Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Smooch 'Em Robots: Heart&Slash

Emotional robots are all the rage right now - not to mention all the emotions except rage, which they're reserving for their inevitable insurrection because people are terrible. But until then, we can have our hearts warmed by our eventual doom-bringers in games like Heart&Slash. This one's a style-drenched actioner ala DmC: Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, or ManPunch ShootBelch: Acropotheonical, but with whirring gears of love and loss. Also roguelike elements, because those are basically synonymous with "videogame" these days. It really does look excellent, though. Trailer in the beneathplace.

Heart&Slash is about a robot who wears its heart on its face (I think we've all been there before) who's trying to escape industrial standardization. The Man - by which I mean Robot - wants to bring everyone down and totally harsh all the good vibes, but Heart has a few things to say about that. And all of them are sword.

The game will combine combo-based action with roguelike elements (as opposed to roguelike elephants, which is sadly something no game has attempted to my knowledge). Here's how it'll work:

"Heart & Slash main gameplay mechanics are inspired from successful fast-paced 3D brawlers like Bayonetta or DMC. However, where those games offer depth in the combat systems, we have chosen to go with breadth. You will be able to equip more than a hundred different body-parts and weapons, which will change your capabilities and the way you fight."

"Heart & Slash will not be an easy game. But dying shouldn't matter, for every time you start a new game, the levels you fight through, and the items and weapons you collect, will change. Ultimately, playing Heart & Slash will not be about mastering one system, but about being able to adapt to what you are given and making the best out of it."

So basically, the two sides of Heart&Slash's hearting and slashery will go together pretty much as you'd expect. I could see myself getting sucked into something like in a worrisome hurry, however, so here's hoping (and also not hoping) that the game lives up to its potential.

Heart&Slash will be out in December. Oh, but first it'll hit up Kickstarter in the coming days, because *PLOT TWIST* there are no plot twists in the gaming industry anymore. Is your heart - and, perhaps more importantly, wallet - in this one?