Neptune Had Mercy: Kickstarter Campaign Now Live
My heart belongs to the sea
I was rather taken by Neptune, Have Mercy [official site] when I posted about it a few weeks back. And, as it turns out, my heart still belongs to the sea, because here I am again to tell you about its Kickstarter campaign.
I promise I'll spend less time talking about golden age science fiction this time, though. Honest.
A new gameplay trailer has emerged from the depths to support the campaign, and included in its three minutes of footage is more of the gigantic eel creature we glimpsed previously.
Last time around I was taken by Neptune, Have Mercy's aesthetic, and I'm still spotting more charming flourishes. The map screen, for example, has been styled to look like a sturdy old glass-fronted CRT monitor, complete with curvature around the edges. The effect fits well with the 70s-ish style of the sub's interior and crew and looks thoughtfully implemented to boot, since it only seems to affect the overlay and not the map itself.
I also enjoy a spot of research in my games, but here it looks like Neptune, Have Mercy's approach might be a little shallow. Hovering near things while a percentage ticks up? Boring-o. Hovering near critters while a percentage ticks up doesn't really lend itself to the sense of mystery and exploration that excites me about Neptune, Have Mercy.
That said, I do still like the look of the flora and fauna the game's undersea world has been populated with, and I'm sure there'll be surprises-a-plenty. Meanwhile the explore-'em-up gameplay, ala. Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet and other Metroidvania games, looks as buoyant as ever.
Developers Octopodo are looking for $20,000 Canadian to finish development. $15 CAD (£8) would get you a copy of the finished game, which is due in October.
P.S. Some other rather excellent science fiction sub-marine adventure can be found in The Rifters (a loose trilogy by Peter Watts) and Startide Rising (one of David Brin's Uplift novels, featuring a starship that just happens to be crewed by dolphins and spend a lot of time underwater). Hey, no promises have been broken: these books are far too recent to qualify as golden age SF!