to create their own versions and unofficial sequels over the years. The game features the series' beat 'em up roots with a fresh coat of blazing neon paint, and allows for 1P or 2P combat with a pumping soundtrack to get your juices flowing... and the juices of your enemies.

The game has no announced release date. It also has no announced platforms, but we're going to guess that it's going to be all of them.




August 23, 2018

Target Acquired: The King's Bird

Serenity Forge, the publisher of Four Sided Fantasy, returns with The King's Bird, a momentum-based platformer with fluid movement inspired by Dustforce. You take on the role of a cape-wearing bird girl who navigates a dark world, sliding down slopes, jumping off walls and running across them, and hitting surfaces from every possible angle while traversing obstacle-laden environments. Something that separates this game from similar acrobatic platformers is the ability to use the girl's cape to glide quickly through open areas, building up speed when moving downward and then swooping back up to land on a platform or cling to a wall for a moment before dashing away again.

The game is now available on PC via Steam. Check our coverage here.




August 21, 2018

Target Acquired: Guacamelee 2

A sequel to Guacamelee! is coming... and given that the first game was a pretty dang outstanding luchador-meets-dia-de-los-muertos metroidvania set in a beautiful world, this one needs your immediate attention. Guacamelee! 2, from DrinkBox Studios, picks up seven years after the previous game. After luchador Juan Aguacate defeats the evil Carlos Calaca, a new threat rises and threatens spacetime itself! Once again, you must use your super stylish wrestling moves to bash your way through monsters while unlocking new abilities that aid you in combat and allow you to more fully explore the environment. You'll be travelling between dimensions, body slamming baddies, performing precision platforming feats, and fighting fearsome bosses in your quest to save the Mexiverse!

The game is now available for PC via Steam and PS4 via PSN.




August 19, 2018

Target Acquired: Defenders of Ekron: Definitive Edition

Defenders of Ekron was originally released a year ago, but developer In Vitro Games just followed it up with the release of Defenders of Ekron: Definitive Edition. The game is primarily a shooter, but gameplay style shift frequently during the experience, sometimes multiple times within a level, alternating between shooting, exploration, arena combat, and even some light puzzle solving. The game also offers a robust simulation mode where the player can hone his skills, learn advanced techniques, and earn bonus points to upgrade his mech. The Definitive Edition adds new difficulty levels, a boss rush mode against the game’s 13 bosses, and some tweaks to the gameplay and balance. In addition, this edition of the game includes Invaders of Ekron, a standalone vertical shmup done up in an 8-bit style, offering a more straightforward vertical shooting experience without the action-adventure elements or advanced techniques of the main game.

The Definitive Edition is now available for PC via Steam, PS4, via PSN and Xbox One via Microsoft Store. Check our coverage here.




August 16, 2018

New Blip: Carrion

Did you like Butcher? It was a super gory sidescrolling shooter from Transhuman Design, and now the studio has returned with an even bloodier and gorier game entitled Carrion. In this game, you control a sinewy amorphous alien creature that uses its grotesque appendages to grab a hold of people and furiously murder them, leaving behind sprays of blood in the process. Humans will do their best to stop you by using guns and other weapons... but you have the ability to pull out their spinal cords, so that's pretty fair. Rampage your way through a station killing everyone you find in a horror game where you are the monster.

The game is coming to PC but does not yet have an announced release date.




To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our Master List.

August 14, 2018

Target Acquired: Death's Gambit

Death's Gambit, from White Rabbit Interactive (game site), is an action-RPG where you explore a Medieval-era planet, taking on the role of an armored knight as he battles across a harsh landscape. The knight uses a number of melee weapons, as well as a bow and arrows and a large shield to face off against similarly-armed foes and larger-than-life monsters, but he must occasionally tackle gigantic towering creatures Shadow of the Colossus-style. In these encounters, the knight must ascend the bodies of the great beasts by using a grappling hook to attach to specific points, and keep the creature's movements in mind in order to avoid falling. The game world is nonlinear, with new paths generally becoming available as major enemies are felled, which allows the player to tackle the world as he wishes, or try a new path if he finds himself unable to move forward.

The game is now available for PC via Steam and GOG, and PS4 via PSN.




August 12, 2018

Target Acquired: La-Mulana 2

Developer Nigoro returns with a sequel to La-Mulana. This game picks up many years after the events of the first, and focuses on the original protagonist’s daughter, Lemeza Kosugi. Fortunately, she seems to be has handy with a whip as her father before her. Rather than adventuring through Egyptian tombs and catacombs, Kosugi takes to Norse-themed locales, although the look and feel is very much in line with the (enhanced) original. Once again, players will need to pay close attention to small details in the environment and hints that direct them toward puzzle solutions if they hope to make any kind of progress.

The game is now available for PC and Mac via Steam, Playism, Humble Store, and GOG. Check our coverage here.




August 7, 2018

Target Acquired: Dead Cells

Dead Cells, from Motion Twin, is a roguelike action-adventure inspired by the Castlevania series. Per genre conventions, the game features procedural generation and no checkpoints, so death returns you to the start of the game. However, it also features the open design of modern-day metroidvania titles, allowing multiple routes through the environment, along with a Souls-esque dodge roll. Gameplay takes place in and around a huge castle, with players facing off against various creatures and humanoid enemies - and their elite variants - plus some tougher boss encounters. Players make use of a variety of melee weapons, including spears, swords, and whips, as well as magic and projectile-based attacks.

The game is now available for PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam and GOG, PS4 via PSN, Xbox One via Microsoft Store, and Switch via eShop. Check our coverage here.




August 5, 2018

Target Acquired: Flat Heroes

Flat Heroes, from Parallel Circles, is a technical platformer set in a minimalist world. Players are tasked with completing more than 100 levels of increasing difficulty in the main campaign, which may be enjoyed by up to four players in drop-in drop-out local co-op, along with a number of survival and versus modes. Players have a limited moveset that he must use in increasingly complex ways as he dodges walls of projectiles, smashes though enemies, outmaneuvers heat-seeking missiles, and takes on challenging bosses.

The game is now available for PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam, and Switch via the eShop. Check our coverage here.