From Autumn Games and Reverge Labs comes the dynamic 2D fighting game, ‘Skullgirls’ . Set in a “Dark Deco” world with beautiful renderings of barbaric female fighters, the game is set to release this later this year and here is what you should know.
Skullgirls features the artwork of Alex Ahad (Lava Punch, UDON’s Tribute books, Scott Pilgrim); compiled with the game-design from famed tournament-champion, Mike Zaimont.
The story of Skullgirls takes place in the Canopy Kingdom. Here you will battle other fiery-vixens in an effort to claim the “Skull Heart”. This ancient artifact can grant your wish, but at a cost. A ‘Skullgirl’ is an impure soul that has wished on the Skull Heart. Now the very wish and the person that made it, will be forced to haunt humanity as a monster with unforeseen powers.
The Canopy Kingdom sits as the backdrop for the title, as you battle closer and closer to the Skull Heart you will fight in numerous stages. Each of these stages are artistically designed in both animation and setting, combining hand-drawn set-pieces with digital effects. These levels incluse such locals as a, “glass-windowed elevator” moving high above the city skyline, to a dark and secretive “labyrinth” located deep underground.
The characters themselves are impeccably designed, crafted to be unique with separate personalities and stories. Players will have the opportunity to choose from eight fighters. Each of the characters have their own combo-sets, unique fighting styles and colorful animations. It’s the unexampled characters that bring the story of the “Skull Heart” to life. Players can choose such characters as Valentine, a lone survivor of the “Anti-Skullgirl” movement, to the mafia-employed ‘Cirque des Cartes’ star Cerebella (shown on the right). As you play through each of the characters story-lines you will learn their backstory and ultimately their fate.
All of this is made possible by the use of the Reverge Labs’ ‘sprite-based’ game engine. The graphics engine allowed the development team to combine the 2D art with ‘real time’ lighting effects, an incredible achievement for the title and a milestone in the genre. Reverge Labs states that the ‘Dark Deco’ drawn in the game was done in twice the standard 720p resolution, this allowed them to achieve the character-design and “in-game” effects that they wanted in the title.
As for game-modes Skullgirls offers players a variety of choices; the standard VS mode, story mode, training mode and arcade mode. Victorious gamers will also be able to share their best moments with their friends, through the use of Facebook and Youtube. These replays and highlights of their matched can be uploaded directly from the game. The trailer below features the ‘Story Mode’ of select characters and features the artistic animation and gameplay we talked about in the article.
Skullgirls is set to be released later this year on Xbox Live and PSN.
