A varied mix of more established developers and their fledgling counterparts are set to display their upcoming titles at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) later this month.
In partnership with independent game publisher Versus Evil, the developers will be showcasing six quite different games, all of which will be playable at the event.
The emphasis here is on both diversity and on championing independently developed games. Speaking of the event, Versus Evil General Manager Steve Escalante stated that the “line-up will gives us eagerly awaited sequels, spiritual successors to all-time classics, and innovative newcomers all under one roof.” He further insisted that their booth at the expo will allow for independently developed games to have proper exposure on a “world class stage,” in an event which is otherwise largely dominated by industry heavyweights like EA and Ubisoft.
The line-up of titles does indeed cover a broad range of genres and styles. Firstly there’s Redacted Studios’ Afro Samurai 2 – a sequel to the 2009 game, which itself was based upon the manga series of the same name. The latest installment will be released in three volumes and will follow the path of Kuma, a cybernetically enhanced killing machine intent on revenge.
Following the action-adventure title is Armikrog – a point and click adventure game from the creators of the cult platformer Earthworm Jim. If nothing else, the game’s intriguing animated claymation style should help to distinguish it from the crowd.
Then there will be a slice of tactical RPG action, in a playable demo of the eagerly awaited sequel, The Banner Saga 2. Guild of Dungeoneering will also make an appearance, a turn-based dungeon crawler which plays around with the conventions of the genre. Rather than controlling the protagonist as one would expect, the player will instead get to build the dungeon environment around the hero, laying down rooms, monsters, traps and loot. Also among the line-up is Kyn – a game developed over a three year period by two guys from the Netherlands. The game is described as offering a “fully-fledged traditional RPG experience,” and focuses on Viking mythology.
Finally, there will be plenty of turn-based strategy in the form of Skyshine’s Bedlam. Bedlam promises to take place in a unique, but dangerous post-apocalyptic world and will feature fast-paced combat, along with a “wealth of choices.” What is perhaps most exciting of all though, is that this will take place in a randomly generated world, ensuring that there will be tons of replayability.
E3 takes place June 16-18, 2015, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
