Gosh, Shu Looks Like A Very Lovely Thing
While the trailer is from a couple of months back, this is the first time we've encountered partly hand-drawn platformer Shu. Scottish indies Secret Lunch are going to reveal more of the game at next week's GDC, but the footage released so far is too gorgeous not to share.
I'm loving the hand-drawn animations for the characters. And while not much can be gleaned from the trailer, the mechanic of grabbing others by the hand to guide them lights up the Ico region of my brain, which is directly wired to the Happy Place Cortex. The game will apparently focus on "run, jump and glide", which are three of my favourite ways to get about. You're climbing up a mountain, chased by a monster and a thunderstorm! Eek. The developers explain,
"Shu features vibrant, hand drawn 2D characters in a colourful 3D world of towering stone, rushing rivers and long forgotten monoliths. On your journey to the peak you will encounter a unique cast of villagers who, in their flight from the storm, have become stuck, trapped or separated from one another. Will you leave them to their fate? Or will you stop to save them, making the journey more challenging, and giving the ever moving maelstrom a chance to close the gap? Run or rescue; it's up to you."
The project is on Greenlight, so they can register interest in the concept. And we should have our hands on it next week.