14 DAY TRIAL // DrinkBox Studios, the creator of Mutant Blobs Attack and the smash hit Guacamelee!, has just announced its next project, a weird game where you hack off body parts and then equip them, titled Severed.
Severed seemingly follows a warrior on an acid trip, trying to pierce together various mysteries, such as how she woke up missing one arm.
Players will be able to explore an open world and take on enemies using gesture-based controls, with the action being portrayed from the first-person perspective. You'll be able to gain new powers all throughout your quest by severing your enemies' appendages and then attaching them to yourself.
The dungeon-crawler adventure will feature completely non-linear gameplay and will offer control over several upgrade paths, allowing you to tackle various foes, with different strengths and weaknesses.
The developers mention Mega Man, Infinity Blade and Mike Tyson's Punch Out as inspirations for Severed. The trailer is a masterful portrayal of psychedelic elements, offering a glimpse of the progression players will experience in the upcoming game, starting off without an arm and ending up looking like a rugged pinata.
The world is completely open right from the start, offering players many branching paths and the freedom to explore each one at their leisure. There is a big emphasis on exploration, and players will revisit locations where they fail after getting upgrades in other areas, proving that wearing other people's dead limbs is the surefire way to overcoming obstacles.
Although enemies can surround you, you can only face one direction at a time, so learning the tells of enemies will be key in figuring out where to strike first.
Along with the physical attacks, players will also be able to employ various magical spells, both in offensive ways (such as blinding enemies) as well as to assist in the adventure, by unlocking doors and performing other various actions.
As the game is mainly intended to be operated through gestures, it will only be compatible with touchscreen devices, so the announcement of Severed coincides with the disclosure that DrinkBox is heading to mobile platforms.
Of course, the game can also find a home on compatible devices such as the PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and the team is open to the idea of experimenting with the PlayStation Move, Kinect and Project Morpheus.
Severed is currently scheduled for release sometime in 2015, so the team has a lot of time to figure out how to deliver the game, and whether non-touch platforms can also offer a good experience.
